Local painters venture into ‘plein air’ to connect with source, each other

“En plein air” is a French term meaning “in the open air.” The practice of painting en plein air was solidified in France during the early 1800s, when portable easels and, later, the invention of paint tubes allowed artists to travel out of their studios and create “in situ,” or onsite.

“You’re connecting to the Earth. You’re hearing the birds and the frogs, you’re feeling the breeze, you’re smelling the smells. We painted at a lavender farm a few weeks ago in Webberville, and when I got out of the car, the smell was just incredible,” Andrea Jeris said, describing the experience of painting with En Plein Air Mid-Michigan, a group of local artists who get together weekly to create among nature.

Founded by Juanita Baldwin in 2012, the group will exhibit its work at Framer’s Edge in Okemos tomorrow (Aug. 1) through Aug. 27, with an opening reception from 1 to 3 p.m. Sunday (Aug. 4). The work is also available to view online at framersedge.net/en-plein-air-august.

Jeris said she first tried painting outdoors while living in California.

“When I moved back to my native Michigan, I was surprised that they do it here because of the weather,” she said.

The group meets from 9 a.m. to noon every Thursday from May through October.

“We call ourselves fairweather painters,” Jeris said with a laugh. “But some groups do paint in the winter.”

Baldwin started the group to “meet real people once a week in this world where we’re all glued to cell phones and other devices” and to enjoy the warm weather season in Michigan.

“Old Town Treat,” by Carolyn Damstra, is one of more than 25 pieces in En Plein Air Mid-Michigan’s August art show at Framer’s Edge in …

“Painting in the studio offers certain measures of comfort and enjoyment: the right temperature, my favorite music and a cup of freshly brewed coffee, among others. However, I find it invigorating to experience the elements. I immensely enjoy feeling the warm breeze in summer, the exuberance of nature, the contrast of light and shadows — and the fact that outdoors isn’t as messy as my studio,” Baldwin said.

Jeris and Baldwin are both part of a larger group, the Mid-Michigan Art Guild. Back in 2012, Baldwin connected with a few other artists to begin painting outside. It was an informal experiment that has grown to a sturdy email list of about 45 people, with five to 12 artists in attendance at each week’s meetup.

“We have watercolorists, and sometimes someone will bring their pastels. If someone can’t stay for the whole time, they might just bring a sketchbook and make some sketches for an hour,” Jeris said.

The location changes from week to week to allow painters to take inspiration from a variety of scenes.

“We go to parks, we go to farms, and we went to Old Town and painted on the streets. That was a different experience because I was on one side of the street, painting the other side of the street. Cars kept pulling up and blocking my view!” Jeris said. “We went up to DeVries in Owosso when they had their full sunflower field. Most of the year, we’re painting in a lot of green, so when we come across a sunflower or lavender field, it’s a gift. And then in the fall, we get the colors.”

According to Jeris, a first-time plein air artist might feel a little overwhelmed because there’s so much to look at when painting outside.

“A still life is a very small, contained area, and when you’re outdoors, you’ve got 360 degrees of views to look at. People think, ‘What do I paint?’ You have to wander around a little, and eventually, a scene will speak to you, and you’ll say, ‘This is my spot,’” she said.

Framer’s Edge owner LeeAnn Buckingham called the group “unique and very close-knit.”

“They share a lot of fun and laughter when they meet together to paint onsite. It’s awesome — it builds a lot of strength within the artists, and they’re very supportive of each other,” she said.

Baldwin also emphasized the group’s supportiveness.

“I like the social interaction, the conversations that occur between painting and looking around. We don’t critique other people’s work. We will offer an opinion only if the artist requests it,” she said.

Framer’s Edge has hosted the group’s annual art show the past four years as well. An artist herself, Buckingham said, “We really love supporting local artists. It’s a lot of fun displaying their artwork. We have it posted on our online store and on Facebook.”

Fourteen artists are included in the show, which depicts landscapes from well-loved Lansing locales like Hawk Island Park, Tollgate Wetlands and even Arctic Corner in Old Town.

Baldwin considers it a privilege to be the founder and organizer of the group.

“We’ve been going since May 2012, but during the pandemic in particular, it offered a chance for us to get together while maintaining the necessary physical separation and was a spiritual and emotional salvation for many of us,” she said. “The privilege of creating such a successful group has been very fulfilling for me.”