2026 plein air artists
ARTISTS ARE LISTED IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER BY LAST NAME
Please scroll down to see all artists
Sandy Ackerman
I grew up in a small town on the Mississippi River in Minnesota, spending most days in the fields and woods and on the banks of the river.
This gave me a great appreciation of the outdoors. I never really wanted to be anything other than an artist and studied drawing and painting at the University of Minnesota, the College of Art and Design, Eastern Michigan University and continued to take classes and attend workshops whenever I could. Several years ago, I began painting the landscape on location with other plein air painters. I felt this was the perfect way to combine my love of the woods and rivers with my love of art and I have never looked back. I belong to several Plein Air painting groups and spend summers traveling and painting in Plein Air events. My goal is to bring a bit of the beauty and harmony I find in nature back to the viewer in my paintings.
My paintings can be viewed online at www.sandrasackerman.com
Instagram at Ackerman.sandy
Facebook
You can contact me through my website or at sandysackerman@gmail.com
Lynn Anderson
Lynn is a contemporary impressionist painter from Grand Rapids. Summer becomes a busy time of painting in native preserve areas and at the beach. It is a wonderful excuse to be outdoor however I do prefer to paint on sunny days with strong shadows and color highlights.
Danielle Paglino Belin
Originally from Michigan, Danielle is an artist drawn to the quiet, everyday beauty of the world around her. Whether through painting or photography, she’s always chasing the light and the way it moves across water, filters through clouds, or lingers on a bunch of wildflowers most people might not notice.
Her work has been shown in exhibitions in Spain, including a solo show, and in the US. Travel continues to play a big role in how she sees and creates her art. Currently, she splits her time between Louisville, Colorado in the winter and Northport, Michigan in the summer. Northern Michigan has shaped her since childhood and continues to feed her creative spirit.
Mellocup Studio
Doug Bostian
My art adventure began in childhood with a simple box of crayons and coloring books. As I grew,
I traded in those crayons for brushes, embarking on a new chapter in oil painting in my retirement. My art journey has included many attending workshops, taking online instruction and participating in
several local plein air competitions. This is my first time at Northport. I will always be a life-long student of fine art, reaching for new challenges and pushing myself to learn new and exciting methods of painting.
I make my home in Grand Rapids, Michigan with my bride and 2 cats.
My website is https://www.dougbostianfineart.com/
Judith Brunko
Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design - 1987
Art Students League, New York City - 1988
M.Arch, University Colorado - 1991
Stoneheart Gallery, Evergreen, CO - 2017
Mountain Oyster Club Art Show, Tucson - 2019, 2020, 2021, 2025
Oil Painters of America Western Regional Show - 2022
Best in Show - Sahuarita, AZ Art Festival
Best Figurative - Oro Valley, AZ Festival - 2026
Kurt Bullock
To portray nature on a linen panel with oils and brushes produces a deeper understanding of—and more pressing concern for—the environment we humans so often take for granted and seek to dominate. The best moments come when I feel such a resonance with the natural world that I almost forget I am painting, as though I stand in a circle of stillness, of meditation, of prayer. Rather than replicate precisely what I see, I wish to convey the perceptions the site engenders in me. I consider the process a limitless interpretation of the natural wonderland that surrounds and suffuses me, and the product a visual trace of that experience—one that I trust is genuine though intuited, representative though abstracted.
Barbara Allen Church
I spent my summers on Good Harbor Bay by Pyramid Point. Many of my paintings are influenced by these early years exploring the beaches and islands of Lake Michigan. I love capturing the up north feel in my paintings.
As a graduate of MSU’s Interior Design program, I spent my career at Herman Miller furniture dealerships helping clients envision their interiors. Now I am designing hospitality environments and painting in my spare time.
Carolyn Damstra
Carolyn is a Okemos-based painter working primarily in acrylics, and also explores oils and watercolors. She travels frequently, especially to the Leelanau Peninsula, seeking inspiration and the perfect spot to set up her easel. “It is an ongoing act of courage to paint; to not be afraid to load a brush and trust your intuition and experience to guide the outcome. Plein air painting is the ultimate meditative experience of living in the moment for me. It is exciting to hold this conversation between nature and pigment, flow and vibration, and share it with others. My art is inspired by my frequent practice of walking outdoors. This is a meditative, healing practice for me. A Japanese practice called forest bathing, or shinrin-yoku, is about connecting with nature through our senses. Shinrin-yoku bridges the gap between us and the natural world. I welcome viewers to walk through my art in a similar way.”
Carolyn has participated in numerous solo and juried state and regional exhibitions, holds several plein air painting competition awards, and was selected as an Artist in Residence at Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore. Recently, several of her paintings have traveled internationally as part of the Art In Embassies Program, U.S. Department of State, to Fiji, Serbia, and Belgium. She holds a BFA in studio art and an MA in art history, both from Michigan State University.
Visit her website at www.carolyndamstra.com and on Insta @carolyndamstraart
Avery Dellinger II
After spending more than two decades in the fast-paced world of live entertainment, working alongside some of the biggest names in the industry, I chose a very different path. I left that career behind and moved my family to Northern Michigan. What began as a desire to slow down became a calling to paint.
Working primarily in oils, I paint both in the studio and on location whenever possible, embracing an alla prima approach that captures the immediacy of the moment. I am drawn to the changing light, the shorelines, and the landscapes that make Northern Michigan unforgettable.
My work is about preserving an experience. Through each painting, I hope to encourage viewers to pause, slow down, and appreciate the beauty hidden in places they might otherwise pass by.
Each canvas reflects the life I chose over the one I left behind. When someone brings one of my paintings into their home, my hope is they aren’t simply hanging a landscape, they are bringing home a moment of peace.
Sandra S. Difazio
Sandra S Difazio - Bio Originally from rural Arkansas, Sandra has always loved the colors and patterns of the landscape from the rugged majesty of her birthstate to Michigan's diverse environment. A representational oil painter and avid plein air artist her primary focus is on light and shadow and how it affects the scene she is trying to capture. Passages of rich color contrasted by toned down areas emphasize the affect of light on her work. She believes in the importance of working in the chaos of the outdoors as well as the controlled environment of the studio. "Plein Air painting gives me the opportunity to not only see color and light but also feel the environment and attempt to translate what I experience into my paintings. While challenging and even daunting at times the complexity tests my ability to think things out." Her favorite subjects are near her home and in northern Michigan. They include urban scenes, fields, farm scenes, parks, gardens, lakes, rivers and the shorelines of the Great Lakes. Sandra studied Fine Art and Commercial Art at Wayne County and Henry Ford Community Colleges and worked as a Graphic Designer for the Library Network. To refine her painting skills she has taken workshops with professional artists. An award winning artist, her paintings have appeared in numerous juried and solo exhibits, museum shows, galleries, and plein air evevents throughout Michigan with several pieces in private and corporate collections. She actively participates in several art organizations. She is Past President and former Plein Air Chairman of Ann Arbor Women Artists, an Associate Member of Oil Painters of America, Signature Member of the Great Lakes Plein Air Painters Association and Vice President of the Saline Painters Guild. www.sandradifazio.com
Jeanette Dyer
Following a career in graphic design and digital photo retouching, I have returned to my original desire in fine arts, bringing my art education and experience back to the canvas! I am a lifelong Michigander, and we recently moved to Sutton’s Bay. The Leelanau Peninsula offers endless natural beauty and opportunity to paint all seasons, wrapped in wildflowers, orchards and tall pines surrounded by stunning blue lakes and sandy shores. Plein air painting takes me to a whole new level of appreciation, with new challenges and outcomes at every turn. I use oil and watercolor mediums, always pack both, and decide on the spot which one to use based on time, and weather conditions. It’s a joy to share my vision and journey with you.
www.jeanetteswansondyer.com
Instagram: Jeanette Swanson Dyer
Martha Elchert
Is a watercolor artist.
I paint both in studio and en Plein air but I am happiest when painting outside. For me, Plein air painting is the perfect pairing of my passion for watercolor and my love of the outdoors. My watercolors are impressions of landscapes and streetscapes at home or during my travels. I have been fortunate to have my paintings accepted in regional and national juried shows, achieving Signature membership in the New Mexico Watercolor Society in 2018. I am a member of Great Lakes Plein air Association where I serve on the board and as an exhibition chair. As an avid urban sketcher I always carry a sketchbook and travel watercolors. I have enjoyed sketching with USk chapters in France, Netherlands and Texas. At home I am an administrator for Urban Sketchers Traverse City. I am excited to participate in the Gene Rantz Memorial Plein air again this year!
Please see on FB Martha Elchert Fine Art.
Kendall Fox
I was born in Grand Rapids, MI and retired as a PricewaterhouseCoopers partner to Suttons Bay, MI in 2019. I also spend my winters in Copperopolis, CA which is in the Sierra Nevada foothills.
I have a lifelong passion for art, and I am spending my retirement years learning to express myself with paint. I enjoy painting a variety of subjects looking to capture what speaks to me.
Tracy Goll
Tracy is a Michigan based, late in life painter and a continuing student of art. Through classes and workshops I'm continually learning techniques to better render my artistic visions of our incredible world. I'm compelled to paint to both challenge my new abilities and feed my spirit. I hope you connect and enjoy my paintings.
Mary Guntzviller
Primarily painting with transparent watercolor since 1982, she has won many awards. Teaching since 1993, Mary’s main goal in her classes is to instill self-confidence in her students. Her classes are filled with humor, interaction, and demonstrations.
Mary also forays into oil and acrylic, fabric, sculpture, and resin. She has been published in Quilting arts Magazine and has illustrated a children’s book.
A graduate of Wayne State University with a degree in Fine Art, Mary’s artwork visually shares her experiences of joy, life, and loss.
“Producing art is as essential as breathing to me. It imparts joy, satisfaction, apprehension, and relief. Every time I create, I am complete. I am in control and yet taking the biggest risk of my life.”
Joan Harvey
Creating is a joy and challenge.
Plein air is my favorite painting mode for many reasons. I'm challenged and working to accompish a painting in one sitting. I want to have a flowing mood expressed. Capturing a sound/ feeling. I work in acrylics and watercolor.
I've been painting since middle school. Do have a BFA from U of M.
Debra Howard
Debra has been an artist and adventurer her entire life. She spent her childhood in Miami, Florida, where she first discovered her love an air with color, light, painting, and sailing. She studied at Ringling School of Art in Sarasota, and began her art career in San Francisco, where she opened her first illustration studio. After 17 years as a successful illustrator, she closed her studio to concentrate on fine art painting. “I realized that the career I had found so satisfying was being taken over by the computer. I missed the feel of the brush on canvas.
In response, she provisioned her Peterson 44 sailboat with art supplies, her old dog and her 4 year old daughter and began cruising. After almost 27 years of travelling, sailing and painting aboard, Ling Ling, she has come ashore and has turned her creative focus to painting the Eastern Shore and the Leelanau and Old Mission Peninsula in northern Michigan.
Her introduction to the Eastern Shore came by way of Tangier Island. A tiny, remote island in the middle of the Chesapeake Bay. She lived there for 3 years, as the artist-in-residence and then as the Executive Director for the Tangier History Museum. She accomplished the task of painting a painting a day to document the seasons and changes on this disappearing island. Her work was featured in The American Scholar Magazine. The experience changed her; “I paint now with more energy, passion and immediacy,” Howard says, “which coincidentally reflect the very nature of the island. The island is raw.”
After years of travelling and painting from a sailboat she switched from sailing to camping. “I now travel from April to November exploring and participating in Plein Air events in my little RV trailer with emphasis on northern Michigan.
Debra has been juried into (and won) Plein Air competitions in Maryland, Pennsylvania, New York, Michigan, Maine, Georgia, Delaware, New Jersey, Tennessee, Indiana, Texas, Louisiana and Virginia, including prestigious events such as Easton Plein Air, Paint Annapolis, en Plein Air Texas and Bath County Plein Air. She is a Signature Member of the Mid-Atlantic Plein Air Painters Association (MAPAPA), Northport Arts Association, Glen Arbor Art Association, Crooked Tree Arts Center and the Somerset County Arts Council.
Artist-in-Residence for: Tangier Island, VA, Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, Big Cypress National Preserve, Everglades, Florida and the South Carolina State Parks..
Her work as been featured in the American Scholar Magazine and Plein Air Magazine as well as numerous newspaper articles. She travels through the year, pulling a small RV trailer, competing in plein air competitions around the country and offering art workshops and artists talks.
Janet Kohler
Janet has earned numerous awards and honors in juried exhibitions and plein-air competitions across the United States, most recently received an Honorable Mention award for pastels in the Plein Air Salon National Art Competition January 2026 and December 2025 for "Hidden Gem", and she also received First Place for the “Best Plein Air Pastel” (November 2023). Classically trained, she holds a BFA from the Center for Creative Studies in Detroit and an MFA from Eastern Michigan University. Her work is featured in prestigious collections both nationally and internationally, including St. Joseph Mercy Hospital Towers and Trinity Health Oncology Center in Ann Arbor, MI. After two decades in graphic design, Janet sought more time with her family and transitioned to teaching art part-time while advancing her career as a professional artist. Since 1992, she taught weekly pastel painting classes at Art Centers and the Visual Arts Association of Livonia, summer pastel workshops at Interlochen College of Creative Arts, and week-long plein-air retreats in the Loire Valley, France.
"I have been creating art since childhood and growing up on a large dairy farm, I was shaped by the rhythms of life in the countryside of southeast Michigan—expansive sunrises and sunsets, fog lifting in the early morning, the whisper of wind through fields and forests. Painting en plein air, I seek to capture, not just the scene before me, but its atmosphere, its mood, its very heartbeat. Through expressive pastel strokes and luminous, saturated color, I aim to create landscapes that feel alive—inviting viewers to step inside, breathe the air, and feel the emotional pulse of the moment.
Visit Janet's website at: https:/www.janetkohlerarts.com and on Facebook and Instagram at: jskohler.arts
Jessica Kovan
I am a mixed media artist living in northern Michigan in the midst of woods and apple trees.
My tools for seeing, understanding and sharing are my paintbrush, scissors and glue. I love being outside and plein air painting. I am constantly on the search for ways to be a mixed-media-plein-air-artist.
Having grown up the daughter of a teacher and a poet, I feel naturally drawn to include text in my paintings. I'm also drawn to painting what I'm feeling. It’s the spark that ignites my creativity. Even if I look out on a beautiful landscape, I’m still thinking: What am I feeling? How do I communicate what I’m feeling?
I don’t know a different way.
It’s just who I am. It's the way I share my soul with the world.
Kathleen Kalinowski
Kathleen is a contemporary impressionist painter who is deeply captivated by the light, atmosphere, and colors of the landscape. Her passion for painting en plein air - directly from nature - allows her to fully immerse herself in the beauty around her, interpreting and capturing its essence in her work. Kathleen’s plein air paintings enrich her studio work by preserving the memory and poetry of a particular place and time, ensuring that her studio pieces retain the vividness and immediacy of her outdoor experiences. A lifelong resident of west Michigan, Kathleen’s fine art career has spanned over 30 years. Her paintings are in collections of area hospitals, health care facilities and corporations as well as many private collections. Her work has earned numerous awards and has been featured in prestigious regional and national exhibitions, as well as in solo and gallery shows. Kathleen has also been actively involved in her local art community, teaching and mentoring aspiring artists. In recent years, she has expanded her artistic exploration to include the landscapes and cultures of Ireland, Germany, Italy and France. Her paintings have also been selected into the Arts in Embassies program, showing in Togo, West Africa, Bern, Switzerland, and Brussels, Belgium. Currently, she is participating in the Land Conservancy of West Michigan’s Preserved initiative, creating artwork on site inspired by tracts of land that are being preserved for future generations.
Website: KathleenKalinowski.com
Instagram: kathleenkalinowski
FB: Kalinowski Fine Art
Judy Kelly
Judy Kelly is a plein air artist devoted to capturing the essence of old farms and rural landscapes. Judy aims to convey the bond between the land and human experiences. Many of her pieces are created on-site, letting the outdoor experience shape her artistic vision. She keenly observes light patterns in her surroundings and simplifies her compositions to evoke a sense of calm. Judy’s underpaintings establish a cohesive color palette, bringing together the diverse elements of her landscapes. The buildings she portrays have their own stories, visible through their empty windows, reflecting the passage of time. She enjoys experimenting with various mediums, including oil, pastel, and watercolor, relishing the creative challenges of both planning and executing her work. Ultimately, her painting endeavors aim to instill a sense of joy and connection in her viewers.
Website: https://www.judykellystudio.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/judykellystudio
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/judy.novak.kelly/
Brant MacLean
I am retired now and live in Detroit with my wife, Marcella. I have been painting for about 25 years now, starting with some community art classes and painting from a model in the 1990s. Later I started painting with the Michigan Plein Air Painters, which really gave fuel to the fire. Plein air painting, and painting consistently with a plein air group has helped me in a big way to become a better painter. My studio paintings are freqently better than my plein-airs because I have the time to analyze and work on my ideas, but the ideas often come from my experiences painting “en plein air.” And the plein air paintings often have a feeling of freshness that is hard to duplicate in a studio. I have learned from painting plein air the differences between photos and painting from life, the things that photos can never capture, and the problems with painting from photos (extremely valuable). I've been forced to find beauty in things that I would not have noticed before, and I've discovered whole new categories of subject matter by painting next to other artists. Plein air painting has improved and maintained my drawing skills, since you have a 2-3 hour window to complete a painting. And did I mention it is fun? It's a challenge for sure, but I can't count the times I have come away with a deep feeling of contentment and pride in capturing something beautiful.
Kim (Kwaz) Mckerracher RN
Kim has been a nurse for over 40 years She took up painting and drawing to help deal with the stress of deaths and burnout “Painting nature and people can bring beauty into our lives To experience God’s creation through quiet reflection with painting, is peaceful and healing to my spirit.” Kim uses layers of oil over acrylic with a palette knife to make her unique creations
KimKwaz.weebly.com
Mark Mehaffey
Internationally recognized artist Mark E Mehaffey is a signature member of the American Watercolor Society; Dolphin Fellow, the National Watercolor Society, Watercolor USA Honor Society, the Transparent Watercolor Society of America; Signature Life Member - and Distinguished Master, Watercolor West, the Rocky Mountain Watermedia Society, the Louisiana Watercolor Society; Signature Life Member, the International Society of Experimental Artists, Signature Life Member and the International Society of Acrylic Painters among others.
Mehaffey has won major awards in juried exhibitions internationally including the Silver Medal of Honor (twice) and the Arches Paper Co Award from the American Watercolor Society, the Beverly Green Memorial Purchase Award from the National Watercolor Society, M. Grumbacher Gold Medal from Allied Artists of America, the Skyledge Award from TWSA, Biennial Award from the 2010 Shanghai Zhoujiajiao International Biennial Watercolor Exhibition, Best of Show from the San Diego Watercolor Society and guest artist for the Salon De L’Aquarelle 2015, Antwerp, Belgium. In 2016 Mark was honored with the new designation of ‘Distinguished Master’ by the Transparent Watercolor Society of America for having over 20 total paintings accepted.
He wrote “Creative Watercolor Workshop”, published in 2005 and it was rereleased as “Creative Watercolor and Acrylic Workshop” in 2013 published by Northlight Publishing. Mark’s latest book, ‘En Plein Air Acrylic’, Walter Foster Publisher was released in 2019. Mark has also created twelve instructional videos. He has appeared in many publications. He was featured in “Masters of Watercolor” written by Konstantin Sterkhov and “Inspirations & Technical Breakthroughs: Secrets from the Contemporary International Watercolor Masters Volume 1” written by Zhou Tianya & Ruan Hoe.
Mehaffey’s paintings are included in corporate public and private collections including Blue Cross Blue Shield and The Arches Paper Co., USA. In 2018 Mark was invited to participate in the International Watercolor Masters Exhibition in Weston Park England. His work is included in the permanent collections of transparent watercolors at the Neville Public Museum, Green Bay, Wisconsin, the Muskegon Museum of Art, Muskegon, Michigan, the National Watercolor Museum of Mexico City, Mexico City, Mexico, Quanhua Watercolor Art Gallery, Zhoujiajiao, China and the Dachong Art Gallery, Zhongshan, China.
Mark is a popular juror, workshop instructor and lecturer.
Laura Miller
I am a self-taught artist with a flair for color.
I see the world in full color. So much color, metaphorically and literally. I can’t remember a time that art wasn’t a part of me. I find beauty in the mundane, everyday life. Life has thrown me some deep sorrow and heartaches. Instead of becoming bitter or angry, I have embraced the humbling beauty of everyday life. Every day is a gift from God and I endeavor to display that in my paintings. I grew up drawing, doodling, coloring, painting and creating things any chance I got. I never imagined I would turn to that as a way to be a blessing to people and calm my soul.
Recently, I have begun to share my experience in a workshop/class setting. I enjoy teaching and encouraging people in my love for acrylic.
I paint to feed my soul. I hope it feeds yours, also.
I am a member of Oliver Art Center and Northport Art Association. I have been represented in my work by OAC, NAA and Glen Arbor Arts Center. The honor of winning the Tree City USA poster contest Frankfort for 2020, first place in 2D Art at OAC in the Juried Exhibition 2022, and First place Plein Air 2024 at OAC has been a delight and humbling experience. I continue to broaden my skills with any instruction given and with online class/workshops.
Sue Modrak
Sue is an artist whose lifelong passion for creativity has shaped both her career and her personal journey.
Sue is a largely self-taught artist based in Mount Morris, Michigan. She holds an associate’s degree in Commercial Art from Ferris State College. Now retired from graphic design and advertising, she continues to refine her skills through practice, experimentation, workshops, and classes at the Flint Institute of Arts.
Working primarily in oil and pastel, Sue also uses gouache, acrylic, and explores multimedia collage focusing on urban themes. Her main subjects include portraiture, domestic animals, and plein air landscapes, which gets her out of the studio environment and challenges her skill in capturing nature and all it’s complexities.
Her work has been exhibited at the Shiawassee Art Center in Owosso, the Flint Institute of Arts, Saginaw's Art in Public Places, and other local venues.
Nancy Murray
Nancy Murray began painting in watercolor in 2008 after a long flirtation with photography. Her landscapes are painted “en plein air” primarily in her home state of Michigan. Her source of inspiration is the natural world and the colorful and unique additions people make to their world. Her goal is to find unexpected beauty in the everyday.
Nancy is a signature member of the Great Lakes Plein Air Painters, and president of the Saline Painters Guild.
Email: nancyjomurray@gmail.com
734-652-8278
www.nancyjomurray.com
Susan Piro
Susan is a contemporary acrylic painter. She uses bold colors and textures to create vibrant works inspired by the beauty of nature. She earned the “Peoples Choice” award for the 2025 Leland Air paint out.
Susan has channeled 38 years of teaching art and her heritage growing up in Leelanau County into stunning paintings featuring water, landscapes, and flowers. She helps people see the beauty of simple images with fresh eyes. She chooses acrylic paint as her medium so she can instantly capture a brilliant moment.
Sue Quinlan
There is so much joy in plein aire painting - being outside while creating art in such a beautiful locale. The Leelanau peninsula is located on the 45th parallel, which means that artists here are experiencing the same wonderful light as the Impressionists did when they painted in the south of France. We are surrounded by colorful waters, rolling hills, sand dunes, beaches and glorious trees. No artist could ask for more and I’m very grateful to live and create here.
Susie Quinlan
Lake Leelanau, MI
Barbara Reich
Barbara Reich paints a variety of subject matter, but her first love is landscape. Early instruction instilled in Barbara the intense desire to draw better, paint color with more emotion, and always hunt and study the changing light. With her keen appreciation of the natural world, along with many years spent working on location, Barbara’s insight into the geographical subtleties that characterize Northern Michigan helps her to convey what is truly essential…its spirit.
Website: https://barbarareich.com
Email : barbreich@barbarareichstudio.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100011446667340
Melissa A Ringey
I began plein air painting as an art student at Michigan State University, where I would paint along the Red Cedar River. After working in technical illustration and writing and then graphic design and marketing, I now have time to get back to painting. Plein air painting is challenging and fun and allows me to be outdoors and capture a fleeting moment in time. Growing up in Michigan, I am especially drawn to the beauty of my home state.
Graduate from Michigan State University with a BA in studio art, with an emphasis on painting and drawing, and a BA in advertising.
Member of the Great Lakes Pastel Society, Great Lakes Plein Air Painters Association, Michigan Plein Air Painters, Palette & Brush Club of Southeastern Michigan, and Plein Air Troupe.
Emma Rosi
Emma is a retired environmental scientist and rediscovered her passion for art during the 2020 pandemic. After 30 years of doing science as a way of knowing nature, she has shifted her energy to use art as a new way of knowing nature. As the COVID lockdown put a stop to Emma’s research travels, she started exploring art in her spare time. She began to create art based on her photos of places where she worked around the world, from the bottom of the Grand Canyon, to the plains to the Serengeti, to the mountains of New Hampshire, among other places. After retiring in January 2024 from Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies in Millbrook, NY, Emma has pursued art full-time, and she often paints scenes from northern Michigan, en plein air or from her photographs. Emma works in oil, watercolor, printmaking, and uses polymer clay to make nature-based art and designs. Emma grew up in Old Mission and Traverse City before her science career took her far and wide, and she now resides in Lake Leelanau.
Website: www.emmarosi.com
Donna Schaerer
I never picked up a paint brush until Covid happened. In 2020 I started painting with the guidance of artist Brenda Clark and continue to paint on Zoom weekly with a group of artists who are located across the country, but all have a Leelanau connection. My husband and I moved to Suttons Bay full time in 2022. I have met and learned so much from all the very talented artists in the area. My medium is acrylic and I love painting our beautiful lakes
Stephanie Schlatter
I am a storyteller, telling the stories of the land, the people and the places that resonate in my soul — and, perhaps, in yours, as well. The brush is my pen; the canvas is my page; the finished images are moments and memories frozen in time for you. I invite you to come along with me as we enjoy the vibrant, beautiful destination we call home – Michigan. Let us cherish the journey that takes us there and use paint to preserve the joy it inspires!
Deborah Schlosser
Deborah is a seasoned Watercolor Artist and paints Plein Aire’ as a beloved practice. For over a decade she has been embracing painting outdoors, capturing all that the beautiful subjects the world has to offer. “Painting frees your mind and soul and allows you to look at the world honestly, it combines three things the spirit requires, Nature, Creativity and Community.” Deborah returned to Art School at the age of 70 to explore other mediums such as oil painting and charcoal drawing. “I am grateful for the opportunity to be creatively challenged as well as bringing joy to others through my art.”
Debby Singleton
Based in the scenic landscapes of Western North Carolina and Leelanau County, Michigan, Debby is a multi-media artist, certified Nature and Forest Therapy Guide, and retired professor of parks and recreation management. Deeply anchored in a profound love for the natural world, her creative work, teaching, and guiding practices are intertwined to serve as a bridge connecting others with outdoor spaces. While her primary process blends watercolor and pen, she explores a diverse range of mediums including acrylic, gouache, block printing, collage, photography, and textiles. Equipped with a portable travel kit, Debby works plein air to capture the essence of her surroundings—whether navigating a quiet forest trail, a multi-day river trip, or a bustling urban center—while maintaining a core passion for creating vivid travel sketch journals.
Sharing this passion is central to Debby's mission; she regularly leads community workshops in nature journaling, forest bathing, expressive arts, and plein air sketching in collaboration with art centers and nonprofits across northern Michigan and Western North Carolina. As a member of the Urban Sketchers of Asheville, NC, and Traverse City, MI, she enjoys the camaraderie of creating with others. Ultimately, whether she is facilitating immersive nature experiences, teaching a workshop, or documenting journeys in a sketchbook, her goal is to invite mindfulness and inspire others to appreciate the simple, remarkable wonders that surround us every day. Her creative works can be found at NOON Storefront in Sylva, NC.
Website and Social Media
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dsingletonartguide/
Website: https://sites.google.com/view/drawn-to-nature/home?authuser=1
Delilah Smith
I was born in Michigan on a farm and this is reflected in my plein air paintings. My art degree is from Western Michigan University. I have painted all over the world.
I want people who look at my picture to see what I see when I look at a subject. My favorite subjects for painting are farms, farm animal’s landscapes in the United States.
I paint in oils and in watercolor. I like plein air painting because it sets a limit on the time available and the circumstance in which I must paint, this is the ultimate challenge. What I choose to paint comes from the heart, I have been a painter my entire adult life. I think my love for nature shows in my art and is firmly bound to my identity and my idea of what the world is.
Molly Tank
Molly J. Tank graduated from Grand Valley State University in 2024 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Painting. Having grown up surrounded by open landscapes, freshwater, and national parks, she draws continual inspiration from the natural world. Her paintings explore the interaction of light and color, using landscape as a way to evoke memory, emotion, and a sense of place. Molly's work combines careful observation with an expressive, personal approach to painting.
Website: mollytank.com
Instagram: @mollytankstudio
Michael Tavares
I've been painting for most of my adult life. After attending Henry Ford Community College studying art and design l ended up with a career driving delivery for UPS for 40 years. I did keep painting all along. After I retired from UPS I discovered plein air painting and fell in love with it. I've been a member of the Michigan Plein Air Painters for 7 years now and participate in many plein air events. This event being one of my favorites . Please enjoy the art!
Paul Tibedeau
Plein Air painting has been a life-changing event for me. It has introduced me to a whole new group of friends and fellow artists that love the outdoors. There is nothing that can compare to having your easel set up and creating a piece of art in whatever medium you enjoy in plein air. The colors, the smells, the sounds and friends are all part of being a plein air painter. I am always looking for a shimmer of light or an explosion of color somewhere in my composition and hopefully record the moment before the sun changes my inspiration. But that is the fun of being a plein air painter!
My social media contact information is: tibedeauart@gmail.com
Adam VanHouten
Adam is a professional artist who has years of experience teaching as a visual art instructor, painting workshops, and as an adjunct painting instructor. VanHouten received his Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree in Painting and Art Education from Western Michigan University and a Masters in Education from Michigan State University. Adam is an artist with a commitment to sharing his learning through his teaching and to continue to develop and grow his practice as a working artist. VanHouten's paintings glow with light and texture displaying the colors and nuance of the landscape. "I allow the texture of the painting medium to guide my choices, drawing inspiration from the visual surfaces around me with their many layers of time and weathered surfaces." VanHouten's passion and skill for art is evident in his paintings, displaying his ability to depict scenes in a unique impressionistic style.
Jenny Vaughn
I am pleased to return to Northport this year for another exceptional plein air event. As a watercolor artist based in Southeast Michigan, I am grateful for the opportunity to paint the remarkable landscapes, shorelines, and natural beauty that make northern Michigan such an inspiring place to create.
My work is rooted in careful observation and a deep appreciation for the landscape. Over the years, watercolor has become both a meaningful artistic practice and a source of personal renewal. I am continually drawn to the quiet beauty found in nature as well as the familiar scenes of everyday life, seeking to capture not only a sense of place but also the atmosphere and emotion that make each moment unique.
Through my paintings, I hope to invite viewers to slow down, appreciate their surroundings, and discover beauty in both the extraordinary and the ordinary.
jvaughn5@yahoo.com
@jennyvaughn34
https://www.teadoneartistinresidenceprogram.com/
Tina Vivian
Tina graduated from Alma College with a BFA in Fine Art, 1994. In 1998 she received her MFA in Printmaking from Central Michigan University. She currently paints with the Old Art Building Plein Air Painters and The Great Lakes Plein Air Painters. She is a 2026 Artist in Residence for The Chippewa Watershed Conservancy.
“Plein air painting fills me with an appreciation for nature’s infinite variety. How to capture even a small part of it in my own flawed way is a wonderful challenge that never gets old.
Each tree, hillside or dune is a specific entity with a personality all its own, shaded and shaped by weather and time, yet existing just this way for a fleeting moment. How to convey that through my own heart’s lens? Ah, that is a worthy endeavor.”
David Westerfield
Michigan resident David Westerfield was a career graphic designer and illustrator. He now pursues his love of painting both in the studio and on location, regularly traveling to favorite spots in Michigan, California, Florida, and Hawaii.
www.westerfieldstudio.com
www.facebook.com/david.westerfield
www.instagram.com/davidwesterfieldart
david@westerfieldstudio.com
Pamela Wilburn
As an Artist, Mother Nature usually provides me with all the inspiration I need; with her ever changing subtleties and unbridled fury. I find a need to share the essence of these experiences through impressionistic landscapes. Watercolor is my preferred medium because of its luminosity, transparency and unpredictable nature. Painting en plein air is my preference as it puts me in the center of the swirling elements and atmosphere. My mind sees more clearly and I become one with the surroundings that I am painting. When Michigan weather prohibits outdoor painting, I retreat to my studio.
I hold a bachelors degree in Art Education and have spent many years as a graphic artist and an art educator, before becoming a full time artist. I belong to several watercolor organizations and have signature membership in the Michigan Water Color Society and Nautilus status in the International Society of Experimental Artists.
Facebook: Pamela Wilburn
Cynthia Yates
The natural beauty of Michigan provides wonderful subject matter for plein air paintings. Cynthia Yates greatly appreciates the chance to learn from other plein air painters and benefit from a supportive community of artists and organizers, in organized summer events, and she participates whenever possible.
Lisa Marie Yontz
Since retiring in 2025, Lisa has worked consistently and intently on her art. Lisa loves how Plein Air allows freedom from overthinking while demanding forward progress. Both the art and the artist are infused with energy. Unique perspectives and nature inspire Lisa’s paintings whether abstract or traditional, and she regularly with groups or in events.