Plein Air Painting: Chasing light across the landscape

Photo features Plein Air artist Mike Chedester

By Katie Dunn

Sun contributor

“For me, a landscape does not exist in its own right, since its appearance changes at every moment. But the surrounding atmosphere brings it to life—the air and the light, which vary continually. For me, it is only the surrounding atmosphere which gives subjects their true value.”

– Claude Monet (1840-1926)

That challenge, that seeming impossibility of capturing not just a scene, but the atmosphere that surrounds and animates it, is at the very heart of plein air painting.

Monet may be the most towering figure associated with this practice, but he was hardly alone in chasing light, weather, and fleeting sensation across open landscapes.

Camille Pissarro (1830-1903) and Alfred Sisley (1839-1899), two of the movement’s quieter giants, were equally committed to the immersive immediacy of painting outdoors. For them, it was not simply about observation—it was about presence. Pissarro believed that it was only through painting “constantly, day after day, and observing nature closely” that an artist could genuinely evolve. Sisley, who once said that “every picture shows a spot with which the artist has fallen in love,” brought an emotional intimacy to his landscapes that reflected not just place, but an authentic connection to it.

Together, these luminaries helped articulate not just an approach or style, but a form of being embedded in their own creativity: attentive, responsive, and rooted in the present moment. In doing so, they helped launch Impressionism and redefined the very boundaries of painting.

The legacy of plein air painting continues each summer in Leelanau County with the Glen Arbor Arts Center (GAAC)’s annual Plein Air Weekend (PAW). Scores of artists set up easels across orchards, along shorelines, and on the lively streets of downtown Glen Arbor—racing to capture the shifting light and spirit of this magical corner of northern Michigan.

“It brings me immense joy to see so many artists setting up their easels all over town,” said Glen Arborite Kate McCarty. “You’ll see someone painting in the middle of a field, along the Crystal River, or right across from Art’s Tavern, capturing the energy of that busy little corner. I really admire their passion and curiosity. It’s inspiring to watch them interpret this landscape in real time.”

Though best known as a premier destination for outdoor recreation, Glen Arbor has long been a haven for the arts. With its galleries, working artists, and deeply engaged community, Glen Arbor offers far more than bike trails and kayaking adventures. It is the very kind of place where a flourishing arts culture makes something like a recurring plein air event not just possible, but inevitable.

While open-air art gatherings now populate communities across northern Michigan, Glen Arbor was among the first—if not the very first—to host such an event. PAW has become a beloved tradition, one that unites artists, locals, and visitors in a shared celebration of creativity.

At the helm of PAW are Glen Arborites and avowed aesthetes, Georgia Geitzen and Rita Witler. This marks their fifth year as PAW co-chairs. Together, Geitzen and Witler have stewarded PAW with the kind of deliberate, discerning leadership that has transformed this annual event into a seasonal ritual. Under their guidance, and with the support of dedicated GAAC staff and a constellation of purposeful, generous volunteers, the weekend now stands as the crescendo of the summer season. It is a celebration of place, process, and the enduring power of painting outdoors.

“We’ve worked together now so long on this that we have a real rhythm,” Geitzen said. “We’ve also worked hard to streamline the event and the duties and responsibilities of the volunteers, including our roles as co-chairs, that the event has become very manageable…We both enjoy the interaction and engagement with the community, the artists, and our volunteers. We’re making a difference in the community by bringing this event alive for all to enjoy.”

Planning for PAW begins not long after the final painting is sold. “The planning process begins shortly after the event concludes.There are some early decisions that need to be made—reserving the town hall…securing key committee positions, securing our Quick Draw and Paint Out judges, reviewing timelines and feedback from artists,” Geitzen continued. “That’s about it until later in the spring when we convene for a kick-off meeting…Everyone is busy in the summer so we take a ‘more hands make light work’ appoach.”

For Witler, it is the spirit of the weekend, the intangible sense of shared creative purpose, that keeps her deeply enthused about the planning process.

“Every year I look forward to the first weekend in August,” she said. “It is so fun to greet all the wonderful artists who come to participate…It certainly takes a village of volunteers to prepare, but it’s worth every minute of effort.”

First launched 18 years ago by Linda Young, long-time GAAC member and tireless champion of the local arts scene, through what was then the much smaller Glen Arbor Arts Association, the Paint Out has since expanded into a full weekend celebrating creativity, community, and the plein air tradition.

“I remember attending years ago when it was that small little event at the arts center,” Geitzen mused. “There was one painting event, and one sale. As the years went by, the Quick Draw event was added, then the Sunsetter event, and now we have a Plein Air Weekend! There are now many plein air painting events in the area—so we’re one of many—but we were the original!”

“The event is is beloved and well-attended by the community. It’s an opportunity to support the arts and artists in the area. Our Glen Arbor area is known as an outdoor recreational destination, and I would also say we’re known as a haven for creativity, which our Plein Air Weekend certainly magnifies…I for one feel very blessed to be but a small part of the effort to keep the arts alive in our community for all to access and enjoy,” Geitzen said.

PAW will unfold Aug. 1–2, with two days of outdoor painting, community connection, and art sales. It is comprised of three distinct programs: Quick Draw, Sunsetter, and Paint Out.

On Friday morning, for the Quick Draw, artists check in between 8:30 and 11 a.m. at the Glen Arbor Township Hall and have their canvases stamped. Pre-registration is not required. The Quick Draw challenges artists to complete a painting in just three hours, based on this year’s theme: “Small Town Life in Glen Arbor.” These works will be available for public viewing and purchase that evening from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. at the township hall.

Also on Friday is the Sunsetter, where participating artists are tasked with capturing scenes inspired by the evening’s golden hour. Pre-registration, likewise, is not required. Each artist may submit one sunset-themed painting which must be submitted Saturday morning between 7:30 and 10:30 a.m. Those pieces will be on display Saturday evening alongside the Paint Out submissions.

Saturday’s Paint Out is open to 75 pre-registered artists who check in and stamp their canvases between 7:30 and 9:30 a.m. at the ownship hall. Unlike the Quick Draw, there is no theme. Artists may submit up to two works inspired by whatever landscape, structure, or moment calls to them. PAW culminates with Saturday evening’s Sunsetter and Paint Out Sale, held at the township hall. A special preview and early purchase window is offered to GAAC Curators Circle members, donors, and artists from 5:00 to 5:30 p.m., followed by general public access from 5:30 to 7:00 p.m. Both Friday and Saturday night events are free and open to all, with donations encouraged to support GAAC.

“With two nights of art sales, everyone’s excited to see what the artists have chosen to paint,” Witler said. “During the day on Saturday, they can paint whatever and wherever they choose. It’s always fun to see what inspires them. The Saturday night sale is amazing!”

Interest in PAW has grown so steadily over the years that when online registration opened for the 2025 season, every spot for the Paint Out was filled within three minutes. Scott Bouma, GAAC Executive Director, confirmed the lightning-fast sellout—a testament to the event’s magnetic pull for artists near and far. From seasoned plein air painters to emerging voices, the draw is not only the scenery, but the spirit of the weekend.

For some artists, inclusion in PAW is a quiet dream years in the making. After five years of applying, Mike Chedester attained his place among the painters fanning out across Leelanau’s landscapes with easels in tow. His quiet determination and creative courage reflect the tenacity it takes to persevere—to believe that your work, indeed, belongs.

“I’ve been on the waiting list for years. I’m thrilled to finally have this opportunity to paint with such talented artists and learn from them,” Chedester enthused.

Chedester joins a roster of distinguished artists whose dedication and perspective continue to shape the character of PAW. Among them is Debbie Davis, a Glen Arbor summer resident whose vivid palette and painterly intuition make her a fixture of the local arts community. Her approach to plein air reflects the mix of adaptability, resilience, and responsive engagement required when painting outdoors. For Davis, painting outdoors is a blend of challenge and spontaneity—an experience shaped by shifting weather and unexpected setbacks, but also by the deep rewards that can emerge in the process.

“When painting outside, you must be prepared for any situation,” she said. “It can be beautifully sunny, which in my opinion is the optimal experience because it’s pleasant and it enhances the shadows and the light. But then it can be terribly windy, which causes all sorts of mayhem. Sometimes it’s cloudy and even a little rainy, which eliminates the contrasts that come with the sun.”

One of her most memorable plein air paintings came out of a near-disaster. “My canvas was blown off my easel and fell face down in the gravel,” she recalled. “I was a little panicked because it was going so well, but I took my palette knife and scraped off the gravel and ended up not touching it again. It made the painting.”

“You have to be ready for anything,” Davis continued. “Wind, clouds, bright sun—all of it changes the feeling of a scene. But that’s part of the joy.”

Another artist who thrives in that same spontaneity of plein air painting is Mark Mehaffey, a former GAAC board member and veritable pillar of northern Michigan’s art community. He brings both technical mastery and an infectious joy to the weekend.

Mehaffey considers plein air painting a “perfect activity,” one that blends his love of the outdoors with the rigors of painting on site. Mehaffey, an avid outdoorsman as well as a studio painter, discovered plein air painting roughly 15 years ago.

“It was the perfect activity for me—I was outdoors, and I was painting,” he said. “It is much more difficult to translate our three dimensional world on to a two dimensional surface than working from a two dimensional photograph. The experience of seeing and translating the outdoors enhances my studio work.”

His passion for, and commitment to, the plein air practice ultimately led him to author En Plein Air Acrylic (Walter Foster Publishing), a guide that helped him refine his approach, and proof of how deeply the form has captured his artistic spirit.

“Producing that book solidified my plein air painting process,” he said. “Add in the wonderful camaraderie when painting with fellow artists and many friends—well, it’s really a joy.”

Together, these artists, plus countless more, embody the vibrancy and creative breadth of PAW.

As French painter Eugène Boudin (1824-1898), one of the pioneers of plein air painting and an early mentor to Monet, once declared: “Everything that is painted directly and on the spot has always a strength, a power, a vividness of touch that is not to be found in the studio.”

That is precisely what is displayed at PAW: work created in the open air, shaped by the moment, and brought to life by artists in their shared pursuit of the light.