Prepping for Plein Air Festival - May 2026
I’ve been preparing to participate in the Boulder Plein Air Festival, which starts May 31! You might see 50 artists around Boulder county painting all week! I’ve been getting outside with my little easel and oil paints, practicing, and looking for good places to paint. More about the festival below, but first, here’s one of my new May paintings. It was painted from the small pond next to East Boulder Rec Center.
“Last Year’s Cattails”
14x16 inches framed, oil on panel
$400
I’ve been getting around to painting spots via my eBike. So easy to carry stuff with my bike! Here was my pack-up scene (hence my done painting, but cleaned off palette) from the painting above.
The other day, I was painting along the South Boulder Creek trail, and an older gentleman stopped and chatted for a bit. He took this photo and later emailed it to me. (Thanks!) Here I am in all my dorkiness. The cows weren’t there when I started!
Turns out, being able to stand in shade is one of my most important factors in deciding where I paint! If you know me, maybe it’s not a surprise. Above, I’m in the shade, and I also managed to find shady places to stand for these next two paintings.
“Third Flatiron”
14x16 inches framed, oil on panel
$400
“South Boulder Barn”
14x16 inches framed, oil on panel
$400
On another topic, I was honored to have my “Love Letter to NCAR” painting featured on a local realtor’s monthly postcard! Reach out to https://pflaumrealestate.com/ if you need a realtor. :)
I’ve been thinking about why do I paint? It’s a few things. I like how it opens my eyes and improves my observational skills. It’s often satisfying to “make” things, though it can also be frustrating. I’m curious to see how a painting will turn out, so I have to paint it to see what happens! And maybe most of all, I think I’m chasing the zoned-out feeling I get when painting, where my left brain turns off, and my right brain turns on, and I enter some new engrossed state where I tune everything else out.
Here’s a bit more info about the Boulder Plein Air Festival.
50 painters paint as much as they want, plein air, anywhere in Boulder County from the afternoon of May 31 through the morning of June 5.
Each artist can then enter 5 paintings, to be delivered on the morning of June 5.
Tuesday, June 2, artists will paint at Chautauqua area throughout the day. Observers welcome!
Wednesday, June 3, artists will paint at the Farmers’ Market 4pm-7pm. Observers welcome!
Friday, June 5, reception at PARK coworking, 2040 14th Street (next to Boulder Theater), 5:30pm-8pm, with awards announced at 6:30pm. Free and open to the public!
Exhibit continues at PARK coworking, weekdays through July 31, 8am-5pm, and weekends only in June, noon-3pm.
Thanks,
Lisa