Plein Air Fairhope 2026

Plein Air Fairhope 2026

Written by ESAC Academy Director Reanna Watson

Photographers have the "Golden Hour", when the sun meets the horizon, showering the world in a beautiful, warm light. Plein Air artists have November on the Eastern Shore. Even on cloudy days, they capture the pink sky over the Delta with alizarin crimson, titanium white, and Payne's gray. From the sloping banks of an estuary to a jasmine-covered cottage nestled behind a fence, Plein Air Artists seek out the world through lines and color. When the lighting is just right, even storefronts and parking lots can become beautiful compositions. 

Every November, the Eastern Shore Art Center hosts Plein Air Fairhope, a week-long "paint out" ending in a two-month exhibit. Sixty artists gather to seek out places and spaces along the Eastern Shore. These artists take the studio to the streets, armed with portable canvases, clip-on umbrellas, sunscreen, Gamsol, paper towels, brushes, pigments in every color, snacks, and water bottles. All the essentials need to be at their fingertips so they may quickly capture the world around them with oils, acrylics, gouache, watercolors, and pastels. "My easel is wet. My apron is wet. I lost two brushes BUT LOOK AT THIS AWESOME PAINTING" exclaimed a sixth-year artist with PAF as he hung his painting on the wall of the Woolley Gallery. Just like birders, you can find Plein Air artists stepping off the boardwalks to find the ideal spot for observation. Or they may be perched at the busy intersection in front the Balcony. "It is dangerous to paint on the hill by the Pier. Quite scary and lots of traffic... I am going back today" said another fearless artist, ready to take on traffic to get the perfect painting. 

Plein Air painting requires drive and determination. Oftentimes, things just don't work out. Humidity levels are too high, the weather changes too quickly, or you just don't have "it" in that precious moment that you have allowed yourself to take. Away from the "real world", you are challenging yourself to do something quickly and without hesitation. Once you set your focal point, it is GO time. Beginners may feel overwhelmed when viewing the work of seasoned artists. We remind them that this takes time and practice. Established portrait artists have been humbled after a day of Plein Air painting. 

The Plein Air Fairhope exhibit is unique in the way that it engages the community and is shaped by the natural world. The weather is the true curator of a Plein Air exhibit. It creates the shadows and light that breed the colors revealed on canvas, paper, and board. We aren't just seeing Weeks Bay... we are seeing it at 8:30 am on the rainy Tuesday morning of Plein Air Fairhope 2026. Plein Air painting can be unpredictable because of the factors you cannot control, "so you better breathe and paint" says a long time ESAC instructor and Plein air artist. 

But for us in the non profit world of visual arts, the most important aspect of Plein Air painting is the access it creates. People are able to experience the artistry of Plein Air in real time, observing the artist at work. Can you imagine having seen Claude Monet at the garden at Giverny? For me, I will always be inspired by an experience I had during the 2023 PAF. While running the streets to find artists at work, I observed several young children on a field trip to the Fairhope Park. They were huddled behind an artist, completely enthralled with her work. "I just climbed that!" exclaimed one of the kids as she painted the bronze dinosaur. Quietly, from the back of the tiny crowd, a small girl simply said "I want to do that." That is why we do the work.

Thank you to all the 2026 Plein Air Fairhope artists, sponsors, and patrons.