en plein air

American  

[ahn ple ner] / ɑ̃ plɛ ˈnɛr /

adverb

French.

1. in the open air.

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Example Sentences

Beowulf had knitted a carrying case with a strap, perfect for those times when one gets the urge to paint en plein air and needs to carry one’s portable easel, paints, and brushes outdoors.

From Literature

The result was 37 paintings begun from the motif en plein air, some worked on later in the studio at Giverny.

From The Wall Street Journal

The ’30s en plein air tradition of shooting on location was later taken up by the new wave directors of the ’50s and ’60s, who took the camera out of the studios and into the streets.

From Salon

He began painting en plein air — outside — when he was a child and one of his art teachers took him and other students out of class to paint.

From Los Angeles Times

The invention of tubes of paint, as well as faster drying paint and collapsible easels, allowed artists to explore faster, more spontaneous ways of painting, often outdoors 'en plein air'.

From BBC