Janice Dumas Watercolor

 Even when temperatures dip down to 30 degrees, Janice Dumas often can be found outside painting scenes of nature.

 Only when the temperatures hit 20 degrees does the plein air enthusiast usually paint from inside her car. When it gets too cold, her watercolor paints start to crystallize. 

 Plein air, French for open air, is the term used for painters who capture natural scenes in the outdoors. 

 “I just like being outside, being in nature, and I love to paint, and the combination of the two is wonderful,” Dumas said. 

The Milford Township woman said one of her favorite spots is along a boardwalk overlooking Wildwing Lake in Kensington Metropark.

“I like painting the water,” Dumas said.

With this style, painters must capture the image quickly because the scene changes. Dumas said one can’t stay outside too long because the light and shadow changes.

Dumas is a member of the Michigan Plein Air Painters, a group that meets in Kensington to paint.

Sarah Grusin, president of the Brighton Art Guild, said plein air events have become popular for several reasons. They’re social events, competitions and a way to demystify how a painting is made.

“It’s a race,” Grusin said.

Downtown Brighton will hold the second annual Brighton Paint Out on June 28-29.

Organizers are hoping to have 40 painters participate and capture local scenes on canvas.

Grusin said artists have only a few hours to capture a scene, but there’s an advantage to these events; they can sell their paintings more easily.

Grusin said artists paint local scenes familiar to residents, such as the Brighton Mill Pond or Brighton Farmers’ Market.

“They often can sell those works more easily because they’re familiar to people and resonate with their experience,” she said.

Grusin also said people enjoy watching an artist create a painting.

“It helps people see and demystify the whole idea of art making,” she said.