robin randall purcell watercolors in the plein air tradition

The Peoples Artist Contest

2026-05-04T10:29:00.000-07:00

https://peoplesartist.org/2026/robin-purcell

Voting is open for 10 days May 4 to 14th.

Accepted to Cape Ann Plein Air 2026

2026-04-18T06:10:00.000-07:00

The wait is over! We are happy to announce the artists selected for Cape Ann Plein Air

2026, celebrating our 10th year! Thank you to our entry juror, Mike Hernandez, for his time and expertise in curating this incredible lineup. We received an extraordinary pool of applicants, and we

are so grateful to everyone who submitted. Congratulations to all, we look forward to a wonderful week celebrating with you,

October 3-11!

17 Save the Dates! / Opening Reception - Monday, October

5th, Beauport Hotel, Gloucester / Gala & Art Sale — Friday, October 9,

North Shore Arts Association, Gloucester

/ QuickDraw - Saturday, October 10th,

Manchester-by-the-Sea

California Art Club 115th Gold Medal Exhibition “Good Morning Gunnar”

2026-02-24T12:54:00.000-08:00

LPAPA Best of Plein Air 2026 Two paintings Accepted

2026-02-16T11:03:00.000-08:00

North Weir River 9 x 12 Finalist

Summer Meadow 12 x 12

Online Launch & Preview Auction: Monday, March 2, 2026
Gallery Opening: Thursday, March 5, 2026, 1PM
Public Reception (Art Walk):Thursday, March 5, 2026, 6-9PM (Free Entry; Awards Announced at 7PM)
Show Closes: Monday, March 30, 2026
Location LPAPA Gallery, Laguna beach
https://www.32auctions.com/organizations/63853/auctions/196684/auction_items/6779749

Plein Air Easton 2026! thrilled!

2026-02-07T06:33:00.000-08:00

Copley Society of Art exhibit of “Big Sur Brilliance”

2026-01-21T07:27:00.000-08:00

Copley Society of Art is exhibiting “Big Sur Brilliance”

through 1/31.

158 Newbury St

Boston

Laguna Plein Air Painters Signature Showcase

2026-01-05T08:17:00.000-08:00

https://www.32auctions.com/organizations/63853/auctions/193988/auction_items/6674958

The exhibit opens with an online auction today at 10 am

Sister

Trees is available in the online auction in this stellar exhibit where Signature Artists get to choose !!!

I am having fun looking at the choices made by this group of extraordinary artists and am very proud to be a part of this event!

Top Nine of 2025

2025-12-30T14:23:00.000-08:00

LPAPA 16th squared exhibit, 2 nd prize Signature Members

2025-12-06T10:28:00.000-08:00

Hills of Joy in LPAPA squared exhibit

2025-11-24T13:34:00.000-08:00

Hills of Joy 8 x 8

Laguna Plein Air Painters Squared exhibit opens online on December 1 .

At the gallery in Laguna Beach also December 4 to January 5.

https://www.32auctions.com/LPAPA-Square-2025

Good Morning Gunnar new watercolor of the Grand Canyon

2025-11-13T06:33:00.000-08:00

Missing the Grand Canyon today. Here is my new painting “Good Morning Gunnar” in tribute to the genius Gunnar Widforss. This is the view he painted from the Kolb studio at a different time of year. If you are unfamiliar with his work it is worth visiting Gunnar Widforss page on Facebook. Watercolor 17 x21

What’s on my easel

2025-11-07T05:27:00.000-08:00

GCC quick draw, gala and exhbit

2025-09-29T12:38:00.000-07:00

The last painting was a QuickDraw.

We painted from 10 to 12 am on the South Rim near the El Tovar hotel.

I had seen a beautiful Gunnar Widforss watercolor at the Kolb residence and I was inspired by his light and ethereal periwinkle blue shadows.

My QuickDraw:

Morning Colors

Here are my paintings at the Kolb Studio and residence through April

Misc other memories

Although I did not paint there I took a walk at Mather Point.

I went to the Pioneer Cemetery unsuccessfully looking for Gunnar Widforss!s grave .I was later told that it is in the corner diagonally across from the entrance gate.( note to self for next time)

Gunnar Widforss is buried somewhere under these beautiful trees!

GCC Celebration of Art day 3 Thursday

2025-09-29T12:23:00.000-07:00

Thursday morning was the sunrise paint out

Although the dawn was beautiful I have not resolved that painting to my satisfaction

Here’s the scene

I took a long break after that and went to Yaki point to paint. Yaki point was just east of the village and I had a pass that let me into a restricted area with rest rooms!!

I thought about the great Ray Roberts as I painted the pyramid formation there ( Cheops Pyramid)

The resulting painting “Yaki Point Patterns”:

I went back later and painted a small one that I did not like at the time so I flipped it over and painted on the reverse side. Now that I am looking at it I don’t know why I thought it was a flop! Maybe the high altitude!

GCC Celebration of Art Day 2

2025-09-29T12:05:00.000-07:00

After 3 paintings on Day 1 I got a later start than I wanted.

I went back to the same trail Overlook on hermits road to paint a scene that I had noticed on Tuesday.

The resulting painting was a flop. I am working on it and will share if I can solve it’s many problems.

I decided a change of scene was needed.

I was told to try the Kaibab trailhead so I went there, just east of the Grand Canyon village where I did my favorite painting of the week.

The holy grail of plein air ( for me) is to capture the light. The gold highlight kissing the ridge was perfect. The shadowed foreground simplified the scene and made large abstracted shades.

Celebration of Art Diary day one

2025-09-29T11:50:00.000-07:00

I flew into Flagstaff with a connection through Phoenix, picked up the rental car and drove 80 miles to the Grand Canyon. The Grand Canyon Conservancy provided a parking pass that got me into the park for free. I went to the Community Center where I was able to get my easels and painting gear that I shipped from Massachusetts from staff. Dennis Alvarez was kind enough to lend me his father’s musician’s stool to use for the week.

I checked into the Albright training center, a national park run hotel / dorm that was centrally located in Grand Canyon Village. I unpacked my palette, brushes etc and reassembled my easels and headed to the market to get my usual fruit, coffee nuts and protein bars.

Got to bed early to get out and paint first thing.

Tuesday

Went up Hermit Road through the gate as an authorized vehicle.

At the very first view of the Grand Canyon called first trail overlook I found a place to park and paint in the shade.

It turns out I was right next to the trail through time.

That afternoon I drove further down Hermit Rd to Hopi Point.

Although the shadows were still interesting I could not see the colors in the highlighted areas so I turned around and painted the full frontal afternoon scene to the left because the rocks were a lively mix of pale brick, pink , coral orange and lavender. With a grey green at the bases.

The result was “Pretty in Pink”

On Tuesday evening I went back to Hermit Road just past Hopi Point to paint a sunset painting.

End of day Tuesday

Grand Canyon Conservancy Celebration of Art

2025-09-18T12:30:00.000-07:00

Link to online store

https://www.grandcanyon.org/store/products?query=Purcell&filters=celebration-of-art

Grand Canyon Conservancy Celebration of Art online Auction

2025-08-25T11:55:00.000-07:00

The auction begins this Friday on August 29.

I donated a 9 x 12 watercolor “ Spring Tapestry”

Unlike most of the paintings I did for this event, this work focuses on the plant life on the slopes of the canyon.

Here is the link to the auction

https://live.classy.org/auction/coa-2025/01ed8b1b-8536-428e-869e-aebaa40238cf/item/142b66a0-fd61-45a9-8d5c-e69cf7a854e9

Winner Best Plein Air Watercolor Plein air salon from Larry Moore!

2025-08-01T06:17:00.000-07:00

Plein Air Salon June 2025

2025-07-24T14:52:00.000-07:00

C O A works so far

2025-07-20T11:38:00.000-07:00

https://issuu.com/gcconservancy/docs/2025_grand_canyon_celebration_of_art_catalog

Copley Society of Art professional artist membership

2025-06-11T10:28:00.000-07:00

I am on cloud nine today!

A few minutes ago I received news from the Membership Committee of the Copley Society of Art in Boston.

It is my privilege to announce that I have been accepted to Professional Membership in the Copley Society of Art in Boston!

For my artist friends in California, this also is sharing the news that I moved to the Boston area this Spring.

Although it is a radical change in climate and landscape here in New England, I look forward to exploring the areas around Boston to paint.

I am looking to connect with Plein air painters in Boston as well.

Happy Painting!!!!!!

Robin

California Art Club 114th Gold Medal exhibit open now to August 9.

2025-06-10T05:18:00.000-07:00

114th Annual Gold Medal Exhibition

June 11 to August 9, 2025

VEFA Gallery
21825 Hawthorne Blvd., Torrance, CA 90503
Hours: 12 noon to 8 pm
Admission: No Charge
vefagallery.com

With the 114th Annual Gold Medal Exhibition, our signature event returns to Los Angeles County. We are thrilled to be working with an innovative new art venue in the South Bay – VEFA Gallery – and look forward to seeing the juried Gold Medal artwork installed this summer in VEFA’s expansive space.

Sneak peak at some exciting news!

2025-03-28T12:43:00.000-07:00

CAC magnificent miniatures until May 11

2025-03-24T11:50:00.000-07:00

https://www.californiaartclub.org/exhibition/magnificent-miniatures-3/?genre=seascape