Summer Snow – near Cameron Pass, Steamboat Springs, Colorado 11″ x 14″ plein air oil painting by Tom Haas

Fremont Lake – Gannett Peak, Wind River Range, Wyoming 11″ x 14″ plein air oil painting by Tom Haas

Clear Water Creek 11″ x 14″ oil painting by Tom Haas

The Make Out Spot – Arizona 11″ x 14″ oil painting by Tom Haas

Plateau Storm – Vermillion Cliffs, Arizona 11″ x 14″ plein air oil painting by Tom Haas

Canyon Lake 16″ x 20″ oil painting by Tom Haas

Alpine Ridge – Ouray, Colorado 11″ x 14″ oil painting by Tom Haas

Tom Haas “thumbnail” oil sketch on palette.

Plein air is a French expression that means “in the open air” and describes the act of painting outdoors. Plein air is a branch of impressionism.

Skilled outdoor painters are able to choose compositions from many options; recognize a variety colors; and mix paint quickly to capture the sense of light on form. Tom’s outdoor-painting experience and resulting field studies contribute to the success of his studio work.

Search “Navajo Country” on this website to see example of Tom using a plein air study to develop a large-scale painting.

Sometimes Haas uses one or more of his plein air paintings for inspiration to create a new work in the studio. In addition, Tom’s process can include “thumb nail” drawings (ink or pencil on paper; oil on a small canvas; or oil sketch on clean area of palette) to experiment with composition or fine tune the color harmony he will use in the final piece.