There is something profoundly different about standing before a blank canvas outdoors. The breeze moves through the trees, birds call from somewhere just out of sight, clouds slowly reshape the light, and before long the landscape is changing faster than it can be painted. For many plein air artists, painting outdoors replaces the distractions of modern life with observation, patience, and a renewed appreciation for the natural world.
That appreciation has become increasingly important, particularly in Marion County, where one of Florida’s richest landscapes faces mounting pressure from development and environmental change.
For thousands of years, landscape painting has shaped the way people see – and value – the natural world. The Minoans painted vibrant natural scenes as early as 1600 BC. Chinese artists created sweeping mountain landscapes that expressed spiritual harmony, while Japanese master Katsushika Hokusai celebrated the power of nature through works such as The Great Wave off Kanagawa. In nineteenth century France, the Barbizon painters left their studios to paint directly from life, inspiring the Impressionists, including Claude Monet, Camille Pissarro, Berthe Morisot, Mary Cassatt, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, and Alfred Sisley, to capture the ever-changing effects of light and atmosphere through plein air painting.
In the United States, artists such as Thomas Cole, Albert Bierstadt, Thomas Moran, and Florida pioneer Laura Woodward helped change how people viewed the wilderness. Their paintings encouraged Americans to see forests, rivers, and mountains not as obstacles to conquer, but as places worthy of admiration and protection. Thomas Moran’s paintings helped inspire the creation of Yellowstone National Park, while Thomas Ayres’ drawings of Yosemite influenced President Abraham Lincoln’s decision to protect the valley. Florida’s celebrated Highwaymen also deserve recognition. Working during segregation, these African American artists brought Florida’s wild beauty directly to the public, preserving images of untouched wetlands, coastlines, and native landscapes that have since changed dramatically.
Here in the greater Marion County region, artists have long celebrated the places that make Central Florida unique. Local painting legend Margaret “Peggy” Watts has captured the quiet beauty of this region for decades, while contemporary artist Margaret Tolbert has become an important advocate for protecting Florida’s springs through her artwork. Together, they continue a legacy of art stewardship in Florida.
The artists featured in this issue – Robin Popp, Robert Goodlett, Aliye Cullu, Cindy Vener, Jordan Shapot, John Romaine, Karen LeMonnier, Alfred Phillips, Carlynne Hershberger, and Gary Borse – represent the depth and diversity of Central Florida’s landscape painters. Although their styles differ, each shares a deep appreciation for Florida’s natural world, inviting us to notice places too easily overlooked.
Landscape painters have always been more than observers. They have served as historians, storytellers, and advocates for the natural world. Before photography became commonplace, artists documented landscapes few people would ever see in person. Today, they continue to create a visual record of places that may look very different for future generations. More importantly, they foster an emotional connection that statistics and scientific reports alone often cannot. People are far more likely to protect places they know, understand, and love.
Perhaps that is the greatest gift of landscape painting. It encourages us to step outside, breathe fresh air, and see the world with renewed curiosity. Every painting becomes an invitation to explore, whether by visiting a spring, hiking a trail, or simply pausing to notice the light filtering through an old oak tree. If these paintings encourage even a few readers to look more closely at the landscapes around them, they will have accomplished far more than depicting beautiful scenery. They will have helped preserve the spirit of the landscape itself.