Plein Air Painting: Steel Stacks

Plein Air Painting: Steel Stacks

Artists have been painting “”Plein Air”” or “”in open air”” since the advent of tubed paints… Nothing encourages present and mindful observation of the visual world like being out among the elements!

With the iconic Steelstacks as our subject matter, students will enjoy engaging with their paintings in a method that attunes to the atmosphere they are trying to capture. In this workshop, students will gain familiarity with adapting to changing light sources, applying paint more directly and budgeting their time differently in order to accommodate the changing environmental factors.

Embrace your inner Van Gogh as we soak up the sun, navigate the variations in conditions, and adapt our paintings and processes to the natural world!

Alexandra Schnabel

Alexandra Schnabel is a painter and art instructor based in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. Rooted in a deep reverence for nature and the act of seeing, her work explores the intersection of external landscapes and internal perception. For Alexandra, painting is as much about process as it is about outcome—each piece a meditative investigation into how we experience and translate the visual world.

Drawing from a wide range of subject matter, she invites open-ended interpretation, valuing the diversity of emotional and perceptual responses her work may evoke. Her paintings have been exhibited at venues including Phillips Mill, The Allentown Art Museum, The Kimmel Center, and Lehigh University. She has been published, most recently including a featured artist segment in Bucks County Magazine.

In addition to her studio practice, Alexandra teaches both group and private lessons from her home studio and through ArtsQuest in Bethlehem. She is passionate about nurturing creative practice in others, and sees teaching as an extension of her own exploration—an opportunity to share the transformative potential of making and perceiving art.