The term Plein Air is an American adaptation of the French term en Plein Aire, which means "in the open air" or outdoors. The term is spelled differently by various art clubs, but Plein Air is how LGAA spells it. To paint "en Plein Aire" simply means to paint on location, or outdoors.
The LGAA Plein Air Group was founded by the late Nick White, who ran the group until 2009. According to Nick's wife Rebecca, "Nick painted on his own and each meeting he would invite others to go out and paint with him. He was then asked to make a group for our club. Nick was always there - it didn't matter if no one else showed up or not. He loved painting and was very dedicated."
Since 2009 Nick's wife Rebecca Lillis White has run the Plein Air Group. Rebecca is pictured in the above photo, which was taken at one of the club's annual spring paintsites, Nola's Iris Garden in San Jose, CA. A few years ago Annie Haines joined Rebecca as a co-chair. They continue to share the responsibilities of running the group.
In the photo to the right, Nick is seen painting at the Los Gatos 2nd Jazz Festival in the Park at the Los Gatos Town Plaza on Main Street.