Sondra Hernandez Staff writer June 4, 2024

A group of Montgomery County artists affiliated with the Conroe Art League is making the most of the county’s outdoor landscapes and natural lighting. 

The Artists in Action Plein Air subgroup of the art league is a collection of painters who meet once a month at outdoor locations around the county. The term Plein air is French for outdoors and refers to the act of painting outside. 

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On Monday the painters met at longtime Conroe business Carter’s Florist, Nursery & Landscaping to paint the many colorful plants featured there. 

“As an artist, you’re painting from life and you’re also observing your surrounding and the light changes all the time when you’re outside so you learn to paint a little faster,” said Pam Markham, an oil painter, and coordinator for the Plein Air group. 

Chasing the light

The painters work in oil, watercolor, pastels, acrylic, colored pencil and more to capture the setting. 

Markham said sometimes an entire painting is created in the time they meet from 9 a.m. to noon. Other times the setting is the basis for sketching or starting a painting and then work continues in the artist studios. 

“Painting outdoors you have to chase the light, so you have to capture the moment quicker and you have to have good observation skills to catch it and get it down before the light changes. To me that’s the difficult part of it,” said Debra Riley, artist and gallery manager for the Conroe Art League. 

She said there are other Artist in Action groups for sketching for life on Wednesdays, painting a portrait from life on Fridays and a new painting from still life group on Fridays. An instruction fee is not needed for these Artist in Action groups. 

The group has been in existence about two years and has roughly 45 members. 

Painting in different locations

Markham said they’re looking for a variety in the locations they choose. 

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They have painted at natural settings from Huntsville and Lake Conroe to The Woodlands and Montgomery. 

In February 2025, the artworks created in the Plein air settings will be on display at the art league’s gallery. 

Art league history

Conroe Art League launched in 1963 in the city and promotes art in the community, provides educational classes and workshops, offers opportunities for shared art experiences, provides scholarships for art education, and sponsors exhibits in the CAL gallery and throughout the community. There are roughly 450 artists in the nonprofit group. 

The Conroe Art League is located at 127 Simonton Street and maintains the Conroe Art League gallery which is open 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday in downtown Conroe. 

The art league also hosts the international art show CAL International each winter with the awards presented at a reception in March. 

A variety of classes and workshops including painting, sculpting, ceramics and drawing are taking place at the gallery over the summer. Additionally, Rebekah Billings presents an “Art Around the World” summer art camp July 15-19 at the gallery.  

On Friday night, art league artists will participate in the monthly downtown Conroe Sip & Shop event. This month’s is from 5 to 9 p.m. Friday in downtown with live music, food trucks, shopping deals and food and drink specials at the local restaurants. 

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