Iris Gentry acknowledges that en plein air painting is not for everyone. Hours spent outside painting the surroundings, exposed to the elements and an environment that can change at any moment, is difficult. But the Henderson, Kentucky, resident says that being outside and building a community drew her and her friends — Marka Kroeger, Terry Rone, David Hamilton, Joni Heep, and Martha Bratcher — to start Easel Does It, an outdoor painting group.
“The more we talked, the more it made sense,” says Gentry, a lifelong artist who helped form the group in 2024.
Hamilton, an Owensboro, Kentucky, resident, began painting six years ago after retiring from Kenergy Corp. He was drawn to Easel Does It for the camaraderie. “I like getting to know other painters,” he says. “Everyone shares whatever they can to help others. It’s a great group of people.”
“It’s very inspirational to have other artists around you working, to go from a blank canvas to a finished product,” Gentry adds. “It transports you to another level of your work.”
Word spread as the friend group attended art events throughout the region. Six people quickly became a GroupMe app chat with up to 20 people gathering to paint at locations across the Tri-State: Owensboro’s Western Kentucky Botanical Garden and Reid’s Orchard, Henderson’s John James Audubon State Park, and the Newburgh riverfront are among their favorite spots. The group meets up twice a month, weather permitting, and varies the spots they visit. “We’re always looking for new places to paint,” says Hamilton, who has his eye on Spring Mill State Park in Mitchell, Indiana.
Work by 14 members was featured in 2025 in “Fresh Off the Easel,” a 42-piece exhibit at Audubon Museum depicting scenes from around the country. Painters’ work also was shown in 2025’s “Gardens of Henderson” exhibit, a partnership with the Garden Club of Henderson and Ohio Valley Art League. The public was invited to watch as more than 78 paintings were created at six Henderson gardens on three consecutive Saturdays. “That was quite a lot of fun,” Gentry says. “It was quite a feat to pull that off.”
What originally hooked her on outdoor painting was how colors pop to the naked eye versus reproducing a photograph. “Working outside, there’s no comparison to working in a studio. It’s such a different experience,” Gentry says. “It forces you to see more colors.” Hamilton, who prefers recreating rural scenes of old farmhouses, barns, and structures, agrees: “I prefer painting outdoors. … Seeing the local color, you can’t replicate it with a photograph. Plein air painting will help you become a better painter.”
Ready to paint en plein air with Easel Does It? Contact Joni Heep at joniheep@yahoo.com.
