Pablo Rubén on the International Plein Air Scene

Pablo Rubén paints in some of the most iconic cities in the world, but rarely presents the tourist’s perspective.

Watercolor landscape painting by Pablo Rubén
Watercolor landscape painting by Pablo Rubén

“The first thing I do when I arrive in a new place is locate the water,” he says. “Rivers, ponds, lagoons, and fountains top my list of favorite subjects. If I’m visiting a coastal area, it’s easy because there’s inspiration everywhere. In general, I stay away from the typical or expected subjects in the places I visit. A lot of time, I’m in a new place for a plein air competition, and the way to stand out is to paint something original or rarely seen. When I paint, I try to represent the atmosphere and personality of the place, the feeling of a specific moment, rather than an identifiable landmark.”

In this exclusive interview, he shares the role plein air painting competitions have played in his career, and more.


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Kelly Kane
PleinAir Magazine and American Watercolor Weekly Editor-in-Chief With more than 20 years experience in art publishing, Kelly Kane has served previously as Editor-in-Chief of Watercolor Artist magazine and Content Director for The Artist’s Magazine, Drawing, Acrylic Artist, and Pastel Journal. She has interviewed many of the preeminent artists of our time and written numerous articles about painting, drawing, art education and art history. She is now the Editor-in-Chief of PleinAir Magazine and the American Watercolor Weekly newsletter. Click here to send her an email.

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