Principle Gallery

Jeremy Mann is a captivating painter, popular for his cityscapes and figures but his true fans know he likes to dip his toes in all media. In our last blog post, we looked at Mann’s sketchbooks which show a fragment of his love for cities and architecture but we didn’t see many landscapes. His plein air books give a focused account of how he studies, thinks, and works in different environments. Both Plein Air 1.3 and 2.3 are a mix of sketchbook pages, mini-panel paintings, travel photos, and a plethora of destinations. Each book measures 6.5″ x 9.5″ with glossy embossed cover text and his red rabbit 7 icon on the spine. These plein air explorations more than quell the curious mind interested in plein air works.

The series begins with Mann Vol. 1.3 Plein Air, published in 2016, it synthesizes 3 years of plein air sketchbooks into 176 pages. He begins with a quote from his grandfather that leads into an illustrative description of his plein air experiences illuminating how his grandfather’s mindset carries on in him. The first two-thirds show a page-for-page replica of his plein air sketchbook with scenes ranging from lush grasslands to icy tundras. We are then introduced to a multitude of plein air works on 5.5×7.5 panels. These intimate scenes emphasize the techniques used to make small compositions focusing on color theory, line softness, and depth of texture. The book closes with films and photos, a list of all locations featured, and a taste of Mann’s plein-air drawings.

The next installment, Mann Vol. 2.3 Plein Air II is 200 pages and was published in 2018 with an 8-page author’s note that delves into his journey as a plein air painter. Mann offers a more intimate understanding of his work in the note by sharing tips that have helped him grow, opening up about how he finds purpose, and expounding on why he finds plein air painting so invigorating. He informs us of the destinations along with photos from the sites in between the paintings opening up the book to side-by-side views. The panels in 2.3 remain to scale at 4×5 inches featuring the photos of locations as you peruse. An awesome new addition to Plein Air 2.3 is the breakdown of his painting setups which he’s dubbed his ‘bunny box’ and ‘rabbit box’.

Though either book would be a great addition to any art lover’s collection, having both is a perfect plein-air duo. Where 1.3 exposed his natural pattern of painting and experimentation, 2.3 is a robust show of his painting skills and includes more pictures of him painting in the scenes. Both are great examples of his growth not only in his paintings but also in his use of his original sketchbook pages and the published books.

All Mann books are available to purchase in the gallery or on Jeremy Mann’s website. We would also be able to take an order over the phone, through email, or through the text function on our website.