The Drawing Studio downtown has just put up a new exhibit, Capturing Nature’s Light, a collection of work from the TDS’ associate members that focuses on plein air work.

Plein air denotes a painting or drawing that is done outside, as the title comes from the French phrase en plein air meaning “in the open air.” Sometimes it isn’t always possible for artists to work directly outdoors, so they will do quick sketches or take photographs of their subject and come back to the piece in the studio.

There are 38 pieces of work in TDS’ exhibit and more than 25 artists that have contributed, including the three faculty jurors, Meredith Milstead, Deb Steinberg and Betina Fink. I had the pleasure of meeting Fink when I was browsing the gallery and she was able to give me some small insights into a couple of my favored paintings.

The first piece we looked at was Robert Goldman’s “Sedona Light” in oil. Goldman’s main focus on this piece was to capture the morning light. While his piece was actually done in the studio, Goldman still captured the illumination of the Sedona rockscape splendidly. His piece is a true work of realism that embodies the exhibit’s title quite literally.

The other piece I asked Fink to discuss was Nancy Drigotas’ “Sedona” in oil and acrylic. This painting caught my eye because of its surprising, big, bold, color blocking. Drigotas captured different scenes from the Sedona horizons and reconstructed them onto one canvas. It’s interesting to compare Drigotas’ captured light to Goldman’s — both do Sedona’s natural and quirky attributes justice.

A few other pieces to take note of are Christine Dawdy’s “Lee Valley Lake” in oil as the brushstrokes and emphasis on texture are forefront with some surprising blues. Roberta Miller’s “Palo Verde” in pastel is an intriguing focus on detail, and Thomas Lindell’s “Reflection,” etched and embossed in its silver and black tones, is oddly satisfying.

If you find yourself around Sixth Avenue and Congress Street, definitely go check it out. The Drawing Studio is a nifty place — they have beautiful metal work on the outside of their building and two sets of double doors that separate the gallery from the downtown hustle. TDS has been around for 20 years, and they’ve been at this downtown location for five years now.

Capturing Nature’s Light will be in TDS’ gallery until September 29, the gallery is open Tuesday through Saturday from noon to 4 p.m. Their next exhibit, Sanctuary: Recent Works by TDS Faculty, shown in conjunction with Flight, opens October 6.

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