Plein Air Painting Events

Paint Wyoming Paintings

I have participated in plein air events for several years. Every year there are more of them to choose from. I have been frustrated because many events are now lacking quality in the work produced as well as how the event is organized. These events are also expensive for artists. Housing, entry fees, food, and gas are expenses that are a part of participation and aren't often recouped.  Some event promoters don't do anything to help the artists with these costs and even worse, advertising and promotion can be poor.
I am discovering that the jurying of artists also varies. Politics sometimes plays a factor. Some plein air events have a huge number of participants, which can limit the amount of work the artist can display. No matter what the rules there are also artists who are not used to painting outdoors in a limited time frame, but want to participate in these events because of the popularity. As a result there are often paintings that are not truly plein air.
I have loved participating in these events because I love the variety of landscapes that I have the privilege of painting, I love meeting artists who share my enthusiasm for painting from life, and I enjoy sharing my love of painting with others. It is also amazing to see the variety of work that comes from a short painting time.
I have become more selective in which events I choose to enter.  I look at events that have a history or ones in which I have participated in the past. I look at the activities that are associated with the event, the exhibition venues, and the way the event is promoted. This can only help, but it is no guarantee. Is the event scheduled to attract many collectors? Or is the event primarily created to make money for the promoters? Where are the artists from?How are they selected? Is there any prize money or awards? These are all good questions to ask yourself when you are researching the event.

Plein Air Painting Essentials Part 2

Here is my friend Addren Doss painting at Garvan Gardens, an invitational paint out we attended last fall. You can see both of our set-ups. We both use the Open Box M pochade. This is one of my favorite set-ups because it is lightweight, easy to set up, and it is sturdy. Another one I am becoming more and more fond of is the Alla Prima box.
That is also the criteria for taking your equipment to a plein air event. You don't want to have equipment failures. Be sure to familiarize yourself with your equipment before you go to an event and make sure that everything is in working order.
After arriving, resting, and going over your event schedules and clearly understanding the rules, I like to look over possible painting sites. I look for interesting subject matter as well as the best time of the day to paint that site. I also am on the lookout for bad weather locations. We had horrific rainstorms several days in a row, so I was glad that I had spotted some overhangs and tent areas for protection.
Watching the weather reports is also the job of the plein air painter. That helps me prepare my equipment for the day.
Now the fun begins...painting from dawn to dusk in search of that perfect plein air piece for the exhibition.

Painting for Plein Air Event

I recently participated in a paint out event for my North Carolina gallery, "Painting North Carolina". There are so many of these events. How do you decide which one to enter?
I look for several things. I first look at the location. Does it interest me? Will it challenge me? How many painting days are there? Is this event a quality event? Has it been successful in the past? If it is new, who is organizing it?

Germanton Gallery has sponsored "Painting North Carolina" for over 6 years. It an invitational event. Artists are on their honor to paint anywhere in North  Carolina in plein air.
I like this event because I can paint anywhere for the week and I enjoy the camaraderie of the other artists. I also appreciate all that is done by David and Judy Simpson, the gallery owners, for the artists. They understand the time and expense artists must spend to participate in this event.
This year my painting buddies and I were invited to paint at Mary Erickson's "High Ridge Gardens", a remote bird sanctuary and artist's retreat. It was a peaceful but challenging location. Some places don't have "built-in views". They speak to you in whispers rather than "kodak moments".
I was inspired by lights and shadows as well as pathways. I looked for the color and value changes in the myriad of greens that were there. I completed 6 paintings in 2 days which was amazing..fortunately we also had perfect weather and the light lingered. More to come...