Gadsden Museum of Art

PAINT OUT EXHIBIT

2011-10-19T16:44:00.000-07:00

Amy Peterson's view of autumn in Wills Creek Vineyard.

Paintings completed during the Southeastern Paint Out are now on exhibit in the Gadsden Museum of Art until November 11. See the paintings in this blog plus over 60 other originals daily 10-4 (except Sunday). Paintings are available for purchase.

Cynthia McGinnis's impressions of the gorge at Noccalula Falls.

Karen Weir focuses on the bright yellow of a tree silhouetted against a mountain in the Duck Springs community.

Mary McCormick captures fallen leaves and the refection of the sky on still water.

Peggy Kilgo captures the charm of a storefront in downtown Gadsden.

Don Housler is inspired by the residential architecture in Gadsden's Historical Districts including the dappled sunlight effects.

Kevin Keenan's streetscape of Cleveland Avenue combines the geometry of man-made structures with the beauty of autumn trees.

PAINT OUT: DAY 5 + GALLERY OPENING

2011-10-15T13:47:00.000-07:00

See the entire Paint Out collection in the third floor galley at The Gadsden Museum of Art (515 Broad Street) through November 11--8 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily except Sunday.

The last day of Southeastern Paint Out offered perfect weather, fall color, roses, and vintage architecture in Gadsden’s Historic District. Painting ended early so that artists, museum staff, and volunteers could prepare for the gallery opening at 6 p.m. But before the end of the session five artists participated in a Quick Draw competition in Judy and Don Bacon’s rose garden on Reynolds Street—a timed two-hour period where each artist completed a single painting.

At the gallery opening people came early and stayed to closing at 8 p.m. Bidders in the Wet Paint auction began picking their favorites and placing bids as soon as they entered the gallery—three lucky patrons won their choice when bidding ended. The remaining collection of over 60 original paintings is available for purchase beginning on Saturday and continuing daily through November 11 (8 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily except Sunday). The gallery buzzed with people discussing the paintings with the artists and selecting the paintings they hoped to buy. Some of the most enthusiastic potential purchasers were the youngest—teens who came to the opening as an artist’s guest or with parents who were museum members.

Craig Reynolds, artist in residence for the Southeastern Paint Out, judged the Quick Draw selecting Kevin Keenan’s painting as the winner. Over $300 in prize money was awarded to participants in the Quick Draw, a donation by Craig, his sister, and his mother. Craig graciously presented the prizes while explaining the difficulties and special skills involved in creating a successful plein air painting.

After an intense week of painting through wind, rain, and finally, fair weather, the results of the artist's efforts hung on the gallery walls. The artists were exhausted but exhilarated by their experiences at the Southeastern Paint Out. Many took time to express their appreciation to the staff and volunteers of the Gadsden Museum of Art for their support and assistance during the week.

PAINT OUT: DAY 4

2011-10-14T08:41:00.000-07:00

Vintage postcard offers greetings from Gadsden. The plein air painters offer another way to celebrate the beauty and variety of scenic Gadsden--see them painting today in the Historic Districts and discover a week's worth of creativty tonight at the opening reception at the Gadsden Museum of Art.

The sun finally came out on the artists in the Southeastern Paint Out Thursday when predicted rain made only one or two short appearances. Taking advantage of the favorable weather, painters spent the morning in downtown Gadsden capturing cityscapes and street scenes. In the afternoon they moved to the brow of Lookout Mountain (Scenic Drive) for dramatic overlooks of the city on one side of the ridge and rural valleys on the other.

TODAY’S LOCATION: Gadsden’s Historical Districts

Victorians from the late-1890s, craftsmen bungalows from the 1920s, and other architectural styles await them. Wide front porches decorated with fall flowers and wicker combine with landscaped yards to create a nostalgic street scene. Dogwoods, maples and other trees show off the reds, oranges, and yellows of early fall. October blue skies above—not a cloud in the sky—make for the strong value contrasts and lush colors plein air painters revel in.

Come by and see the painters on their last day of painting in the Southeastern Paint Out sponsored by the Gadsden Museum of Art. The streets are wide and parking is easy. Sidewalks make walking easy, too. For information on the exact locations of painters, check with the museum volunteers at the corner of Walnut and Turrentine Avenue—look for the blue market umbrella. Or, just ride around looking for easels—artists will be scattered along Turrentine Avenue; Haraldson, Reynolds, and Walnut Streets; and Argyle Circle.

SPECIAL EVENT: THE QUICK DRAW

This afternoon artists will participate in a Quick Draw competition. Museum staff will pick a location somewhere in the Historical District and artists will have only two hours to complete a painting of some aspect of that location. Prizes for the winners of the Quick Draw will be announced at the opening reception.

TONIGHT’S OPENING RECEPTION—You are invited!

See the entire week’s collection while enjoying light refreshments at the opening reception tonight (October 14) from 6 to 8 p.m. Selected works from each artist will be featured in a Wet Paint Auction--—HINT! HINT! The best paintings of the week!

EXHIBIT—October 15-November 1

Discover a new way to see Gadsden! The paintings from the Southeastern Paint Out will be on display and available for purchase at the museum through November 11.

PAINT OUT: DAY 3

2011-10-12T20:23:00.000-07:00

Vintage postcard of downtown Gadsden--location for the Southeastern Paint Out tomorrow. Named 'Broad Street' for its ample width, many of the storefronts remain and the street is as busy as ever with merchants, restaurants, and offices.

No sun again today as the artists in the Southeastern Paint Out spread out along the Coosa River to paint on location. Walkers at Lafferty’s Landing were surprised to find themselves sharing the boardwalk with painters and easels—but they enjoyed the change! The location gave painters plenty to choose from:

The bright red flare of colored leaves enlivened the green on the opposite shore. Artists know that color complements like red and green set up a kind of vibration—that is, putting together two colors that are opposites on the color wheel emphasizes their differences.

Water, a favorite subject for all impressionist painters, has its own color and reflects the color of the sky and the surrounding landscape. Painting water is always a challenge because it is constantly changing—but what a joy when that wet look appears as if by magic in the painting. To achieve the look artists must closely observe the contrast of light and dark and keep all the edges (the line where two colors meet) softly blurred.

Clouds are not puffy meringue but instead specific forms with infinite color variations that depend on the weather, time of the day, and season of the year.

Bridges—three of the bridges that cross the Coosa were visible from today’s locations. Memorial Bridge (Broad Street Bridge) offers dramatic arches and intricate balustrades—a romantic silhouette with the vintage look of the 1930s. Close by the railroad bridge built in the 1890s is muscular with rough hewn rock piers straddling the water and silver steel tracery above. In the opposite direction, the I-759 Bridge is starkly modern and higher than either of the older bridges. A painting of a bridge, with water moving below it and scudding clouds above, always makes for an exciting image.

Wildlife—rivers offer habitat to an amazing community of birds, insects, and mammals, all waiting to play a part on canvas.

Today some of the wildlife—gnats, to be specific—got up-close and personal with the artists. It appears that riverbanks are favorite habitat for these tiny two-winged flies because artist Peggy Kilgo found herself in the center of an insect cloud. Harmless but annoying, the gnats were dispersed with bug spray but in the battle some gnats lost their lives and are now preserved in oil paint. Plein air artists refer to these little bumps on the surface of a canvas as ‘texture’ and think of them as enhancing the overall effect.

TOMORROW’S LOCATION: CHANGED! QUICK DRAW RESCHEDULED!

If weather had been kind, the artists expected to be painting from the brow of Lookout Mountain tomorrow but since rain is expected, the artists will be painting in downtown Gadsden. The Gadsden Museum of Art (515 Broad Street) will serve as the base of operations—visitors can find out the location of the artists by stopping by the museum. Other Gadsden plein air events have experienced rain and artists have managed to produce extraordinary work. The earliest Impressionists were fascinated by all kinds of weather effects and nothing is more dramatic that slick shinny pavement and electric lights! Come out and see what the painters at the Southeastern Paint Out discover about painting architecture, busy streets, and store windows on a rainy day! The Quick Draw originally scheduled for Thursday will now be moved to the Historical Districts, the location for Friday.

PAINT OUT: DAY 2

2011-10-11T18:52:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow's base of operations is Lafferty's Landing (off Albert Rains Blvd.) where artists and volunteers are expecting a sunny day for painting.

Artists described their day at Wills Creek Winery as cloudy, breezy, and misty—yet they were elated about the paintings they created. Plein air painters—artists painting exclusively on-location—seek to capture the light and atmosphere of a particular place at a particular time. Artists had two locations to choose from today: one with a winding dirt road into the meadows and vineyards and another with vines and a restored windmill.

The weather provided fog lifting from the valley, clouds clinging to the top of the mountains, and brief shafts of sun breaking through the mists. Sunny days are easier to paint with strong contrasts between shadows and highlights. Cloudy, wet days call for more finesse in handing value changes and subtle color mixes. But wet days reward artists with dramatic skies and shimmering reflections.

Painting in challenging conditions is an accepted part of plein air painting and artists who brave the conditions bring back hard-won victories in the form of paintings and lots of stories. One of the most important parts of any plein air event is the camaraderie that develops among the artists and volunteers who assist them. Craig Reynolds, Artist In Residence for the Southeastern Paint Out, fosters that spirit by combining the roles of mentor, instructor, and cheerleader and still finds time to paint! Several artists talked about how a suggestion or tip from Craig made today’s session more rewarding.

Check out the paintings from Noccalula Falls Park and Wills Creek Winery in the third floor gallery at the Gadsden Museum of Art between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. daily. See the entire week’s collection at the opening reception Friday night (October 14) from 6 to 8 p.m. There will be a Wet Paint Auction that night of selected works. The paintings will be on display and available for purchase at the museum through November 11.

TOMORROW’S LOCATION: COOSA RIVER

After one windy day and one drizzly day, the artists expect a sunny day for Wednesday’s Coosa River locations. Lafferty’s Landing, a riverside boardwalk just off Albert Rains Boulevard, will be the base of operations. Artists will be painting there and volunteers will be available to assist visitors—look for the blue market umbrella for information. Artists may also paint at several other locations including the City of Gadsden boat dock, City Hall, Jack Ray Family Park, and James Martin Wildlife Park. All locations offer easy parking and all but James Martin Wildlife Park offer easy access to the artists with very little walking. Come enjoy the change in weather with the artists and volunteers at the Southeastern Paint Out!

PAINT OUT: DAY 1

2011-10-10T19:58:00.000-07:00

You've missed the painters at Noccalula Fall but you can see them at Tuesday's location at Will Creek Winery.

The first day of the Southeastern Paint Out sponsored by the Gadsden Museum of Art proved challenging for artists—even those experienced in painting on location. The culprit? The weather—one of the uncontrollable factors that plein air painters face every time they practice their art. Monday was windy and artists had to hold onto their easels with one hand and paint with the other! Paintings landed on the ground and on laps! And yet the artists persevered.

Monday’s location, Noccalula Falls Park, is a scenic wonder—a 90-foot waterfall on top of Lookout Mountain. Visitors from Georgia, Missouri, Indiana, and Alabamians from as far a way as Mobile had the extra treat of discovering painters scattered on both sides of the Falls, in the gorge, and in the Pioneer Village.

Volunteers didn't fare much better than the artists. The blue market umbrella which is the focus of volunteer activity had to be taken down or it would have taken flight. Still the volunteers answered visitors’ questions and assisted artists throughout the day.

Lunch offered a welcome break to artist and volunteers. The City of Gadsden’s Parks and Recreation Department treated the group to a cookout at the Kiwanis Pavilion.

Windblown and exhausted, the artists and volunteers gathered Monday evening at the museum to assess the work. No one was surprised to find that the day had produced some really exciting paintings! Stop by the museum tomorrow and each day this week to view the paintings as they arrive. Come to the opening reception Friday night (October 14) from 6 to 8 p.m. to view the entire collection and meet the artists. There will be a Wet Paint Auction of selected works that night. The paintings will be on display and for sale at the museum through November 11.

TOMORROW’S LOCATION: WILLS CREEK WINERY

The public is invited to join the artists on location in the rural beauty of Etowah County on Tuesday. Wills Creek Winery in the Duck Springs community is located north of Attalla. From Gadsden, take Noccalula Road past the Falls, cross over Interstate 59 to the intersection of Highway 11, and follow the signs to the winery. From Attalla take Highway 11 and follow the signs. The way to the Wills Creek Winery is well marked with green road signs. Artists will be on location between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. Museum volunteers will be available to assist visitors. Parking at the winery is easy. There will be some walking involved to reach the artists in the vineyard unless your car can travel on an unimproved dirt road.

FIVE THINGS THAT MAKE THE PAINT OUT DIFFERENT

2011-10-08T21:11:00.001-07:00

Craig Reynolds demonstrating plein air techniques at a workshop he taught for aspiring painters.

The Southeastern Paint Out offers people the chance to see art being made! Fifteen artists will be on locations around Gadsden for a week of painting in the plein air tradition--capturing the immediacy of light, the scene, the weather, in a single session.

Five things make this Paint Out different:

1. The Gadsden Museum of Art has hosted three other plein air events but all have been in April when spring green breaks through winter’s gray and early flowers tempt artists to the easel. This is the first autumn event and artists will trade pastel colors for the deep jewel tones of colored leaves

2. The Southeastern Paint Out is an ‘open’—that is, both professional and amateur painters will be participating (the spring event is an ‘invitational’ for professionals only). All Paint Out artists have experience working on location with the challenges of zeroing in on a subject and the distractions of being outdoors rather than in the protected environment of the studio. Expect to see a variety of styles, picture sizes from small to large, and a range of prices for finished work

3. Craig Reynolds, a local professional plein air artist, will be the first ever Artist In Residence. Craig has been a pro since 1984 but has been painting for most of his life. He comes from an artistic family and counts his father, Leo Reynolds, as an inspiration. Craig is a popular workshop instructor and is represented by galleries in Northport, Charleston, and New Orleans. At the Paint Out Craig will be there to assist the other participants and act as their local host

4. This Paint Out features Alabama painters, some who are members of the Alabama Plein Air Painters, a group of dedicated artists who specialize in painting on location in scenic Alabama.

5. The Paint Out features new locations (and some favorites from past events) and new artists who are painting in Gadsden for the first time. Come out and welcome them!

The artists will be on location at Noccalula Fall Park beginning Monday, October 10, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The public is invited to watch the art being created and to meet the artists at their easels. Museum volunteers will be on-site to assist visitors and answer questions—look for the blue market umbrella. Every day means a new location--check with this blog or the Gadsden Museum of Art (256 546-7365) for details on each location.

QUICK DRAW FOR ARTISTS

2011-10-06T12:33:00.000-07:00

Covered bridge in Pioneer Village, Noccalula Falls Park, Gadsden.

Unlike the Old West where a quick draw demonstrated mastery of firearms, a Quick Draw at a plein air event showcases artistic skills—but both focus on speed, nerve, and daring. Imagine that you are an artist painting outdoors. Stand in one spot and slowly rotate 360-degrees, what will you choose to paint?

Will it be a vista with deep space, or a single tree with bright foliage, or a close-up of a flower bed?
What will be the focal point of your composition (the element that will capture the attention of the viewer)?
How does light affect your choice—are you looking for deep shadows and bright highlights or a sunny aspect with only a few darks?

Get ready, get set, GO!

A Quick Draw is a contest where artists finish a painting in a single timed session of two hours. From first stoke to last, the artists must be in control, confident, and single-minded. The challenge is to focus on only part of the setting, mix hundreds of colors that reproduce and enhance what you see, and place each brushstroke just where it belongs. And do all of that with the clock ticking! Once the horn blows you must stop and submit the painting to the judges as is. The winner gets the satisfaction of showing off a rare set of skills and the possibility of winning a prize.

The Quick Draw at the Southeastern Paint Out takes place between 2 and 4 Thursday afternoon, October 13, in the Pioneer Village at Noccalula Falls Park. The public is invited see the Quick Draw in progress. The paintings will be on view at the Gadsden Museum beginning Friday morning. Winners will be announced and prize money awarded at the opening reception on Friday evening, October 14, 6-8. Come to the second floor galleries for refreshments and see the entire week’s paintings by fifteen Alabama artists.

SCENIC DRIVE LIVES UP TO ITS NAME

2011-10-04T14:19:00.000-07:00

Scenic Drive offers dramatic sunrise and sunset vistas and mountain views for the plein air painter.

Artists participating in the Southeastern Paint Out will be painting on the brow of Lookout Mountain on Thursday, October 13, between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m., at several locations along Scenic Drive.

Running along the rocky ridge of Lookout Mountain, Scenic Drive is only two lanes wide but it offers many opportunities for the plein air painter—look off one side to see the sprawl of Gadsden split by the Coosa River; the other side features farms, forests, valleys and distant mountains. Closer up Scenic Drive exposes the bones of the mountain in rock formations and craggy cliffs with pine trees and hardwoods softening the contours. This is a great place to watch the sun come up or go down—both from a single location on the top of a mountain!

Home builders and homeowners have accepted the challenge of the terrain and sections of Scenic Drive pass through established neighborhoods with fully grown trees, rolling green yards, and landscaped gardens. But the wilder sections offer only woods and wildflowers on both sides of the road. At one point the ridge is so narrow that only the two lane road fits the space. The variety along only a few miles of road means every plein air painter will find the perfect place to set up the easel.

To see the artists in action, climb the mountain on Noccalula Road going past Noccalula Falls Park on the left and continue up, bearing left at the red light. Drive on to the four-way stop and turn left onto Scenic Drive. Look for the blue market umbrella where museum volunteers will assist you with information about the artists’ exact locations. Parking will be difficult as the shoulders of the road are narrow. Some walking will be necessary to reach the painters. If on-location viewing is too challenging, see the paintings at the Gadsden Museum of Art beginning on Friday morning.

PAINT OUT ON THE COOSA RIVER

2011-10-02T18:39:00.000-07:00

Claude Monet painting from a boat on the Seine River painted by fellow Impressionist Edouard Manet.

The first Impressionist painters painted on location on the Seine River in Paris in the mid-1800s. Claude Monet was so dedicated to painting on location that he outfitted a small boat as a studio. Water was an ideal subject for those early plein air painters who sought to capture light effects with flickering, broken brushstrokes—water is never still, always shimmering, with a shifting pattern of light and shade, and reflects the colors of the shore and sky.

On Wednesday, October 11, Alabama painters will accept the same challenge by painting the Coosa River in Gadsden but they won’t have to take to boats! Painters have a number of vantage points to choose from:

The Boat Landing on the east side of the river in the shadows of both the railroad bridge and the Memorial Bridge (Broad Street Bridge).
The park in front of City Hall with its commanding views both up and down river.
The backwater from the James Martin Wildlife Park with its ducks, herons, and geese in residence.
The knoll beside Convention Hall and overlooking the river with tree foliage framing the view.
River Country Campground with its river-edge location.
Jack Ray Family Park with piers out into the river.
The Lafferty’s Landing boardwalk.

Painters will be on location beginning at 9 a.m. and continuing to 4 p.m. To find the painters, check in with the Gadsden Museum of Art volunteers at the blue market umbrella at Lafferty’s Landing. All these locations offer easy parking for painters and visitors.

PAINTING THE VINEYARD IN FALL COLORS

2011-09-28T15:11:00.000-07:00

Rick Reinert's 2009 painting completed on location at the Wills Creek Winery.

Wills Creek Winery hosted artists at the Southeastern Plein Air Festival in spring, 2009 and artists will return for the Southeastern Paint Out, October 11, 2012. The attractions remain the same—trellised vines, winding road, fields, lake, and wooded mountains—but the change in season introduces new colors to the palette. For the plein air painter the winery offers an abundance of choice on location and subject from the distance vista across the fields to the mountains to the close-up of fruited vines. Unlike other locations, the artists can drive into the property, park under a sheltering tree, and set up within a few minutes—a convenience when you have to carry 20 pounds or more of equipment!

The winery is located just north of Attalla in the Duck Springs community. Take Highway 11 (which parallels Interstate-59) and follow the signs—the way to the winery is well marked. On the way enjoy the scenic beauty of rural Etowah County. Parking is no problem for visitors who can walk or drive to the artists’ locations. Visitors will also want to visit the Wills Creek Winery shop for locally made wines and decorative accessories that echo the vineyard motif.

Look for the blue umbrella in the parking lot where volunteers are ready to assist you during your visit. Artists will be on location between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m.

PAINTING AT THE FALLS

2011-09-23T19:00:00.000-07:00

Above: Plein air painter on Black Creek above the Falls.

Left: Vintage postcard of Noccalula Falls.

On Monday, October 10, plein air artists will be on location at Noccalula Falls Park from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. for the Southeastern Paint Out hosted by the Gadsden Museum of Art. What scenic beauty will inspire the artists?

The Falls

The outstanding feature is a 90-foot waterfall on a mountain top—the western end of Lookout Mountain. Ample rain produces raging white water above and below the falls. Even when water is lower, slower, and calmer, the sight of water cascading from the high rim to the gorge below is an awe inspiring sight. Unlike at other attractions, walking paths allow visitors to get close to the Falls and lucky visitors may see a fully formed rainbow in the spray far below. Vantage points range from a few feet from the drop-off to a bridge arching over Black Creek just behind the cliff edge to the rim of the gorge. One particularly picturesque long view features benches with ample space off the pathway to set up easels. For painters who enjoy including figures in their work, families can often be seen wading in the shallows feeding the ducks and waterfowl that abound in the creek above the Falls. Rocks smoothed by thousands of years of water flow offer access to the creek’s edge and are fascinating records of geological forces.

The Gorge

For the adventurous (and fit) painter steps and trails provide access to the gorge below the Falls. Under the waterfall is a rock shelter which allows hikers to pass behind the rushing water and to look out through its lacy patterns. Huge boulders fallen from the rim over the ages frame the pool at the foot of the waterfall. Emptying from the pool Black Creek continues as a rushing mountain stream with rocks, rivulets, and pools.

The Park and Pioneer Village

Reconstructed log cabins, a covered bridge, and other historic structures offer the artists the challenge of architecture softened by native plantings and mature trees. A miniature train offers an excellent way for painters to look for possible locations and for visitors to see the painters at work—and another possible subject for the day’s painting excursion.

Visitors Welcome!

Museum volunteers will be on hand to assist visitors coming to meet the artists and see them at work. Look for the blue umbrella at the entrance to the park.

NEW PLEIN AIR EVENT!

2011-09-22T08:27:00.000-07:00

The Gadsden Museum of Art is hosting its first fall plein air after three successful spring events. Fifteen professional and amateur artists will be on location the week of October 10, Monday through Friday (see schedule below).

The public is invited to visit the locations to see the painting in progress and attend the Gallery Opening on Friday, October 14, 6-8 p.m., at the museum (515 Broad Street). Paintings will be on exhibit from October 15 to November 11. Paintings will be available for purchase.

Schedule:

Monday, October 10, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.--Noccalula Falls
Tuesday, October 11, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.--Wills Creek Winery (Duck Springs)
Wednesday, October 12, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.--Lafertty's Landing on the Coosa
Thursday, October 13, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.--The Brow (Lookout Mountain location to be announced later)
Friday, October 14, 9 a.ma to 3 p.m.--Downtown Historic Districts (Turrentine, Walnut, Haralson, Reynolds, and Argyle)

ROBIN ROBERTS AND THE SOUTHERN LANDSCAPE

2011-05-06T17:03:00.000-07:00

What makes a Southern landscape? Ask Robin Roberts, an oil painter who has lived in five states but claims her roots are in North Alabama. For her the Southern landscape emerges from the mystery of light and shadow—bright sun set against the deep shade cast by trees. Robin is attracted to each time of the day as a unique combination of color and pattern and captures that fleeting look with color contrasts and vigorous brushwork. By transforming ordinary views and everyday scenes through her paintings, Robin invites the viewer to remember those places closest to the heart. As she puts it:

“I hope people find the excitement I see in light that flickers in the trees. Trees have gestures and that seed of composition requires my response.”

Robin has taken classes and workshops with nationally and regionally recognized artists, many who emphasized the importance of painting on location (en plein air). Now an established artist, her landscapes and paintings of animals are exhibited in the following galleries: Dragonfly Gallery in Fayetteville, Tennessee; Ashland Gallery in Mobile; ARTifacts Gallery in Florence; Renaissance Gallery in Northport; Charleston House Gallery in Montgomery; and Kathleen’s Art in Decatur. This month her paintings from the Southeastern Plein Air Invitational are on exhibit in the galleries at the Gadsden Museum of Art along with those of the 14 other professional artists who participated in the week long event.

DONNA CHIEVES DEMONSTRATES HER VERSATILITY

2011-05-04T08:57:00.000-07:00

Top: Oil painting of the course at the Gadsden Country Club by Donna Chieves.

Bottom: Pen and ink with watercolor rendering of the club house, Gadsden Country Club, by Donna Chieves.

Donna Chieves demonstrated her versatility at the Southeastern Plein Air Invitational by creating work in oil, pen and ink, and watercolor. At home in Birmingham she paints portraits of people, pets, and homes but she also frequently paints en plein air as she has for the last three events hosted by the Gadsden Museum of Art.

At this year’s event Donna impressed everyone with her pen and ink drawings of architectural subjects like the First National Bank in Attalla (now Wells Fargo Bank) and the Gadsden Country Club. Mastering perspective is one of the most challenging skills required of artists and one that Donna demonstrates to perfection. But she is equally adept at atmospheric and colorful landscapes that capture the beauty of a spring day.

Donna is both academically and artistically talented. She has a B.A. in Art from the University of Montevallo, a B.S. from Oglethrope University, has studied at the Atlanta College of Art and Georgia State University, and frequently takes part in workshops. Donna found ways to combine academics and art with study abroad. She spent a year in Paris studying at the Sorbonne, soaking up the ambience of one of the great cities for art appreciation, and painting. After winning a prestigious Fulbright scholarship to India she again combined travel, education, and painting. Not content to always be a student, Donna also teaches painting at the Arceneau Art Gallery in Birmingham, Alabama. She is a member of the Alabama Plein Air Artists and Oil Painters of America.

Donna's paintings and drawings are currently on display in the galleries of the Gadsden Museum of Art through June 3.

ART COLLECTORS COME OUT FOR OPENING / PRIZE WINNERS FOR QUICK DRAW COMPETITION

2011-04-30T20:12:00.000-07:00

Top: First prize winner in Quick Draw, Dot Courson for "Patriot"

Middle: Second prize winner in Quick Draw, Craig Reynolds for "The Stoop"

Bottom: Third prize winner in Quick Draw, Millie Gosch for "The Patriot"

On-location painting for the Southeastern Plein Air Invitational is over but the event continued Friday night with an opening reception and Silent Auction. Art collectors came out to enjoy music, refreshments, and to buy art—sales topped $7,000. With over 150 original paintings created in one week by 15 professional artists, many paintings remain in the galleries of the Gadsden Museum of Art and are for sale through June 3.

A highlight of Friday night’s reception was the awarding of prizes for the Quick Draw, a special competition where artists had only two hours to complete a painting. Dot Courson took first prize, Craig Reynolds second, and Millie Gosch third--all painting the same doorway! The cash prizes for the Quick Draw were graciously donated by Mrs. Ruth Reynolds, widow of well-known local artist Leo Reynolds.

Come by the Gadsden Museum of Art to view the paintings from the 2011 Southeastern Plein Air Invitational. The next plein air event will be in October and will be open to all painters, professional or amateur. Look for the information about the event on the museum’s Web site.

LAST PAINTING DAY/QUICK DRAW/OPENING RECEPTION

2011-04-29T09:41:00.000-07:00

Flowers by Donna Chieves

Landscape painting by Dot Courson

Musical group painting by Robin Roberts

What a week! Artists have painted everyday—even under threat of tornados on Wednesday. By 9 p.m. Thursday, 124 new originals were hanging on the gallery walls at the Gadsden Museum of Art—everything from grand vistas to intimate flower studies, musical groups to garden ornaments, street scenes to charming cottages.

Today the artists paint in the residential historical districts—Turrentine Avenue; Haraldson, Reynolds, and Walnut Streets; and Argyle Circle. This morning they are painting houses and gardens in a leisurely fashion but this afternoon they will switch to “quick draw” mode. A Quick Draw means that the artists get set up on the view of their choice, a whistle blows and the artists have only two hours to complete a painting before the whistle blows again. Ruth Reynolds, the widow of the artist Leo Reynolds and the mother of Craig Reynolds, one of the professionals participating in the Southeastern Plein Air Invitational, has generously donated the prizes for the Quick Draw.

Best of Show and other awards will be presented this evening at a reception at the Gadsden Museum of Art, 6-8 p.m. The public is invited to see the paintings, participate in a Wet Paint Auction (silent auction) of the artists’ choice of their best work (two from each of the15 professionals), and meet the artists.

TWO DAYS ON LOCATION NETS 60+ PAINTINGS

2011-04-26T21:58:00.000-07:00

Top: Beverly Ford Evans, Gadsden Country Club

Above: Jill Berry, Gadsden Country Club

Two days of paintings hang on the walls of the Gadsden Museum of Art. The 15 artists of the Southeastern Plein Air Invitational have faced windy conditions, threat of rain, and fatigue to produce truly outstanding paintings. Not content to paint only at the pre-arranged locations, some rise at 4 a.m. to find just the right place to catch the sun rise. Others skip supper to go to the rocky ridge of Scenic Drive to paint until it is too dark to see the canvas. For this week of intensive effort, the artists will go all out to chase the best views and bring them back on canvas to be enjoyed for years to come.

The difference in styles is astonishing from muted tonal palettes with smoothly graduated values to thick, staccato strokes that seem to break the painting surface into shards of color. Sweeping landscapes sit next to closely observed flower studies and old barns show off their gray sides and tin roofs next to manicured golf holes with triangular flags flying. Every artist has a point of view and a personal style—the fun comes in liking every painting but feeling the tug of preference for the special one that seems to speak directly to you.

Come by the museum to see the first 60+ paintings and visit the artists as they set up their easels in downtown Gadsden, Alabama City, and Attalla on Wednesday, on the banks of the Coosa at Rainbow Landing (Southside Bridge) on Thursday, and in the historic districts on Friday (Turrentine Avenue; Haralson, Walnut, and Reynolds Streets; and Argyle Circle). See all the paintings and meet the artists at the reception on Friday, April 29, 6-8 p.m. in the galleries at the Gadsden Museum of Art.

MISSISSIPPI ARTIST GLAD TO PAINT IN GADSDEN

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Dot Courson from Pontotac, Mississippi, was the first artist to arrive for the Southeastern Plein Air Invitational and the first thing she said was, “You don’t know how lucky you are in Gadsden to have so much to paint!” Dot’s Southern landscapes depict the scenic beauty of her home state, Alabama, Tennessee, Georgia, and South Carolina—each of which she says has its own characteristic light, physical features, and atmosphere.

Dot took art classes in college but she became first a nurse and then a Healthcare Administrator. All the time Dot painted part time and studied with the late Billy Kirk, a well-known Mississippi artist who became her mentor. Now Dot is mentor to students in workshops like the one she taught last spring in Gadsden.

Dot is a juried member of Oil Painters of America, Landscape Artists International, Mississippi Painter’s Society, Mississippi Oil Painters Association, and Women Painters of the Southeast. She was the only Mississippi artists accepted into the American Women Artists National Exhibition in 2010, one of 65 artists from across the nation so honored.

While Dot was here for the 2010 plein air event, most of the locations this year will be new to her. It will be fascinating to see her vision of the unique characteristics of an Alabama spring. Visit her on location, April 25-29, and view her completed work in the galleries of the Gadsden Museum of Art through June 3.

ARTIST ARRIVE IN GADSDEN!

2011-04-25T08:08:00.000-07:00

The Southeastern Plein Air Festival is underway! Fifteen professional artists arrived last evening at the Gadsden Museum of Art for orientation for a week of on-location painting. Today they are painting at the Gadsden Country Club until 4:30. If you go, look for the Blue Umbrella in the first parking lot after the entrance (the pool parking lot)--volunteers will be there to assist you. Expect to do some walking because the only people with golf carts are the artists!

Tomorrow the artists will be painting at a farm 10 miles north of Attalla--call the museum for directions if you plan to go.

Drop by the museum between 10 and 4 all week to see the paintings that have been turned in each day. Please join the museum staff, artists, and volunteers at a reception on Friday evening, April 29, 6-8. All paintings will be for sale and 30 (two from each artists) will be in a Silent Auction.

ARTIST PAINTING WITH A PURPOSE

2011-04-24T13:13:00.000-07:00

Jan Polk paints with palette knives instead of the more usual bruhes. She traces the technique back to the original Impressionist, Claude Monet. While Jan has been studying art since the mid-1980s, she developed her current techniques at a 2003 workshop taught by Susan Sarback, founder of the School of Light and Color (lightandcolor.com). Sarback spent many years researchin the secret of painting the full spectrum of color as Monet did. Monet was self-taught and did not teach students but his contemporary, Charles Hawthorne, did. One of Hawthorne’s many students was Henry Hensche, an American Impressionist who became well-known as an art teacher. Sarback studied with him and now passes the techniques to her own students--like Jan Polk.

How is palette knife painting different? Each painting implement has its own character that determines in the way paint is applied and the final look of the painting. The flexible metal palette knives lend themselves to a thicker application of paint called impasto and an almost three-dimensional surface to the finished painting. By using the point or edge of the knife the artist can draw back into the paint revealing colors underneath.

While bold in execution, Jan’s paintings have a soft, soothing, mellow appearance that matches her philosophy. She sees a connection between painting and people’s behavior: “I want to use art to inspire all of us to be respectful to one another and to work together just as the paints must work together to achieve beautiful results.”

Jan’s art has led to affiliations with well-known organizations including the Cincinnati Art Club (Signature Status), Exhibiting Member of the Pleasure Island Art Association in Orange Beach, Alabama, and the Women’s Art Club of Cincinnati.

Jan has participated in the two previous plein air events in Gadsden and returns this year as one of 15 professionals invited to paint on location, April 25-29. Come watch Jan create landscapes using the palette knife technique and then view her paintings in the galleries at the Gadsden Museum of Art with a deeper understanding of how and why they were created.

FROM AMATEUR TO PROFESSIONAL PLEIN AIR PAINTER

2011-04-23T20:51:00.000-07:00

Gina Brown is one of two local artists participating in the Southeastern Plein Air Invitational. The other, Craig Reynolds, was Gina teacher and mentor as she developed her art career. Gina participated in the first two plein air events hosted by the Gadsden Museum of Art as a gifted amateur but she was ready to join the cadre of professionals for this year’s event.

Gina, like many of the professionals in the event, showed early talent by sketching and painting as a child. And, also like many, life put those inclinations on hold while she attended to the demands of education, career, marriage, and motherhood. In 2009 she began studying with Craig and reconnected with what had been missing, the desire to create and share her art. Because she had worked as a graphic designer, she already possessed an understanding of composition and color and now applied those skills to oil painting. She began to paint often, almost every day. That commitment led to a rapidly maturing and distinctive style featuring lush colors, bold brushwork, and a ‘juicy’ look that jumps off the canvas. Gina’s selection of subject matter is also distinctive—like most plein air painters she focuses on landscapes but sometimes switches to more of a still life aesthetic by painting an interesting garden feature or flower-filled container. More than technique or style, Gina seeks to make her work personal. As Gina says, “Every painting has a story that I must share.”

In just a few years Gina went from being a workshop participant to a professional affiliated with the Oil Painters of America, American Impressionist Society, Women Painters of the Southeast, Alabama Plein Air Artists, and 10 Everyday Painters. Her work is represented by the Shelby Lee Gallery in Charleston, South Carolina and Renaissance Gallery in Northport, Alabama.

Thirteen artists come to the Southeastern Plein Air Invitational from other towns in Alabama or from other states. Craig and Gina know Gadsden and the surrounding county intimately—its history, ambience, light, and atmosphere. How will that connection become visible in the art they create during the event? See the artists on location (April 25-29) and enjoy their art in the galleries of the Gadsden Museum of Art through June 3.

A PAINTER WITH ARTISTIC CONNECTIONS

2011-04-22T20:55:00.000-07:00

Not many painters can trace their artistic ancestry but Katrina Weber is an exception—her great-uncle Erich Heckel (1883-1970), was a founding member of ‘Die Brücke’ (The Bridge), an influential German Expressionist group known for the vivid color and emotional content of their work. Katrina says she was influenced by early exposure to Heckel’s art. Today she paints in oils, watercolor, and pastels. Her work has been featured in six solo exhibits and over a dozen group shows in the last five years.

Katrina is returning to the plein air event hosted by the Gadsden Museum of Art for the second year. Last year she attracted attention with an unusual depiction of Noccalula Falls, a view that cropped out almost all the surrounding landscape to focus on water cascading off the sharp rocky edge and falling into the pool below. She captured the movement of rushing water with subtle and changing color and solid rock with brushstrokes that sculpt the ridges and striations. This painting perfectly exemplifies Katrina’s goal to “transcend the literal without losing touch with reality.”

Visitors to the galleries at the Gadsden Museum of Art will be treated to two chances to view Katrina’s art. Upstairs in the third floor gallery she is exhibiting with Huntsville’s Sanctuary Artists in ‘The Art of Nature’ through June 13. The exhibit highlights the beauties of a nature preserve donated to the city to save it from encroaching development. Downstairs she will be showing with the artists of the Southeastern Plein Air Invitational. In both venues take delight in Katrina’s arresting compositions, masterful color blends, and expressive brushwork.

PAINTING IN OIL & PASTEL

2011-04-22T09:26:00.000-07:00

Greg Little discovered his natural talents for drawing and painting as a boy growing up in north Alabama. Now living in Florida, this self-taught artist uses intuition and observation to capture a moment in time and a sense of place. As he puts it, “The light in my paintings reminds us that even sitting still, time is moving, life is changing, and we are both a witness and a participant.”

All plein air painters deal with the difficulties of changing light and the challenge of sun, wind, and transporting equipment on location. But Greg sometimes takes on the challenge of working in pastels. In a pinch an oil painter can take everything they need in their hands--one or two brushes, a lightweight panel, a jar of mineral spirits, and a small palette loaded with a few colors. A skilled painter can mix every color they see from the three primaries of red, blue, and yellow plus white—even an approximation of black can be created by combining colors. Pastel painters must take the colors with them in the form of sticks of almost pure pigment; fragile sticks that can shatter into dust unless they are protected in foam-lined trays. Because of the difficulties relatively few plein air artists work in pastel. Discriminating collectors understand how rare the works are and appreciate the colors and textures that belong exclusively to pastel paintings.

In the past two events Greg Little has created works in both oil and pastel. He is also well-known to Gadsden Museum of Art staff and volunteers for going to hard to reach locations. While painting at Noccalula Falls during the first plein air, Greg disappeared under the Falls and came back with views of the gorge that no other painter captured. Watch for Greg on location (if you can find him) and see his paintings on exhibit in the museum galleries. Look especially for his vibrant pastel paintings and appreciate the special difficulties required to make them.

PAINTING IN GADSDEN FOR THE FIRST TIME

2011-04-20T20:25:00.000-07:00

Discovering a new artist whose paintings attract your attention and captivate your interest is a great thrill for an art collector. This year’s Southeastern Plein Air Invitational hosts five artists new to the event—Jill Berry (Pensacola, Florida), Millie Gosch (Roswell, Georgia), Becky Joy (Phoenix, Arizona), Ralph Parker (McKinney, Texas) and Beverly Ford Evans (Nashville, Tennessee). Artists by definition are sensitive to their environment whether is it is the dearly loved scenery of their home turf or the new, unfamiliar, and different. Meet the artists who will be experiencing locations around Gadsden for the first time!

Jill Berry paints most often along the Gulf Coast and her favorite subject is the interaction between land, sky, and sea. She values plein air painting for the spontaneity required whether it comes from wrestling with an easel on a windy day or trying to capture the constantly changing light.

Millie Gosch finds inspiration in the lowlands, rural fields, marshes, and waters of coastal Georgia. She explains, “For me art is an expression of my love of nature.” She seeks to capture the serenity of the landscape offering the viewer a glimpse into a special moment and the opportunity for quiet reflection.

Becky Joy feels both calm and euphoric in the outdoors and seeks to relive those moments in her paintings. At each location she finds a connection to nature and translates that into the color, texture, and mood of her landscapes. For her, “painting is like solving a puzzle” where each location challenges her to “put the pieces together into a cohesive whole.”

Ralph Parker wants to stir the viewer’s curiosity about “the quiet drama of everyday life” and invite memories of special places and peaceful scenes. By “combining just the right consistency of paint with the right brushstroke” he brings out the colors that describe a quiet creek bank, an open field, or an old barn.

Beverly Ford Evans combines a love for nature and history with wanderlust. As she explains, “Through traveling I create memories for myself as well as have the pleasure of creating paintings that can evoke memories for others.” While steeped in the beauty of her home state of Tennessee, she loves to pack her paints and get “inspired by the diversity at every turn in the road.”

What will these artists see in the locations around Gadsden? What will they notice that we who live here have overlooked or failed to appreciate? Come join the artists on-location daily and visit the galleries of the Gadsden Museum of Art to see the paintings, still wet, but ready to evoke the memories of a day spent out-of-doors.

ARTISTS' LOCATIONS, April 25-29

2011-04-19T20:57:00.000-07:00

Artists and spectators at the Southeastern Plein Air Invitational will be treated to several new locations this year. Each location offers a completely different challenge to the artists but every site offers variety, drama, and beauty. Spectators may visit the locations between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. daily but the best time to see the artists working is before 11 a.m. and after 2 p.m. because plein air artists find midday light less interesting. For help on site, look for the Blue Umbrella where volunteers will be on hand to assist you.

LOCATIONS

Monday / April 25 COME TO THE CLUB

The Gadsden Country Club has kindly offered the use of the golf course on a day when the premises are usually closed. Only artists will have use of golf carts so spectators can expect to do some walking.

Directions: The Gadsden Country Club is located on U.S. 411/Rainbow Drive. The entrance is marked with brick columns and red roses (no traffic light). Proceed up the hill to the 2^nd parking area and look for the Blue Umbrella.

Tuesday / April 26 UP ON THE FARM

Stone Arches Farm in the Little Wills Valley community offers artists bucolic scenes much like those favored by the first Impressionists in France over 150 years ago--fields and meadows, flower gardens and fish ponds, blue hills and stately trees. Directions: The farm is located on U.S. 11 about 10 miles north of Attalla. Look for the Blue Umbrella.

Wednesday / April 27 THREE HISTORIC DOWNTOWNS

Artists have a choice of three downtown settings—Gadsden, Alabama City, and Attalla—each with its own flavor and character. Spectators are invited to visit each site, call the museum during the day for information on where artists are located, or come by the Blue Umbrella at the Gadsden Museum of Art. For spectators with limited mobility, this day offers the chance to see artists at work with little walking required.

Thursday / April 28 DOWN BY THE RIVERSIDE

Artists will be painting on both sides of the Coosa in the area of the Southside Bridge—Rainbow Landing, Buck Island Road, and the causeway on Hwy 77. Look for the Blue Umbrella at Rainbow Landing.

Directions: Take Rainbow Drive (Hwy 411) to the intersection with Hwy 77. Turn left. Proceed past Regency Point on the right. Turn right just before the Southside Bridge. The entrance to Rainbow Landing will be on your left.

Friday / April 29 GADSDEN HISTORIC DISTRICTS (morning only)

Historic homes, tree-lined streets, and beautiful gardens make this residential neighborhood near downtown Gadsden an ideal location for plein air painting. Artists will have their choice of painting on Turrentine Avenue, Argyle Circle, Haralson Avenue, Reynolds Street, or Walnut Street. For spectators with limited mobility, this day offers the chance to see artists at work with little walking required since most will be visible from the street. The Blue Umbrella will be located at the corner of Walnut and Turrentine.

Friday night, Gadsden Museum of Art, 6-8 p.m.

· Wet Paint Silent Auction (2 specially chosen painting from each of the 15 artists)

· Artists’ Reception (refreshments will be served)

· Artist Recognition and Awarding of Prizes

The public is invited to view over 150 paintings created during the Southeastern Plein Air Invitational and to meet the artists.

PAINTING & PROVENANCE

2011-04-17T12:39:00.000-07:00

Provenance for a painting means its history—who painted it, who has owned it, and where it has been exhibited. The provenance of a painting adds value for the art collector. A painter can’t have provenance like a painting but sometimes knowing about the artist enriches the experience for a collector. Craig Reynolds participated in both years of the plein air events in Gadsden and is scheduled to be one of the professionals at this year’s Southeastern Plein Air Invitational. Craig’s late father was also an artist whose watercolors are avidly collected. Now Craig continues the tradition but in his own style—oil paintings with the loose brushwork and soft edges of Impressionism but with strong contrasts and color combinations that are uniquely his own. Look for Craig’s work at the Shelby Lee Gallery in Charleston, The Gale Gallery in New Orleans, and The Renaissance Gallery in Northport, Alabama. But for the week of April 25-29 look for Craig on location in Gadsden and his painting in the galleries of the Gadsden Museum of Art until June 3.

I was lucky to buy one of Craig’s painting at last year’s plein air event—an evocative study of late afternoon in the James Martin Wildlife Park, an urban greenspace bounded by busy streets and a shopping mall. I was immediately attracted to the sense of peace it captured, a meditation on the beauty that is all around us if we only take the time to see. Notice the many shades of green in the trees and the water? Green is the hardest color for artists to mix but Craig is a master of this difficult task. Still, would the painting have any impact without those hints of red and orange? In the art world this effect is called simultaneous contrast—opposites placed close together intensify each other. Since red and green are opposite on the color wheel and opposite in temperature (warm and cool), the addition of touches of red to a mostly green painting makes it glow with an inner radiance. I enjoy the painting everyday not only for its beauty but also in appreciation of the highly developed skills of the artist.

In the next blog I’ll preview the locations for this year’s painting days.

A PAINTING CAPTURES A MEMORY

2011-04-15T19:29:00.000-07:00

The railroad bridge across the Coosa River has been a landscape feature in Gadsden since the late 1800s when it was the only bridge. Vintage photos show pedestrians and horse and buggies using the bridge between scheduled trains. More recently citizens and city officials declared its rusty girders an eyesore and began looking for grants and contractors to paint the structure. But artists look with different eyes and many plein air painters at the 2009 and 2010 spring events hosted by the Gadsden Museum of Art made paintings of the bridge, rust and all.

At the 2010 event Dmitriy Proshkin used the location as the site for a workshop attended by aspiring plein air painters. His demonstration painting shows the thrust of orange girders against a blue sky, beautifully crafted stone supports, the wide Coosa, and steep river banks. I was lucky enough to buy this painting and it became the focal point of my dining room. Everyday I’m struck by the sensitive brushstrokes, color contrasts, and light effects—notice how the girder structure is lost and found against the bright sky, just the way the eye sees but most of us never notice.

Dmitriy brings an international touch to the Southeastern Plein Air Invitational because he was born and received his art training in Russia. He admires famous Impressionists like Monet, Pissaro, and Sisley and Russian Impressionists Shishkin, Savrosov, Vassilev, and Levitan. He explains that the Russian School of landscape artists seeks simplicity, to bring out the richness and poetic beauty of ordinary sights. I can see this approach in his painting of Gasdsden’s railroad bridge. As Dmitriy puts it: “I feel one of my most important tasks in painting landscapes is to express and bring out the true reflection of the mood of the moment.”

What will happen this year at the Southeastern Plein Air Invitational? What surprising subjects will artist choose? Will some once again choose the railroad bridge? Since last year the rust has been scraped off the bridge and it is now pristine silver. Will artists still find it appealing as a subject? I’m so thrilled to have a painting of the bridge as it was during my lifetime and will not be again. A good reason to buy a painting is that it captures a moment in time that will never return—a memory in paint.

BUYING A PAINTING OF A PERFECT SPRING DAY

2011-04-13T14:58:00.000-07:00

The first plein air event was a gamble for both the organizers at the Gadsden Museum of Art and the artists—the year was 2009, the depth of the recession. Would people worried about the economy buy art? One of the artists taking a chance on the event was John Guernsey, a businessman transplanted from Southern California to Georgia who transitioned into a fulltime art career.

I remember noticing John on the day artists, museum volunteers, and visitors traveled to Wills Creek Vineyards (willscreekvineyards.com) in Duck Springs for a day of painting. The weather was perfect, clear and sunny and not too hot. With meadows and vineyards stretching to a range of blue mountains, a lake, and high white cumulus clouds, artists quickly fanned out setting up their easels to capture the views. But John did not. Instead he kept walking around and looking this way and that. Since I was one of the volunteers assigned to greet visitors and assist the artists I asked him if he needed anything. “Just looking for something to paint,” he said. I remember being astounded because it seemed to me that we were surrounded on all sides with things to paint. But John walked away still looking.

When all the paintings were hung in the museum galleries ready for the opening reception and sale it was hard to choose a favorite—the artists had transformed our local sights into fine art! But I kept returning to one particular painting of the meadows, mountains, and clouds on that day at Wills Creek Vineyards and it was a painting by John Guernsey. Why did that painting captivate me so? John explains it best, "I strive for a tonal, atmospheric look - and try to communicate to the viewer the feeling of 'being there'."

I bought the painting. It hangs across from my desk, a daily reminder of that perfect spring day. I wasn’t the only buyer to discover a painting I had to own—the plein air events for 2009 and 2010 resulted in over $30,000 in art sales!

ART COLLECTING MADE EASY

2011-04-12T18:52:00.000-07:00

In the last two years I’ve become an art collector the easy way—I attended the plein air events hosted each April by the Gadsden Museum of Art. This year the Southeastern Plein Air Invitational offers a chance to see 15 professional artists from eight states painting the spring beauty of the Deep South—April 24-29, each day at a different location. Join me as I search for my next acquisition among the over 150 original paintings created in that one week. Watching the paintings as they are created on location and meeting the artists makes the owning the paintings so special.

What is plein air painting, you may ask? Today’s artists continue a tradition begun over 150 years ago in France by artists like Monet and Renoir who left their studios to paint en plein air (in the open air) and became known as Impressionists. Like today’s artists they wanted to save the light, color, and atmosphere of a moment in time. A plein air artist captures dancing sunlight with a flick of the wrist, a spring garden in a swirl of color, and historic architecture with a few brushstrokes. While it seems like magic, painting the landscape on-location requires a mixture of talent and years of observation, study, and practice.

Tomorrow meet John Guernsey who painted my first acquisition from the 2009 festival. This is his third year at the festival. Can’t wait to see this year’s landscapes!

2010-06-18T12:36:00.000-07:00

Painting by Robin Roberts of Decatur, AL A beautiful rendering of the area looking up River from behind Twin Bridges Golf Course.

Noccalula Falls - Always a favorite attraction for tourists and artists alike. This painting, done by Katrina Weber of Huntsville, Al, was completed from the view not seen by most visitors - near the wedding chapel at the Falls. It was also the artist's choice as the best painting completed on Tuesday of the Plein Air Festival. Congratulations, Katrina!

The mark of a good artist is to find an interesting angle not perceived by everyone and make us take note. I think Donna Chieves of Birmingham was successful in doing so - don't you? Someone else must have thought so, too - this one sold during the silent auction.

And I guess this would be considered the "big" winner - the Old Rail Road Bridge by John Guernsey of Marietta, Georgia. John won the "Best of Show" prize for this work done on the first day of the Festival

Wow! Plein Air 2010 came and went so quickly I can hardly believe it. And guess what? We're already busy making plans for 2011. Thought you might like to see some of the paintings completed this spring -- Enjoy! Look for more of the paintings plus plans for 2011 on my blog - More next week! Elaine (Girl Friday!)

Stormy Weather

2010-04-25T14:37:00.001-07:00

The weather was really bad last evening, but thought you might like to see some of the photographs taken by Volunteers Harry Parker and Julie Curtis before the rains came!

Plein Air "Stars" for 2010

2010-04-25T14:03:00.000-07:00

Well, the time is getting really close for GMA's 2010 Plein Air Festival and things are a bee hive of activity around here! We have a truly great line up of professional artists (Stars) for our Second Plein Air Festival:

Ron Bayens from Auburn (native of Canada)

Donna Chieves - Birmingham, AL

Dot Courson - Pontotoc, MS

John Guernsey - Marietta, GA

Greg Little - Oakland Park, FL

Susan Loeb - Atlanta, Georgia

Deborah Pellock - Suwannee, GA

Brenda Plunkett - Cave Springs, GA

Jan Polk - Southgate, Kentucky

Dmitriy Proshkin - Chattanooga, TN (native of Russia)

Craig Reynolds - Gadsden, AL

Ann Rhodes - Atlanta, GA

Robin Roberts - Decatur, AL

Ann Stickney - Northport, AL

Joan Ray Weaver, Fayette, AL

Katrina Webber - Huntsville, AL

Two volunteers have been busy with the camera taking shots of potential painting venues for the artists to consider. Here are a few of them for your viewing pleasure!

A Dickens of a Christmas

2009-10-12T10:11:00.000-07:00

Things have been moving at a fast pace as we get ready for Christmas presentations - A Dickens of a Christmas and Memories of Christmas Past. One of the parts of the presentation will be a Christmas gallery of winter paintings that typify Christmas memories. Do you have one you would like to submit? If so, send a digitized image by e-mail to ecampbell@cityofgadsden by Friday, October 30. Be sure to include dimensions so that we can plan spacing. Artists will be notified of acceptance by E-mail on Wednesday, Nov. 4. Sorry, we cannot accept shipped paintings for the Christmas exhibit. Call for more information. (256) 546-7365)

Exhaustion & Euphoria

2009-05-13T15:02:00.000-07:00

I took the week off after the Plein Air Marathon - I have felt both exhausted and exhilarated before, but never more so than on Friday evening, May 1, at the close of the Wet Paint Auction on First Friday. That auction, however, was not the end of the Festival. The night of the First Friday Wet Paint Auction we sold nine (9) paintings of the 32 that were up for bid. And the bidding began on those other paintings that were not included in the "Artist Selection" for the first auction. (Each Festival Artist could select one painting to be included in the Wet Paint First Friday Auction.) So, bids are ongoing on at least 45 of the other paintings completed during the Festival. More to come - we will officially begin the ON LINE AUCTION with the "Director's Choice" paintings (another 32 or so)for your purchase. The Webmaster will be in tomorrow to finalize the plans, but this is the format that we have proposed: Thumbnails of "Director's Choice" paintings will be up for bit, with link to enlarge for better viewing. Enlarged view will include Title, Artist name, Size, inventory number, minimum opening bid, current bid and bidding instructions. Bids will be sent via email so that date and time bid received is automatically recorded. Then the bidder will receive an email confirming the bid and telling whether the bid is the current high bid.
More information tomorrow after webmaster works on the presentation package for auction. Enjoy these other photographs from the most exhausting, most exciting, most exhilarating, most rewarding week ever at GMA!

The River was beautiful

2009-05-13T14:57:00.001-07:00

I guess the most challenging day for "lunch" call was while the artists were painting around the Coosa River & backwaters. We even resorted to special delivery sandwiches that day so that prime painting time wouldn't be lost!

Works in progress

2009-05-13T14:49:00.000-07:00

Somewhere along the line I forgot to continue to use my camera as I should have, but thought these photos showed a good sampling of artists at work. Photographs of paintings of some of the works will be included, and in my next blog I will cover the important ON LINE AUCTION which will begin Friday, May 15 or Monday, May 18, depending on webmaster time line.

Plein Air week - my thoughts

2009-05-13T14:33:00.001-07:00

What a week - from beginning to end, everything (well almost everything)worked well. The weather was good, the artists were everything we had hoped they would be -friendly, engaging, and creating beautiful works of art. The volunteers showed up on time and were in place with smiles and helping hands. The City opened its arms wide and welcomed the Festival participants, and what could have been a disastrous wash out on Friday produced some of the most exciting paintings under adverse morning weather giving way to a sunny afternoon. Here are some pictures made during the event, thought you might enjoy.

Pictures of Spring in Gadsden

2009-04-25T10:34:00.001-07:00

Craig Reynolds, Featured Artist

2009-04-18T13:09:00.000-07:00

Sometimes local artists are overlooked when searching for that special painting; but don't miss Craig Reynolds from Gadsden. Craig's late father was a quite successful watercolorists in the Southeast, and his sister is a successful artist in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma. Following in the family tradition but coming into his own when he pursued his art full time, Craig brings his paintings to life with the use of strong contrast, perspective and color combinations. His style of loose brush strokes and soft edges bring out the impressionistic side of realism. Whatever the subject, Craig brings his own original style and interpretation to his work and his paintings portray pleasant memories and a sense of peace.

Deborah Pellock, Featured Artist

2009-04-18T12:56:00.000-07:00

Growing up in Michigan, Deborah won several awards for her drawings and studied at both Macomb and Oakland Colleges. Presently she lives with her husband in Suwanee, Georgia, and says that plein air painting has enhanced her ability to understand color and light, shadows, edges and atmosphere. "I feel a real joy and satisfaction when I capture beauty in the ordinary. My goal is to not just create art, but to create a feeling. I want pwople to see the unseen in my paintings. It is my prayer that you will enjoy my paintings as much as I enjoy the feelings I have while creating them." Deborah

2009-04-18T12:29:00.001-07:00

Time is getting close for Plein Air Festival. The banner across Broad Street was put up yesterday; all hands and the cook seemed to have been involved. Mike Hilton, Superintendent of Public Works, and Kristin Sherman Cantrell, President of Sherman Group, LLC, stopped traffic while City crewmen Tim Kimbrough and Beau Griffith operated the bucket truck and hung the colorful PLEIN AIR Banner.

Historic Downtown Shots

2009-04-13T13:55:00.000-07:00

Among the interesting features of Historic downtown Gadsden are wonderful period Churches with quiet alcoves, buildings constructed in the early 1900s, and delightful street vendors. Plein air artists will be painting in the downtown area on Friday, May 1 during Gadsden's - First Friday - the liveliest day of the month in downtown!

Scenes Round Town - Before the Rain!

2009-04-13T13:41:00.000-07:00

Thought you might like to see some of the streets where Plein Air Artists will be painting on Wednesday, April 26. These photographs were taken the week before Easter - Enjoy!

Featured Artists & Rack Card for Welcome Centers

2009-04-08T11:40:00.000-07:00

Just discovered our original blogs have been "archived" and list of participating Featured Artists is no longer available. So, here is a repeat with a few additions.

FEATURED ARTISTS

Ronald Bayens- Auburn, AL http://www.ronaldbayensportraits/

Larry Bishop - Birmingham, AL

Donna Chieves- Birmingham, AL

Greg Little - Oakland Park, FL http://www.gregorylittle.com/

Deborah Pellock - Suwanee, GA http://www.deborahpellock.com/

Brenda Plunkett - Cave Springs, GA

Jan Polk - Southgate, KY http://www.janpolk.com/

Dmitriy Proshkin - Chattanooga, TN

Rick Reinert - Charleston, SC http://www.rickreinert.com/

Craig Reynolds - Gadsden, AL http://www.craigreynoldsstudio.com/

Robin Roberts - Decatur, AL http://www.robinrobertsart.com/

Linda Steed - Huntsville, AL

Anne Stickney - Northport.com www.renaissanceartgallery/annestickney.htm

Tommy Thompson - Florence, AL http://www.tommythompsonart.com/

V...Vaughan - Round Rock, TX http://www.v-vaughan.com/

Photo of Rick Reinert - Featured Artist

2009-04-04T12:45:00.001-07:00

Just keep trying if at first you don't get it done!
"Nature and sunlight have provided me with the ultimate reference library. I believe that it is possible to study painting for a lifetime and never have to venture more than one square mile for constant challenges and a wealth of subject matter. Every day offers unique and exciting opportunities for the artist who follows the light."

Featured Artist Rick Reinert - South Carolina

2009-04-04T12:23:00.000-07:00

Sometimes you just get a chance to have a "do-over" so here is mine! I was trying to edit Rick's paintings to add his photograph and inadvertently removed the blog! I'll try again --

Wills Creek Vineyards/Duck Springs Community

2009-04-01T10:56:00.000-07:00

The Plein Air Festival Artists will paint in the Duck Springs community at Wills Creek Winery and Vinewards on Tuesday, April 28. I rode out to vineyards this week and discovered that Spring is really on its way! The greens of the hillsides are gradually masking the bare trees and warming up the atmosphere. The photographs here include some taken at the vineyard sales room, the

Featured Artist Greg Little - Oakland Park, FL

2009-03-27T12:44:00.000-07:00

Greg spent some time as a child in the Gadsden area and studied with one of the GMA/GAA founders, the late Dorothy Willingham. He now resides in South Florida and is active in the art scene there.

"I am a painter living in South Florida. I paint mostly from life doing plein air landscapes, self portraits, and a few still life pieces. In the past year I have allowed myself to start working in the studio from photographs....this in itself has been quite a learning experience...."

Pat Frazier, Volunteer Extraordinaire

2009-03-27T11:20:00.000-07:00

Hearts are heavy here at GMA today. Two volunteers who have helped with the planning and organization of the Plein Air Festival from the beginning: Dr. Evelyn Brannon, pictured in an earlier blog was the visionary of the whole event. The other was Pat Frazier, who was willing to do almost anything to make the Festival happen: take photographs, set up appointments, secure venues for socials, or chase down prices. The Plein Air Festival at GMA would not have happened without both their efforts and input.

Evelyn, Pat and I were meeting weekly to make sure everything was being covered. We met on Wednesday, the 25th, and had another scheduled for today. But that won't happen. Pat was killed in an automobile accident last evening. The loss today seems almost unbearable. The photographs you see here were taken at my desk as we hammered out a schedule and timetable for functions.

Dear Pat - life will not be the same without your verve and zest for living. God speed, good friend.

Robin Roberts paints light

2009-03-25T14:24:00.000-07:00

"Light - that central factor of life. It defines us, and it defines our images, and it illuminates who we are...." Robin Roberts

Robin Roberts, a native of Alabama, has lived in Texas twice, Iowa twice, Missouri, Arkansas, and now resides in Decatur, Alabama. "Some artists say they paint because they have to, and I would agree. . . . I've been fortunate to learn from ....artists who have taught me traditional principles that are the springboard that allows me to express common sights with an uncommon verve. . . . Like many artists, I'm always following the light in all its manifestations."

Tommy Tompson, Featured Artist for Plein Air Festival

2009-03-20T12:23:00.000-07:00

Tommy Thompson of Florence, Alabama, was an architectural and commercial illustrator for more than 30 years before devoting all of his time to painting landscapes in oil. Growing up in near Starkville, Mississippi, instilled in him a love of nature which now finds expression in the area near the Tennessee River in Northwest Alabama. "Painting is so much a part of my everyday life that it would be difficult to live without it. . . . I ride the roads less traveled looking for the play of light and shadows on tranquil pastoral landscapes, beautiful horses, architectural structures, and people as they go about their everyday life."

Painting at Noccalula Falls

2009-03-18T09:25:00.000-07:00

Noccalula Falls Park is one of the areas artists will be painting during the Plein Air Festival. These photographs, taken during the dead of winter, give a feel of the natural beauty of the area. The Falls cascades over 90 feet into Black Creek ravine; Black Creek meanders through the ravine and winds its way through Gadsden into the backwaters of the Coosa River. The ravine and Creek bed (although treacherous when the waters are flowing full) are rich with caves and Indian carvings plus many species of rare plants and wildlife for the adventuresome visitor. There is also a botanical garden which should be in bloom in time for the Festival, and a pioneer village on site. So use your artistic imagination to "fill in the blanks" as you anticipate a wonderful day of plein air painting! These photos were taken by Gadsden artist Craig Reynolds who is one of the Plein Air Painters , and GMA Volunteer Pat Frazier.

2009-03-12T10:57:00.001-07:00

2009-03-12T10:51:00.000-07:00

V....Vaughan of Texas had an exhibition at GMA during 2008 365 days on the Farmand conducted a workshop during that time. This was a plein air workshop on the banks of the Coosa River, in front of City Hall, looking South. A great workshop and a wonderful exhibit. Virginia is coming back to Gadsden to be one of the Featured Artists during the Plein Air Festival.

2009-03-09T09:11:00.000-07:00

Dr. Evelyn Brannon, GMA Volunteer, and Elaine Campbell are working together with Pat Frazier, GMA Volunteer, making sure the Plein Air Festival comes off as planned. Things are moving along at break neck speed! This is a list of the Professional Artists who have committed to participating in the First Annual Southeastern Plein Air Festival hosted by GMA:
Ronald Bayens - Auburn, Alabama

Donna Chieves - Birmingham, Alabama

Greg Little - Oakland Park, Florida

Deborah Pellock - Suwanee, Georgia

Brenda Plunkett - Cave Springs, Georgia

Jan Polk - Southgate, Kentucky

Rick Reinert - Charleston, South Carolina

Craig Reynolds - Gadsden, Alabama

Robin Roberts - Decatur, Alabama

Dmitriy Proshkin - Tennessee

Linda Steed - Huntsville, Alabama

Anne Stickney - Northport, Alabama

Tommy Thompson - Florence, Alabama

V....Vaughan - Roundrock, Texas

Look for more tomorrow!

Job Well Done

2009-03-07T12:52:00.000-08:00

Thanks, Jennifer, for taking your Friday and Saturday to make the Student Exhibit at GMA look better than ever!

Saturday at GMA

2009-03-07T12:23:00.000-08:00

The museum is still not open on Saturdays on our usual schedule due to renovations, but had a busy workday at GMA. Jennifer Restauri, Intern from University of Montevallo, came up to help hang the Student Art Exhibit. Always one of our biggest annual shows, there were over 300 pieces of school art work to hang.
Plans are ongoing for the first annual Southeastern Plein Air Festival April 27 - May 1, 2009. Monday I will begin posting professional artists who will be participating and photographs of their plein air work.