MONDAY: THREE HISTORICAL DOWNTOWNS IN PLEIN AIR

Artists will find the streetscape of Broad Street in Gadsden little changed from that shown in vintage postcards. Many storefronts feature the original owner's name and the date when they were built--the oldest from the turn of the 20th Century with others added through mid-century. The same is true for Alabama City and Attalla--all possible destinations for the first day of the Southeastern Plein Air Invitational.

Artists will find many architectural gems waiting to be painted including:

• Movie palace marquee--the Pitman in Gadsden and the Ritz in Alabama City.
• A prime example of Art Deco style, the former White Palace with its green glass facade banded in black on Broad Street in Gadsden.
• The 50s vibe at the Magic Burger with its turquoise and red color scheme and original sign topped by an ice cream cone (halfway between Gadsden and Attalla).
• The Nichols Memorial Library built in 1899, the first public library building in Alabama and listed on the National Register of Historical Places, it anchors Alabama City's Wall Street.
• Alabama Power got its start in Attalla and the office there has the only remaining Reddy Kilowatt sign, the company's original logo.
• The main intersection in Attalla features the former Walker's Drug with its original sign (now an antique store), a florist and wedding chapel, the city bell and gazebo.
  

What will the artist choose? Streetscape, architectural gem, storefronts with colorful merchandise, street vendors, or people shopping? After Monday night, we will know because the artists must turn in each day's paintings at the Gadsden Museum of Art. Visitors to the museum can see them on the following day. But none will be for sale until the reception Friday night, 6-8 p.m. The public is invited to meet the artists and see Gadsden, Alabama City, and Attalla through their eyes.

For daily information on the Invitational:

Follow this blog on and other information on the Gadsden Museum of Art web site (gadsdenmuseum.com).

Call or visit the museum (515 Broad Street in Gadsden, 256 546-7365)

ART QUEST: 15 Chances to Win Art Collectables

Left: Sample of Art Quest postcard.

The season for hunting Easter eggs may be over but another quest begins during the Southeastern Plein Air Invitational, April 9-13. In the fourth year of the event a new feature has been added—ART QUEST! 15 chances to win sketches, studies, and other art collectables donated by the 15 professional artists painting on location in the Gadsden area. Three ways to join in Art Quest:

1) See the artists painting on location and view the finished paintings in the Gadsden Museum of Art galleries.

2) Collect a postcard from each artist. The postcards are a free souvenir of the experience and include the artist’s picture, a reproduction of a painting showing their distinctive style, and a quote explaining their approach to creating art.

3) Collect five different postcards to become eligible for the drawing of sketches, studies, or prints from the plein air artists. Simply show your postcards at the Blue Umbrella (information central for each location), or at the Gadsden Museum of Art office during the week, or bring the postcards to the opening reception to enter the drawing.

The drawing will be held during the opening reception on Friday, April 13, 6-8 p.m., at the museum.

The public is invited to see the week’s paintings, meet the artists, and congratulate the Art Quest winners. All works completed during the event will be on exhibit and awards winners will be announced at the reception. All paintings will be available for purchase. Paintings will continue on exhibit through May 14.

Postcards will be available every day but some locations make collecting the cards easier.

Monday, April 9, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., the artists will be painting in downtown Gadsden, Attalla, and Alabama City.

Wednesday, April 11, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. artists will be in the parks along the Coosa River including Coosa Landing (the city boat dock), Lafferty’s landing boardwalk, Jack Ray Family Park (behind the Hampton Inn), and James Martin Wildlife Park (behind the mall).

Friday, April 13, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., find the artists in Gadsden’s historic residential neighborhoods—Turrentine and Haralson Avenues; Argyle Circle; Reynolds, Walnut and Chestnut Streets.

The two other days of the event artists will be more widely distributed and in less accessible situations: On Tuesday, April 10, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., in the area around Gallant and on Thursday, April 12, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., the artists are on their own to find the locations they most want to capture in paint.

To find daily information on the Invitational:

• Look for the Blue Umbrella on location.
• Consult the GMA Web site and follow the event in this blog.
• Call GMA (236 546-7365) or stop by the museum at 515 Broad Street

Staff and volunteers will be available to assist visitors.

Nationally Known Artists Coming to Gadsden

Artists will converge on Gadsden beginning April 9-13 for the fourth Southeastern Plein Air Invitational hosted by the Gadsden Museum of Art (GMA). With gallery shows, Web sites, award winning paintings, and eager collectors, these professionals could paint anywhere but choose to come to Gadsden for its scenic beauty and friendly, informal atmosphere.

V….Vaughn (her signature is as original as her artwork) toured the U.S. with her one-woman show of 365 plein air paintings recording the last days of her family’s farm in Texas, a show that ended its run at GMA. She has painted in Gadsden several times and conducted workshops for local artists. Several of her paintings are in the permanent collection of GMA and in private collections here.

Dot Courson of Pontotac, Mississippi, is making her third trip to Gadsden. At last year’s event she won the top award in the Quick Draw Competition, a special feature of the Southeastern Plein Air Invitational where artists must complete a painting in only two hours. In March, 2012, Courson had a solo exhibit at a gallery in Tupelo. As a member of Women Painters of the Southeast her work will be on exhibit at a gallery in Jacksonville, lorida, beginning April 27. Millie Gosch of Roswell, Georgia, who was also juried into the Women Painters of the Southeast, will be returning for her second painting trip to Gadsden.

Two artists will be adding an international flavor-- Dmitriy Proshkin, originally from Russia but now living near Chattanooga, and Ron Bayens, originally from Canada but now living in Auburn. Proshkin has painted in Gadsden many times and his works are in the permanent collection of the GMA and private collections here. Bayens painted in Gadsden at the 2009 event and turned a rainy day downtown into a painting that is now part of the permanent collection of the GMA.

John Guernsey, originally from southern California but now living in Marietta, Georgia, is a favorite of local art collectors. His painting of Noccalula Falls was acquired for the permanent collection of the GMA and fellow artists have voted his work ‘best in show’ for the last two years. Another painter making a splash with a painting of Noccalula Falls, Katrina Weber of Huntsville, will be returning this year. Her close-up view of water rushing over the falls shows how an artist can take scene familiar to thousands and turn it into original
art.

Craig Reynolds of Rainbow City and Gina Brown of Glencoe demonstrate that artistic talent doesn’t have to be imported. Their understanding of the locales, scenery, and history of Gadsden add a special depth to their paintings. Both have paintings in the permanent
collection of GMA but their paintings don’t always stay local: Reynolds is represented by galleries in Charleston and New Orleans and Brown by galleries in Northport, AL and Charleston.

Jill Berry from Pensacola, Florida, made an impression on her first trip to Gadsden last year with her bright, colorful garden scenes and use of the palette knife to add a lively texture to her paintings. She is returning for her second year and will be joined by artists participating for the first time including:

Amy Peterson from Hoover, AL

Karen Weir from Catherine, AL

Amanda Carder from Cummin, GA

Charles Young Walls from Atlanta, GA

Wyatt Waters from Clinton, MS.

Come see Gadsden through the eyes of the 15 professional artists who will be painting in Gadsden April 9-13.

Join the artists on location or at the opening reception on Friday, April 13, 6-8 p.m. All works completed during the event will be on exhibit and awards winners will be announced. All paintings will be available for purchase at the reception and online. The exhibition will continue through May 14.

To find daily information on the Invitational:

Look for the Blue Umbrella on location--volunteers will be available to assist visitors.

Consult the GMA Web site and follow the event on this GMA daily blog.

Stop by GMA at 515 Broad Street, Gadsden.

For online sales go to gadsdenmuseum.com. Or, call GMA (236 546-7365).

ARTIST RETURN FOR FOUTH PLEIN AIR!

River, mountains, historic architecture, and spring gardens make Gadsden an art destination for 15 professional artists attending the fourth annual Southeastern Plein Air Invitational, April 9-l3. Alabama artists will be joined by those from Texas,Georgia, Florida, and Tennessee for a week of painting “en plein air” (in the open air).

Hosted by the Gadsden Museum of Art this year’s event features popular local artists Craig Reynolds and Gina Brown; returning favorites Virginia Vaughn, Dmitry Proshkin, and John Guernsey; and artists new to the event. Locations include parks along the Coosa, the three historic downtowns of Gadsden, Alabama City, and Attalla, and other scenic vistas around Etowah County.

In the five days of on-location painting, the artists will create over 150 original paintings. The public is invited to watch the artists daily. Paintings will be on exhibit and for sale beginning with a reception on Friday, April 13, 6-8 p.m. The exhibition continues through May 12.

For additional information, contact the Gadsden Museum of Art (256 547-7365 or
gadsdenmuseum.com). Watch this blog for news on event planning, the arrival and experiences of the artists, the reception and sale, and the exhibition.

FIVE THINGS THAT MAKE THE PAINT OUT DIFFERENT

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.

SCENIC DRIVE LIVES UP TO ITS NAME

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

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 AT THE FALLS

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!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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!

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

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

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

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

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.