This was the third year of the event and the competition seems to be improving year after year. The day began cloudy but the sun came out at around 11am although it became a bit windy. The juror was Jeff Charlesworth, a reputable painter from the Lambertville/New Hope area, who patiently took his time examining each painting. I was lucky enough to receive third place. After the awards were given out, Jeff offered constructive critiques to anyone that wanted them. As always ArtVenture did a great job on the food; after 3 hours of painting it’s always appreciated.
When: September 15th-17th Reception: September 15th, 6-9pm Where: Bel Air Armory, Bel Air, MD
This is the second year that I was lucky enough to be juried into this event. I decided to take the entire week off and create 4 paintings during that week. As I live over 50 miles away, I’m able to bring a plein air painting from my area which gave me a total of 5 paintings. Additionally, we were able to paint at Ladew Topiary Gardens on Tuesday and we had an artist’s taco dinner at the Market Street Brewery in Havre de Grace followed by a nocturne paint out. The final event was a Quick Draw on Saturday morning. I decided to have fun and use Tombow Dual Brush pens for the Quick Draw and my drawing was sold immediately! Overall, the staff of Maryland Center for the Arts puts on a wonderful event that I’d happily participate in the future.
Painting this beautiful view of the marina in Harvre de Grace, Maryland
This is the second year of the event and the level of talent has significantly improved in that short amount of time. The weather was perfect for autumn painting in quaint, downtown Flemington. After everyone painted, there was a free lunch with sandwiches, snacks, desserts and drinks (including hot coffee). The judge for the event was Roberto Osti, a university teacher and fellow plein air teacher/artist who was kind enough to stay afterwards to give honest, constructive critiques to anyone that wanted them.
Setting up my wall at Harford Plein Air 2022 Exhibition
When: September 16 – September 17, 2022 Where: Montclair Art Museum, 3 South Mountain Ave, Montclair, NJ 07042 Collector’s Preview: September 16, 2022, 6:30-9pm Quick Draw: Saturday, September 17, 9am-Noon
This was a very well organized event hosted by friendly people where the artists were treated very well. On Thursday evening we were treated to a delicious dinner at a Havre de Grace seafood restaurant where the artists got the chance to mingle. Afterwards, we painted the streets of Havre de Grace at nighttime. The artists set-up their walls on Friday afternoon and we dressed-up for the Collector’s Preview on Friday night which was well-catered with food and drink. The entire event did not disappoint. On Saturday morning we participated in the Quick Draw where I was lucky enough to get an honorable mention. I can’t say enough good things about this event which I plan on participating in 2023.
In June, I was juried into the 2022 Harford Plein Air Festival. This event lasts 2 months; artists can begin painting at the beginning of July until mid-September. We are required to create 5 plein air paintings of Harford County, MD. Since I live more than 50 miles away, I’m allowed to create 2 of those 5 paintings around where I live. I spent 3 nights/4 days painting in the Havre de Grace area and have produced 5 paintings. I’d like to go back and paint more depending on my schedule for the next couple of months. I’ll report back once we get closer to the exhibition date which occurs in mid-September.
When: October 15, 2021 9am-12am Where: Lawn on Stangl, Flemington, NJ
ArtVenture hosts plein air artists for this fun “quick draw” event, membership not required. Paint from 9 to 12 in picturesque, historic downtown Flemington; with display, judging and reception starting at 1 pm, outdoors under the tent at “The Lawn on Stangl”, 50 Stangl Rd. All are invited to see some local art in action! Prospectus and registration: https://artventurenj.com/exhibitions
When: October 15, 2021 9am-11am Where: Goshen Farmers’ Market, Goshen, NY
The Quick Draw competition sign-in is from 8:30-9:00am. Canvases require a separate Quick Draw stamping. Judging will take place with the help of local community members in Goshen at 11:30am. Everyone is welcome and eligible for prizes. We hope that you will join us at the event.
The plein air festival is in it’s 6th year. Artists from around the country will paint “en plein air” in various locations around the Hudson Valley region. Artwork created during the festival is exhibited publicly and offered for sale at the Wallkill River School as well as online from October 16 -31. New York’s Hudson Valley is the ideal setting for plein air painting. The area is endowed with a rich history of art and has been a popular destination for many of America’s artists for over 150 years. Artist Andrew Lattimore is the judge of the competition.
Update 11/11/21: The Quick Draw was in Goshen, NY and you could paint anywhere within the town. This is a great little town to paint as it is very picturesque. Unfortunately, I was under the impression that the artist that judges the Plein Air Festival would also be judging the Quick Draw. Instead the judges are local business people. It’s for this reason that I would not enter the Quick Draw competition in the future unless it is judged by professionals in the art field. I would, however, go up and paint in beautiful Goshen.
When: September 26, 2021 Where: Long Beach Island Foundation, 120 Long Beach Blvd, Loveladies, NJ 08008
This Sunday is the opening for this plein air competition and exhibition. There are two categories: “classic plein air” and “plein air plus”. The Long Beach Island Foundation (LBIF) gave the artists a two month span (July – September) to create these works; all had to be created on Long Beach Island. I have four, small plein air paintings in the “classic plein air” category. I’ll update this post with my final thoughts and overview of the competition after the opening.
Update 10/11/21: I exhibited four 8″x10″ plein air paintings for this exhibition and won an Honorable Mention for “Sun, Sand and Cellphone”. I’ll post this painting when I get it back from the exhibition as I didn’t have the foresight to photograph it beforehand.
The exhibition was well-attended but many of the artists. LBIF did a great job of hanging the show; the paintings and the exhibition space looked great.
