Get Out for the Paint Out!
Creating paintings or drawings outdoors using the scene surrounding the artist as the subject is known as plein air painting or drawing. The name comes from the French expression en plein air or "in the open air."
With all the open air in northern Michigan, what better place for a plein air event?
That’s the thinking behind Crooked Tree Arts Center’s Paint Out.
OUT WEST
"Paint Outs have been extremely popular with plein air painters for decades, especially out West," explained Liz Ahrens, CTAC president and executive director.
"We launched our annual Paint Out in 2006, when we were hosting four nationallyrecognized pastel and oil painters who were known for creating beautiful landscapes outdoors. We now offer at least two Paint Outs each year."
Petoskey’s Paint Out is set for June 6, with weekly Paint Outs on the way in August and September to also coincide with the similar Art in the City event in Traverse City (CTAC recently merged with Artcenter Traverse City).
OUT WHERE?
Artists of all skill levels are encouraged to participate in the Paint Outs and there’s no cost to join in the fun. Artists need only bring their own painting supplies and easel. It’s a three-part event, but it all starts with art.
"Also, bring an empty canvas or paper and we’ll stamp the back to show that the artist started the day with a clean surface," Ahrens said. "Artists can have multiple pieces stamped if they want to create more than one artwork."
Artists check in between 8am and noon and then they’re off and running to find the perfect place to paint around town.
OUTDOORS!
The public can stroll around town, checking out the art in progress, getting a close-up peek at the methods behind plein air painting. Finding the artists themselves is part of the fun.
"Some artists like to be on their own and some artists don’t want to share their special view, kind of like mushroom hunters!" Ahrens laughed.
Finding the artists often depends on the weather, she added.
"If the weather is inclement, you might see painters taking shelter together," she said. "And there are always groups of artists that decide to paint the Bear River as their landscape, as water and light are very challenging."
STAND OUT
All artwork must be brought back to CTAC between 3pm and 4pm. After the day’s painting has concluded, the second part of the Paint Out event begins. CTAC offers juried prizes in a range of categories from Best Landscape and Best Waterscape to Best Portrait and Best Cityscape.
"We obviously get a lot of paintings depicting our stunning waters and landscapes," Ahrens said. "Bill’s Farm Market is also a popular painting subject, as are the marinas around the bay."
The standouts, she explained, are everyday views captured in a unique way, showing a different side of something familiar.
SELL OUT
After the honors are awarded, part three of the Paint Out begins.
Here, artists can sell their work at a special reception called the Wet Paint Sale, which starts at 5pm, bringing these newly crafted masterpieces to market before the paint is even dry.
"Each year, art patrons are waiting in lines at the door to get the first opportunity to purchase," Ahrens explained. "And the paintings really are wet, so the work must hang for usually one day, and then buyers can pick up what they purchased on Sunday."
OUTSTANDING!
Ahrens describes this triple threat of artistic components as "a one-day event filled with great energy."
"It’s a combination of trepidation from the artists, as they wonder if the weather will hold, what they’ll paint and if they’ll sell it; as people discover painters scattered about town; and then as the paintings start to sell," she continued.
Not only does the event add color to the community and offer artists well-deserved recognition, but the art itself is priced very affordably so that collectors can snap something up without breaking the bank. A percentage of CTAC’s proceeds from the sale of each painting supports the center’s programming, including art scholarships.
"So everyone wins!" Ahrens said.
This summer’s Petoskey CTAC Paint Out is Saturday, June 6. For more information, visit crookedtree.org.
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