Summertime lures artists outdoors

Plein air painting on both sides of the river

IAN PUGH
Posted 5/24/17

The weather is finally settling into the consistent shape of summer, and local artists can finally take a break from indoor still life and bring their craft into the open. En plein air is French for …

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Summertime lures artists outdoors

Plein air painting on both sides of the river

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The weather is finally settling into the consistent shape of summer, and local artists can finally take a break from indoor still life and bring their craft into the open. En plein air is French for “outdoors,” and the concept of plein air painting is as simple as the translation: bring your paints and canvas outside and see what you can make from your surroundings. The Upper Delaware River region is full of beautiful sights ready for the painter’s eye, and will soon play host to a number of plein air programs that not only offer beginner and veteran artists the opportunity to hone their skills, but encourage them to explore the activity and discover its social and therapeutic possibilities.

Joan Polishook knows all about the deep meaning and benefits, and her plein air program, “Come Paint with Me,” has proven itself through the tests of time and popularity. The free program will celebrate its 20th anniversary on Thursday, June 29, in the Visitors’ Gazebo of the Grey Towers National Historic Site in Milford, PA, at 9:30 a.m. The rain-or-shine event will feature special art displays, gift packages, and speaker presentations, followed by painting sessions conducted around Pinchot mansion until 3 p.m. While “Come Paint with Me” has always revolved around a very basic idea, that “basic idea” has undergone many other changes throughout the years—some dictated by natural changes in the local landscape and atmosphere, and others by the experiences of and connections shared among frequently returning artists.

“Many artists became regulars over the years and continue to look forward to each new season,” Polishook says. “For some exploring the selected venues, it was a new experience. Many artists keep in touch with one another, [and] new friendships have been developed.”

The program will continue at many locations across the area and throughout the summer. An exhibit of artists’ works, entitled “Plein Air – All Seasons II,” will be held in November and December at the Gallery at Chant Realtors Lords Valley, where Polishook serves as a volunteer curator. In addition to the “Come Paint with Me” sessions, Polishook also encourages artists to paint “On Your Own,” suggesting such venues as Promised Land State Park and Shohola Falls for weeks when there are no formal get-togethers. But that’s the advantage of plein air painting: when the time and weather are right, the word “outdoors” doesn’t have many other restrictions. For more information about the history and upcoming season of “Come Paint with Me,” visit www.joanpolishook-art.com.

Meanwhile, the Barryville Area Arts Association hosts “Plein Air Adventures” for 2017, a separate series with a similar goal: “offer[ing] artists and art-lovers the chance to celebrate life as they never have before.” The Plein Air Adventures have already begun, and for a preview of adventures to come, enthusiasts are encouraged to visit their first exhibit of the season. It serves as a follow-up to their first painting session, which was held on May 12 along the Delaware River in Callicoon, NY. The Catskill Fly Fishing Center & Museum in Livingston Manor, NY will host this exhibit, free and open to the public, at the Wulff Gallery, June 10, 2 to 5 p.m. In addition to the works created during the May 12 session, the exhibit will also feature historical examples of plein air painting.

Future painting sessions will take place at Kenoza Lake on July 22, 10 to 4 p.m., with a corresponding exhibit at the Jeffersonville Branch of the Western Sullivan Public Library on July 29; and the Ecce Bed and Breakfast in Barryville, NY on October 14, 10 to 4 p.m., with the exhibit at Sunshine Studios in Barryville on October 21. Complimentary refreshments will be provided at all painting and reception events. Space is limited and registration is required for painting sessions; registration is $15 and all necessary supplies will be provided. For more information, call 845/557-8713 or visit www.barryvil leareaarts.org/AdventuresEnPleinAir.html.

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