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Come celebrate the beginning of the 2019 Spring plein air painting season with six painters: Thomas Adkins, Zufar Bikbov, Ellie Boyd, Lorraine Chapin, Linda Marino, and Betty Ann Medeiros at the gallery show reception at Arts Escape, 88 Main Street South, Southbury, CT on Saturday, March 30th from 5:30p.m. to 7:30p.m. Grab this chance to meet the artists, find out about why they go outside to paint, and take home a special painting of Southbury, Maine, or Cape Cod to add to your collection. Would you like to have your own backyard view painted this year? Arts Escape is a wonderful place to learn about the arts, and your purchase helps support classes and special programs. Delicious light catered appetizers, bourbon barrel aged red, and live jazz with Michael O’Mara and Fred Kruge await you. Stop on your way out to dinner and see the show.
This is a show about vision. Six pro artists who teach, inside and outside, who have different training and paths in the art world, who have come together to share a diverse body of plein air work. As you walk around the show, you might ask yourself, what has drawn you to a particular painting — is it the subject matter? The colors? The shapes, lines and action? Does it bring back memories of a favorite scene? “Oh, that scene reminds me of the farm I grew up on”—perhaps not the exact scene but maybe it has the timeless quality that speaks to a memory. Those are the paintings that will carry you, keep you coming back for more.
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| Dog Park Fun, Southbury, CT, Oil by Ellie Boyd, 12” x 16” $1500 |
Why do artists go outside to paint?
The French Revolution wasn’t confined to the monarchy! Painters fed up with the strict rules of the Paris art academies, dark paintings, historical subjects, and dim studios, sprinted for the fields and suburbs to study the effects of light on scenes of the country, gardens, scenes of boating parties, farming, and picnics. Today’s plein air painters face the same challenges as the French trailblazers—finding the perfect location, fighting a sun that moves rapidly across the sky, carrying a truckload of supplies. You could even say plein air painting is one of the toughest “sports”— on the level of learning to play tennis. With more people than ever trying their hand at painting and attending 250+ plein air shows, competitions, and conventions all over the country and internationally, plein air painting is on a roll.
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| Sugarhouse Forsythia, Stiles Farm, Southbury, CT by Tom Adkins, Oil on Linen, 30" x 30" $7400 |
Do you ever wonder how much thought goes into making one of these great paintings? With such an outdoor smorgasbord, how does the artist narrow what they see down to something engaging? First they have to find “the honeyhole”—the perfect spot to set up— as they drive by, hike, or get suggestions from collectors and fellow artists on where to go. Then they must be selective in narrowing the view—ignoring details at first, concentrating on light effects, groupings of interesting shapes/intersecting lines, curving lines, leading attention to the focal point. There are days when the paint flies off the brush outdoors and the painter goes home satisfied with the “day’s catch”. A rare day.
By time you view it on wall, the artist has generally spent hours: an initial pencil sketch, then a small color study, photos of the scene for reference, and/or a second studio painting based on the small study, sketches, and photos. Artists often reconsider the original composition back in the studio either with more sketches, or using photo editing programs, repainting areas, placing the artwork in a temporary frame to study. At times the painter will return to a location to continue work on the painting when the weather/lighting conditions are similar. Finally come the last touches of the brush and the signature, followed by a light intermediate varnishing, and the ultimate framing choice. The entire process takes days or months to get it right.
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| Cerulean Blue Winter Woodbury, CT, by Tom Adkins Oil on Linen 24" x 24" $4600 |
Some collectors respond to more to detailed realism, and some prefer movement and brushstrokes. Thomas Adkins, of Southbury and Maine, a seasoned veteran of plein air painting says “My paintings spring from a lifelong fascination with the outdoors. The moods, mystery, atmosphere and inherent design of nature intrigue me. My paintings express those qualities documenting a specific place and time. “
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| At the Mooring by Zufar Bikbov Oil 9" x 12" $950 |
At times a painting may look so realistic it resembles a photograph, at times the artist has left a bit more room for the imagination, and a composition that is timeless. Russian artist and doctor Zufar Bikbov says “My love of painting has been instrumental in shaping the direction of my life. “ He describes his work as “plein air with moderate landscape abstraction, constantly searching to express on canvas, things essential to life and human experience.” Zufar is conducting classes regularly at Arts Escape, for example a four week class to help painters improve fundamental drawing and compositional skills.
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| Russian Village Chapel by Ellie Boyd Oil 8" x 10" $395 |
Sometimes painting is an act of capturing the identity of a community—ie, Southbury’s Russian Village—where is it anyway?? At the end of Winter, Ellie Boyd found a spot over by the settlement of Russian immigrants who fled the country during the revolution. Count Ilya Tolstoy (son of author Leo Tolstoy) thought the area was much like the Russian countryside. A tiny jewel of a chapel, the St. Sergius Chapel, with it’s distinctive onion dome is the most recognizable artifact of that turbulent time. Ellie will be teaching a 2-day introductory plein air class for Arts Escape May 21-22.
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| The Art Lesson, Thimble Island, Branford, CT by Linda Marino Oil 12" x 16" $425 |
When the artist walks into the view what are they looking for? Artist Linda Marino, of North Haven, seeks to “interpret the world in a way that will not only inspire others but to evoke or suggest images, memories, and emotions.” Currently working in oils and acrylics, Linda captures her subjects with the use of expressive color, bold, confident brushwork and a fresh perspective on coastal scenes and farms. Linda has taught at Arts Escape since 2016. On Mondays she teaches acrylic painting for artists who wish to work on special projects and still life paintings.
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| Southford Falls, Southbury CT in Late Summer by Betty Ann Medeiros, Oil 11" x 14" $400 |
Danbury native Betty Ann Medeiros has a request for the viewer. “While visiting the gallery and my plein air paintings, I would like the viewer to see the love I have for New England and the area I live in. As they gaze at my paintings I hope they are transported outside, feeling the warmth of dappled sunlight, the coolness of the shadows and experience all of natures atmospheric elements.” Betty Ann continues to teach a number of classes on Thursdays and Fridays at Arts Escape--sketchbooking, painting on the iPad, watercolor, and oil studies.
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| Golden Marsh, Cape Cod by Lorraine Chapin Oil 14" x 18" $655 |
Lorraine Chapin can’t get enough of the Cape, the ocean, the shore. “Cape Cod has so many wonderful memories for me as a young girl vacationing there with my family. Now, I go every year to paint and enjoy its beauty with my friends. I truly love the amazing landscapes and capturing my very favorite places en plein aire.”
Bringing all the elements of a 3-D scene together onto a 2-D surface is quite a challenge. No, it is not as “relaxing” as the public imagines, but it is immensely satisfying to look at a painting and remember exactly what the day was like, whether the sun was shining, the winds blowing, the scent of flowers in the air, and wonderful to be taken right back there, in the moment.
Can you learn it? Yes, one step at a time. Zufar cautions the new painter not to be too descriptive, and to engage in creative practice every day — be it drawing or painting. If you do that, and exercise your “art muscles” frequently, you will make great progress. That and a course or two at Arts Escape can help.
Visit with our artists as you stroll the show and consider taking home a painting or commissioning one. A portion of all artwork sales will be donated to Arts Escape by the artists to help fund ongoing programs. Purchases may be made by credit card, check or cash. Show runs until April 25th. Open during regular hours or by appointment.
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