The Firehouse Gallery and Kohala Plein Air Painters invite the public to a Plein Air Paint Out from 9 a.m. to noon today at the gallery in Waimea.
Plein Air painters will have their easels set up and pencils, paint brushes or pastels in action and welcome questions and conversations about the joys and challenges of painting outdoors. This intrepid group paints every Friday on the north leeward side of the island from the spectacular coast to the forests of Hawi to the rolling hills of Waimea ranches.
“The three biggest challenges are wind, wind and wind,” jokes oil painter Peter Jefferson who leads the group. “You never know what you are going to get, how the clouds will move across the horizon, where the cows are going to be grazing, when there will be a sudden downpour. To me, it’s thrilling! The big views are magnificent!”
Plein Air or open air painting began in France in the 1800s when tube paints became available. Artists could escape the confines of the studio, where they had to grind and mix paints, to paint in the beauty of the outdoors.
The Paint Out is part of “Tropical Palette, ” a group exhibition by the Kohala Plein Air Artists which runs through January. The Firehouse Gallery will be open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. during the Paint Out. The regular schedule is 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Thursday through Sunday.
The Waimea Arts Council is a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting the arts, the encouragement of artists, and providing a forum for art-related community events.