A group of outdoor-loving landscape artists has connected Texada Island to the world.
For the first time Texada artists participated in what was the 12th annual Worldwide Paint Out Saturday, September 13, sponsored by International Plein Air Painters (IPAP), a global organization.
Plein air artists seek the quality of natural light in an outdoor atmosphere and their art work directly responds to the beauty they find in nature. They use oils, watercolours, acrylics and pastels, bringing their paint boxes and easels to areas of the world known for their scenic vistas. They converged on 51 locations in six countries for the paint-out, all painting on the same day.
Ten artists gathered at Shelter Point Park and scattered to capture their images. Participating were Marilyn Timms, Doby Dobrostanski, Maggie Timms, Tom Hamlyn, Amanda Martinson, Dave Northrop and Graeme Barnes, all of Texada. They were joined by Carey Anderson of Nanaimo, Bill Kerr of Courtenay and Jim Glenn of Vancouver. Their skills ranged from experienced art veterans to total newbies, united by a love of celebrating the beauty of nature on canvas. Throughout the day, many spectators came by to watch them work.
“There is a joy about painting outdoors and this was the chance for the public to see professional artists at work,” said Marilyn, Texada event organizer. “Events like this give artists and art-lovers alike a chance to feel connected to the bigger art world out there and be in nature at the same time.”
Plein air painting was developed in France in the mid-19th century. With members throughout the world, IPAP was created for the sole purpose of advancing the execution and enjoyment of plein air painting without the restrictions of political borders. The September 13 event was enjoyed by artists in Brazil, Italy, Trinidad, Bahamas, the US and Canada, including four BC locations: Texada, Port Alberni, Quadra Island and Gibsons.
Marilyn, a veteran watercolour artist, said Shelter Point Park was chosen because of its variety of scenery, including vistas of the Salish Sea, towering old-growth forest, rocky islets and sweeping beaches.
Martinson, another experienced artist, likes painting outdoors because “it is a more intense experience which engages the senses.” She said it is a challenge to paint quickly because the lighting is constantly changing as the sun moves across the sky.
Glenn, who has been a semi-professional artist all his life, likes the “energy” one gets from painting “the real life outdoors,” which he said puts energy into the painting and the finished work.
Kerr said “painting indoors is just practice for painting outdoors. And while it’s good to get out of the house, sometimes you have to change your medium to suit the particular outdoor conditions.” He started painting with egg tempera, but after “all the wasps in the park” converged on his painting, he switched to oils.
Northrop, a beginner who said he had never used an artist’s paint brush before, created a very respectable rendering of Dick Island. “This was my first time, but you bet I’ll do it again.”
