St. Charles brought an artistic flair to the city with its third annual Plein Air event, sponsored by the St. Charles Art Council, which wrapped up over the weekend.
The seven-day event, named for a French term meaning “in the open air,” drew a largest-ever total of 70 artists from across the country from locations are far away as Massachusetts, California and Montana, as well as a lot more locals, who were charged with creating oil and watercolor paintings around the city and then presenting them at the end of the week for viewing and sale.
Sharon Powers, executive director of the Art Council, said the event gives the community the chance to see art being created live outdoors around town.
“People look and see and say – that’s cool – what’s going on? What are they doing there? They’re just seeing things from start to finish,” she said.
Wednesday morning found artists gathering at St. Charles’ Pottawatomie Park creating their own sketches and paintings including Catherine Martinez from St. Louis, who said this was her first year at the event.
“I heard about it online and my sister lives in Chicago so I was like I might as well give it a shot,” she said. “I have done these types of shows across the Midwest. There is so much color and nuance and details that photographs can’t give, and there are also occurrences with the people you meet along the way that are inspiring.”
Other artists likewise said painting outdoors creates a whole different experience.
Naomi Tiry Salgado from Eau Claire, Wisconsin, said this was also her first time at the St. Charles event and that friends had told her it “was a good one.”
“When you’re outside, you have to relax and sort of settle into it so that you can let that flow just show up,” Salgado said. “Sometimes, you’ll be painting a scene and, like a bird will show up and rather than get upset about it you just say – that’s a perfect spot for a bird – and just flow into it. I like the natural elements.”
Johanna Wieden of St. Charles said she has “been painting my whole life” and that she recently got back into watercolors after a back injury sidelined her from work.
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“I moved back home and am doing watercolors and gouache, which is a different kind of watercolor,” she said. “I’m definitely a landscape artist but most importantly I try to capture the subtlety of the space. With my landscapes, I try to capture the beauty of the color and contrast and the peace and tranquility of that environment.”
Wieden said translating things seen with the eye into images created by hand definitely takes “some technique.”
“I did go to art school for animation and drawing and got a little knowledge there,” she said. “I start by framing my piece. Some artists use a view finder but I kind of use my hands. I kind of identify the rectangle I’m going to paint and then I’ll sketch is out so everything is kind of in the right place. Since I’m an impressionist, I want to have fun with it, so I just kind of pop down my colors. Sometimes I start with the background and go to the foreground. That way, whatever is in the front I make it pop the most.”
Carolyn Goldsmith from Monticello, Illinois, said she has appeared at the event before and enjoyed the Fox River “which has a lot of variety.”
“This was a well-run event and there are opportunities to interact with the other artists. I also really like the gala which is well done,” she said. “It’s rewarding for the artists who have worked hard all week. I love to be outside. The light is honest. You can see the depth and values of colors. You can not get that from a camera.”
David Sharos is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News.