Show Preview | Laguna Beach Plein Air - Southwest Art Magazine

Laguna Beach, CA
Various locations, October 5-13

Patrick Saunders, Day at Dana Point, oil, 12 x 16.

This story was featured in the October 2019 issue of Southwest Art magazine. Get the Southwest Art October 2019 print issue or digital download now–then subscribe to Southwest Art and never miss another story.

WHEN 30 OF THE nation’s top plein-air painters gather this month for the 21st annual Laguna Beach Plein Air Painting Invitational, they’ll be doing more than just capturing images of one of Southern California’s most idyllic coastal villages. They’ll also be celebrating a local legacy of painting that stretches back some 100 years to the time when California Impressionists like Edgar Payne, William Wendt, Franz Bischoff, and Frank Cuprien first set up their easels here.

: Jennifer Diehl, 5th Avenue, oil, 11 x 14.

: Michael Obermeyer, Laguna Spring, oil, 9 x 12.

: Aaron Schuerr, Contemplation of the Moment, oil, 16 x 20.

The Laguna Plein Air Painters Association, founded in 1996, preserves and advances that heritage, and since 1998 the organization has invited top artists in the genre to gather for a show each fall. “Our goal,” says LPAPA executive director Rosemary Swimm, “is to have the best of the best in the country. We’ll sometimes even book artists of this caliber two years ahead.” The general public can watch them at work thanks to a full and well-organized schedule of activities.

The fun gets started on Saturday, October 5, from 2 to 5 p.m. with a Warm-Up Paint-Out in Treasure Island Park, just south of the Montage Resort. Sunday features a popular Quick Draw Paint-Out from 2 to 4 p.m. near the heart of town in Heisler Park. Works created are sold by auction from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. at the Festival of the Arts, just a short drive or walk up Laguna Canyon Road.

: Carl Bretzke, Boys on a Rock, oil, 11 x 14.

: Bill Davidson, Cliff Colors, oil, 12 x 16.

: Rick Delanty, June Sunlight, oil, 16 x 20.

From Monday through Friday, art lovers can witness painters at work from dawn to dusk throughout Laguna and surrounding areas. “The first [spot] that comes to my mind is Crystal Cove,” says participating artist Kathie Odom, referring to a California State Park just up the coast featuring 46 rustic beach cottages from the 1930s and ’40s. Three of her 11 paintings at last year’s gathering focused on those cottages, and she also looks forward to exploring other subjects. Opportunities are myriad. Says Michael Obermeyer, a Laguna resident who has participated in the show for each of its 21 years, “I’m still finding new spots. There’s so much variety. It’s not just ocean and beaches.”

All of the artists participate in additional events during the week. These include a nocturne paint-out on Tuesday, starting at 6 p.m. along Forest and Ocean avenues, which run through the heart of the picturesque shopping district. There are painting demonstrations on Friday at Heisler Park, Treasure Island Park, and Main Beach. The artists also take part in “Plein Talks” on Monday and Wednesday evenings in the Forum Theater on the Festival grounds.

: Aimee Erickson, Palm Trees Say It All, oil, 10 x 12.

: Carole Gray-Weihman, Sweeping Parade, oil, 12 x 16.

: Calvin Liang, Incoming Tide, Malibu, oil, 12 x 16.

Finally, the show wraps up in grand style at the Saturday-evening Collectors Gala, where works ranging from small to large are available to collectors in a ticketed, fixed-price sale. (Works shown here are part of the special Invitational Catalog section of the show.) On Sunday, the show and sale opens to the public, and more demonstrations take place. After nine days together, a spirit of tremendous camaraderie reigns among the artists. “I’m excited about totally unplugging and immersing myself, without thinking about anything else,” says Denver watercolorist Judd Mercer, a first-time participant. “Who knows? Maybe I’ll never go back home!” —Norman Kolpas

contact information
949.376.3635
www.lpapa.org