Quick Paint, Pot Luck, Good Friends Gather

 Completely out of order, enjoy these photos of our get together that was not just about painting but also camaraderie. 2021 was a good year to be painters. Diane and Jean found the perfect park shelter for picnic and painting at Beaver Island State Park, NY, overlooking the river and Canada. 

Our pot luck lunch was preceded by a "Quick Draw" which was a challenge to complete a painting in 75 minutes. The finished collection was amazing, everyone pulled off a great speedy effort. Silly prizes were awarded for most Geometric, Transparent and Colorful paintings. Tough judging and lots of good comments!

Reviewing the final paintings

Anne Zohur

Carol and Peg

Diane Goupil

Donna Hale

Paulette and Bernie

Artist Friends

Paulette 

Peggy Walker

Roy Fink

Half the cars are Subarus!

Quick Draw results

Not just art, we like to eat.

Kath 

Christopher Leeper Workshop, September 2021

Annual Artist Workshop –– Sept 20 and 21

16 NFPAP members took part in a workshop with watercolorist Chris Leeper from Canfield, Ohio. Members who attended were very pleased with what they learned with him. Jennifer Koury made arrangements and scheduled this event for the group.

Leeper, from Ohio, was the overall First Place winner in the 10th annual Plein Air Salon July 2020, an online competition attracting hundreds of professional artists. His work has been featured in several books and publications, including The Artist's Magazine, American Artist, Plein Air Magazine and Ohio Magazine. 

Day one was at Chestnut Ridge Park

Chris Leeper's demonstration watercolor

Discussing the participants' paintings at Chestnut Ridge

Day 2 was held at the Knox Farm State Park in East Aurora, NY

A painting by Leeper that demonstrates light and shadow

Artist's paintings at Knox Farm

Gateway Park in September WWPO

 

Lunch is always artsy.

Continuing the World Wide Paintout, we met at the conjunction of the Erie Canal and Tonawanda Creek. Lunch involved a lively discussion of the artwork, how techniques were perfected, the use of light and shadow, and we were all amazed at the variety of subjects in Gateway Park at the junction of the Tonawandas. 

Diane, Rachelle, Kath, Jean, Joan, Roy. Photos by Liz

Sandy and Donna are on the left. 

World Wide Paintout

 Sponsored by International Plein Air Painters the annual paint event is celebrated every year the first weekend after Labor Day. Traditionally, we have painted somewhere around Niagara Falls.

Becker Farms

The sun was brilliant, apples and grapes weighed down their branches, donkeys brayed, farm vehicles carried loads, and we painted.

As usual lunch involved lively discussions of art created in the morning. By this time of the season all of us have adjusted to painting faster, and more confidently than early in the spring when our Plein air boxes were dusty from disuse. Love our outdoor offices and making some plans to keep painting out through winter.

Ferry Village Paintout

Hosted by Diane and Jean, the paintings at Ferry Village are evident of the skill our painters have developed outdoors this summer. A light breeze and sun that is occasionally cooled by shadows, another good day to be a plein air artist.

 

Sunflowers of Sanborn! 2021

 

Lake Ontario's stunning views

We were invited to paint 'trailers and flowers' at Laurene's invitation but we mostly landed on the lake shore to capture the day.

One at a time, we got started painting in a 'perfect spot'. After a morning drawing and painting we get together to talk about the paintings, supplies, and keep developing deeper friendships in the fresh air. On this day the drizzle didn't stop anyone from painting or lunch talk. Well actually this time a few kept painting instead of gathering. The light rain didn't bother anyone under the trees.

From the left, Joan, Jean, Kath, Laurene, Roy and Diane.

 

Some were complete by the lunch get together. Martha's grandson, Dexter, contributed by drawing Roy's red car.