Windham Arts Alliance Plein Art Extravaganza

This past August, Windham Arts Alliance in collaboration with the Main Street Community Center, and the Mountaintop Arboretum, brought a two-day plein-air painting gathering to the Mountaintop. The artwork produced at these two events is on display at the Main Street Community Center in Windham until November 1, 2024. All are welcome. .

What is plein-air? Plein-air painting is the practice of leaving the studio and venturing outside to paint what the artist sees. It goes back to the French Impressionists’ desire to capture light and a transitory impression of the landscapes they were painting. The challenge is capturing the atmosphere, light, and color as the day progresses. The beauty is the stimulation of all your senses as you work. “Painting outdoors,” according to Laura Avello, “is such a great experience. All the senses provide something that enhances the day. The music of the birds, the breeze that brings the smell of the grass underfoot, and, of course, the light and colors it creates for us to capture.”

If you take 25 artists and bring them to the same place to paint or draw, what will happen? Amazingly, you will get 25 entirely different interpretations of what attracted their attention. What was important to each of them was as varied as their styles and personalities.

Windham Arts Alliance organized two Plein Air Extravaganzas this summer: one at the Mountaintop Arboretum and the other at the Windham Path. Everyone was welcome, from emerging artists to professionals. A demonstration and materials were provided at both venues by WAA. Laura Avello did a watercolor demo at the Arboretum and Mara Lehmann did an oil demo at the Path. Peter Segall participated in his first paint out, saying, “We captured the tones of a cloudy sky that added a peacefulness that made the experience especially enjoyable.” Peter Preston added, “I enjoy the challenge and the immediacy of painting outdoors, so being invited to a paint out in our Mountaintop backyard on a beautiful day was fabulous.” The paint out was very successful because it provided an opportunity for new people to get involved with plein air. Happily, some children on the Windham Path who were exploring the area with their parents became interested in watching the artists. Sheila Trautman gave them some materials and they, too, joined the event, proudly showing off their work.

There was a feeling of excitement as the artists gathered. Marianne Tully was exuberant when she exclaimed, “I got out of the car and saw the beauty of the Thomas Cole, Blackhead, and Black Dome Mountains, and the sky. That was the scene I wanted to paint.” Mari Renwick said about the Windham Path, “You can’t ask for a better day than one where you gather with other artists and venture out into a beautiful environment to paint en plein air. The group was great and the stunning location of the Windham trail was breathtaking.”

At the Arboretum, there was a new and inspiring subject at every turn. While trying to select a view to paint, Sheila Trautman came across a sign with a quote from Thomas Cole (1836), the father of the first truly American art style: “If men were not blind and insensible to the beauty of nature, the great works neces- sary for the purpose of commerce might be carried on without destroying it, and at times might even contribute to her charms by rendering her more accessible.”

Both the Mountaintop Arboretum and the Windham Path have preserved the beauty of the Catskills and, as Cole stated above, rendered it more accessible. The artists took the opportunity to interpret and preserve this beauty in their works of art. Together through the arts we can raise awareness of the fragility of our environment and the beauty that is worth saving. Nancy Campbell summed up the experience saying, “The plein air paint out on the Windham Path was a great way to experience the beauty of our Catskills and the comradery of the artists of the mountains—a thoroughly enjoyable day!”

The art produced at these two paint outs is on display at the Main Street Community Center located at 5494 State Route 23 (aka Main Street), Windham, NY (518 734 4168 or mainstreetcenter.org) until November 1, 2024.

Windham Arts Alliance wants to thank the Mountaintop Arboretum, The Town of Windham, and the Main Street Community Center for helping to make this extravaganza possible.