Various locations, Laguna Beach, CA October 2-10
The beautiful coastal town of Laguna Beach in Southern California has a storied history as an idyllic artists’ colony. Many of the early California Impressionists settled or painted there, and today the town—replete with ocean views, coves, and nearby canyons—has maintained much of its original charm. Its scenic subject matter and distinctive light draw many of today’s landscape painters, and its vibrant art community is bolstered by annual events that attract residents and visitors alike.
One of those events is the Laguna Beach Plein Air Painting Invitational, now in its 23rd year. This year’s theme, Recharged & Revitalized, symbolizes the Laguna Plein Air Painters Association’s success at weathering the storms of 2020 and the new energy the group enjoyed as it learned the art of virtual offerings. This fall, many of the show’s main events return to the outdoor grounds of the Festival of the Arts, and the majority are also streamed online.
The invitational features 35 top plein-air painters from around the country, including Suzie Baker, Carl Bretzke, John Budicin, Rick J. Delanty, Gil Dellinger, Debra Huse, Calvin Liang, and Scott W. Prior. During the nine-day event, they paint in and around Laguna Beach, and there are several opportunities to purchase original paintings and meet the artists.
The first is the Quick Draw Competition on Sunday, October 3. “For this exciting event, artists have two hours to paint a 9-by-12-inch canvas and then return to the festival grounds to frame it,” says LPAPA executive director Rosemary Swimm. “It’s then displayed and sold in a silent auction.”
The second is the ticketed Collectors Gala art sale, the main event on Saturday, October 9, showcasing the best of what the exhibiting artists have painted during the previous week. (Works shown here are from last year’s show.) Each artist displays four works that night; as those pieces sell in the fixed-price sale, more fresh works take their place.
The third event is the Invitational Art Show on Sunday, October 10, which is open to the public. “This is sort of like an artists’ garden party, where the artists set up easels on the grounds, paint in front of the crowds, and sell new work,” says Swimm. “The pressure is off, the event is complete, and it’s a time to celebrate.” Two art talks—Plein Talk With the Artists on Monday, October 4, and Plein Talk With the Experts on Wednesday, October 7—are also planned. –Allison Malafronte
contact information949.376.3635www.lpapa.org
This story appeared in the August/September 2021 issue of Southwest Art magazine.
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