LOCALadk Magazine

50 Summer 2018 LOCALadk Magazine LOCALadk There is a big event coming up in Saranac Lake, August 13- 18: the 10th Adirondack Plein Air Festival. But what exactly is plein air? Plein air is a French term literally meaning "open air" and applied in the 19th centur y to a newly developed style of painting, in which artists painted outside and tried to cap- ture the luminous qualities of natural lighting. It was made possible because of the invention of easily portable metal tubes of paint and foldable easels. It was popular through the era of the French Impressionists, then gradually faded into obscurity. For me, it started kind of accidentally. I'd always thought of plein air painting as a kind of practice – something artists might do before they created a masterpiece in their studio. I was a modern artist – I hiked all over the Adirondacks and took photos, then created paintings based on my photos. But one summer day in 1996 I brought a small set of water- colors and a sketch pad with me when I took my 12-year-old son and a friend up St. Regis Mountain. I figured I would do a little painted sketch while they played on the open, rocky summit. It turned out to be a life-changer for me – I became instantly hooked on the challenge of painting outdoors, on location. I brought the watercolors with me on weekly hikes and painted while my companions stopped to eat lunch. Transporting the bulky wood easel and oil paints in a back- pack and hiking in to scenic spots with a fresh canvas, plein air painting quickly became the passion of my life. It incorpo- rated being outdoors, in the Adirondacks, and painting – all at the same time! I was proud to be among the group of artists who created Saranac Lake ArtWorks in 2009. The following year I heard about plein air festivals going on in other parts of the coun- tr y. I'd never attended one, but it seemed simple enough: you need a scenic location and you put the call out for artists, give them a couple days to paint, put on an exhibit, and sell art! I organized the first Adirondack Plein Air Festival that Au- gust. We had 27 artists participate and there may have been a couple of sales – no one kept track, but I was inspired to continue it. My goal was to provide opportunities for local artists and to attract visitors to the area, where they might also contribute to the local economy through lodging, shop- ping, and dining. All done with no infrastructure required and no pollution produced! In the years since then, the Adirondack Plein Air Festival has grown to be a nationally recognized event. We've had to go to a juried entr y process in order to control the numbers of participants. The 50 artists selected for 2018, from the 80 -some that applied, are from all over the US: California, Missouri, Virginia, many from the northeast, two Canadians, and one all the way from Ireland! The Festival now begins on a Monday and concludes with the big Show & Sale on a Satur- day, attracting hundreds of visitors. On a personal level, I too have developed and expanded my passion for plein air. Now, I rarely paint in my studio; I do most of my work outdoors, all year round. I explore new places and have favorite spots that I return to time and time again. I've attended plein air events in other parts of the countr y, and my vacations, especially those to our Nation- al Parks, are mostly spent exploring and painting. I've been able to combine a love of wilderness and nature with a desire to share what is beautiful and special about these places, through my paintings. I usually decide where to go based on what I'm looking for. One day it might be mountains, another day waterfalls or wetlands; sometimes I just go scouting until I find some- thing I like and other days I return to familiar spots. There are many accomplished plein air painters who can create a masterpiece from just about any subject matter. If I'm going to spend four to five hours painting, I prefer to be moved by a place, to feel some kind of connection, and it needs to be visually interesting. The biggest challenge of plein air painting is time and light. No one realizes how much the light on a specific sub - ject changes until you tr y to paint it. Imagine starting a painting at 9am, set up facing south, so the morning sun in on your left, casting shadow from left to right. After about Painting the Park, Plein Air Style By Sandra Hildreth

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