Laguna Plein Air Invitational puts spotlight on outdoor artwork

The paintbrushes must move fast, capturing the landscape and the light just right.

Set up at Heisler Park in Laguna Beach, above the sand and the surf, a “Quick Draw” plein air competition got underway Sunday, Oct. 4, with spectators marveling at the skill and talent it takes to capture the scenic seascape in a short two-hour period.

“It’s an art experience,” said Bonnie Langner, director of the Laguna Beach Plein Air Painters Association, host of the event. “It’s so cool you can see the blank canvas, watch it develop, talk to the artist and then buy the painting. It’s such a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”

The association’s 28th annual Laguna Plein Air Invitational kicked off this weekend, bringing 30 of the nation’s top artists who specialize in plein air to showcase their artwork, a multi-day event dedicated to the unique painting style that has a colorful past in the coastal town.

The invitational is the association’s biggest event of the year — and it is one of the longest-running and most prestigious in the country, said Langner.

The festivities kicked off Saturday with a “Paint Out,” where artist members got to paint alongside invitees.

After the public “Quick Draw” showcase Sunday at Heisler Park, a meet-and-greet auction at the Festival of Arts was held for collectors to take home the still-wet artwork.

Plein air is a French term that means painting outdoors, said Langner. While the coastline is a popular setting, plein air can capture anywhere: parks, outdoor cafes, streets — but it must be done fast, because the natural light quickly changes.

“It’s a very complicated skill,” Langner said.

The style of plein air painting is a big part of Laguna Beach’s legacy as an art community.

When the first artists arrived more than 100 years ago, they were drawn to the coastline’s beauty and stayed to paint it, spawning the artist colony. The Laguna Art Association started with several plein air artists — some streets around town are named after the art colony founders.

The Laguna Beach Plein Air Painters Association started when five plein air enthusiasts got together to paint 30 years ago, then more joined and the group grew to about 50 members. Then more wanted to showcase their work, and it evolved to the current 750 members across the country.

“Our collectors and the people from Laguna get to constantly see the best in the country, every year,” Langner said. “It just shows the impact that Laguna has had on plein air throughout the United States. Any of the artists who are invited, it’s the apex of their career. Sometimes when I call to invite them, they are in tears.”

For historians, early plein air paintings from the turn of the century are snapshots in time.

“You maybe didn’t have photographs back then; they had the paintings that showed what it was like before it was fully inhabited by the people there now,”  Langner said.

The annual invitational helps fundraise for the nonprofit’s kids program and allows Laguna College of Art + Design students to study with master artists.

On Monday, a “Future Generation Invitational Paint Out” will happen at Heisler Park, an event that aims to inspire the youth.

Selected local students will observe live professional painting demonstrations and receive direct mentoring to create their own coastal masterpieces that will be on display and available for purchase through Nov. 30, with the funds going back to the student artist’s local school to support youth arts programming.

On Tuesday, there will be a “Just Plein Happy Hour: Laguna Plein Air After Dark Nocturne Paint Out” that starts at 5 p.m. with artists spread out at Main Beach, the Promenade on Forest Avenue and throughout downtown Laguna Beach “capturing the unique glow of Laguna after dark.” The event is free to the public to watch.

The next day, “Plein Talk with Art Experts: Exploring Plein Air’s Past, Present & Future” will be held at the Laguna Art Museum. The event starts at 5:30 p.m. and will be moderated by association Vice President Celeste Gilles. Cost is $35 for members, $45 for non-members.

There will be a “Next Generation Paint Out” at Heisler Park on Thursday,  where the next generation of artistic talent from the Laguna College of Art + Design will be paired with world-class mentors.

Student works are juried by a professional panel, with top artists receiving cash scholarship awards and an exclusive invitation to showcase and sell their work at the Collectors Art Party on Saturday.

The Collectors Art Party kicks off at 6 p.m. at the Laguna Festival of Arts grounds. The ticketed event is a chance to meet and connect with the 30 national master artists and acquire work created both during the invitational and other original plein air artwork brought to showcase.

The Grand Finale: Invitational Art Show & Festival wraps up the week on Sunday. The free 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. event will transform the Festival of Arts grounds into an interactive outdoor art gallery. There will be live demos and artist meet-ups.

For more information, go to: lpapa.org