Ready, set, paint

Suzie Harrison

They can be seen working diligently from before sunset to sundown --

365 days a year and a lot of times they don’t even break a sweat.

This summer 50 of the best in the country have been invited to

Laguna Beach to compete, and it’s not for sport. It’s art. The sixth

annual Laguna Beach Plein Air Painting Invitational will kick off

July 11 and run through July 18. The community is welcome to watch

every step of the way.

The invitational, hosted by the Laguna Plein Air Painters Assn.

and the Laguna Art Museum, is a benefit for both organizations, as

well as the artists.

“This event perfectly melds the history of the Laguna Beach art

colony with more contemporary plein-air traditions,” Laguna Art

Museum director Bolton Colburn said. “Art lovers and collectors have

made this one of the most popular events in the city, and we are very

proud of that fact.”

Renowned plein air painter and event chair Ken Auster said that

this year the public will be involved from the onset.

“This year we’re having an orientation event Sunday evening at the

St. Regis beach club,” Auster said. “The public is invited to watch

all the artists paint at the north end of Salt Creek Park -- it’s an

introduction. The public can get involved in the process at the

beginning of the event instead of the end.”

The “Sunset Paint Out” will be from 6 to 8 p.m. and is not a

competition. Rather it’s a way for everyone to meet the artists and

watch from the onset of the weeklong event.

Each year the invitational showcases the artistic skills of 50

invited artists as they paint outdoors.

Auster attended Catalina’s Plein Air Painters of America

competition in 1997, which no longer exists.

“We [the Laguna Plein Air Painters Assn.] unanimously decided

Laguna Beach would be a pretty nice place to have a similar plein-air

event,” Auster said.

They decided that the Laguna Art Museum would be the perfect

partner because of the museum’s significant history and contribution

to the art world and its particular focus on California art.

“We contacted [museum director] Colborn and it fell in place with

their mission to promote [California] art and community involvement,”

Auster said.

July 17 is the Gala Dinner and Collectors Preview Sale at the

Laguna Art Museum. Guests who attend this event will have the first

opportunity to purchase paintings completed during the invitational,

mingle with the artists and attend the awards presentation.

Starting at the beginning of the week the artists will be painting

all over Laguna capturing everything form the coastline to the

canyon.

The “Quick Draw Paint Out” is one of the highlights. From 10 a.m.

to noon July 16 at the north end of Heisler Park, the artists will

compete and have only two hours to complete a park scene. The winners

will be announced at the gala.

The final part of the invitational is the free exhibit and sale of

the work at an exhibit at the museum from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on July

18. Pieces that are still available can be purchased at that time.

“People will be able to meet and talk to the artists, become more

involved as opposed to [just viewing] a painting with a name on it,”

Auster said.

One aspect that adds to the community participation in the event

is that 17 Laguna families open their homes for the artists to stay

in.

Carole Reynolds has been a host for three years.

“To be able to watch them painting on site and at our home is

fascinating,” Reynolds said.

A limited number of tickets are still available to the Gala and

Collector’s Preview event. All other events are free. To purchase

tickets call the museum at (949) 494-8971 Ext. 200. The Laguna Art

Museum is at 307 Cliff Drive.