All about the quick draw

Suzie Harrison

A plein-air invitational that organizers are calling world-class and

second to none kicks off Sunday with 50 of the best painters in the

country coming to town.

Laguna Art Museum and the Laguna Plein Air Painters Assn. work

together for 7th annual Plein Air Painting Invitational, which

benefits both nonprofits and the artists. It runs Sunday through July

17.

French for “open air,” plein-air painting became popular in the

early 19th century and has deep roots in Laguna Beach that run

through legendary artists Edgar Payne, William Griffith, Guy Rose,

Joseph Kleitsch and Anna Hills.

“Some forget in terms of tradition that original plein-air artists

settled in Laguna Beach” soon after 1910, museum director Bolton

Colburn said. “The invitational re-energizes the town and reevaluates

what Laguna is all about.

“I don’t know of anything like this exactly. It’s the biggest and

most prestigious in the country because it’s at a museum. It’s been

phenomenal with a ton of smaller copy-cat events in and around the

country.”

Ken Auster, renowned plein-air painter and president and

co-founder of Laguna Plein Air Painters Assn., echoed Colburn’s

assessment, beginning with the caliber of artists invited.

The public is invited to experience the artists in action with

events throughout the week, and most are free.

Colburn said that during the week people can see the artists at

work in and around Laguna Beach. The opportunity will allow viewers

to interact with the participants.

The show begins with “Paint Out” from 12 to 3 p.m. Sunday at

Treasure Island Park, adjacent to the Montage Resort and Spa. All

participating artists will be creating works at that location, which

will be on display during the week at the museum and available for

purchase at a gala event at the end of the week.

Heisler Park will offer the scenery for the popular “Quick Draw

Paint Out” from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. July 16. Artists have a two-hour

time limit to paint a park scene. For the first time, an auction of

the works will immediately follow at the museum.

“It has to be [created] within a defined area of Heisler,” Colburn

said. “A lot of people come and attend. It will be exciting to have

the auction immediately following.”

He said with the “Quick Draw” art enthusiasts can watch an artist

work from execution to the finished product.

“People by and large love it, to see work done right in front of

them,” Colburn said.

Invitational veteran artist Jeff Horn said he’s honored to be

invited to participate every year. In 2002, he won the “Quick Draw.”

“Generally speaking every [plein air] painting in a sense is a

quick draw,” Horn said. “You have a two-hour window before all the

light and shadow shapes have changed. You can’t chase the light; it

changes it.”

He said the artistic style is about capturing the emotion and

feeling of the immediate moment in time and in nature.

“Mercurial -- it changes so much,” Horn said.

From 6 to 10 p.m. on July 16 the museum will host the Gala Dinner

and Collectors Preview Sale, which includes hors d’oeuvres, fine

wines and dinner.

Guests will have the first opportunity to procure paintings

created during the invitational, as well as meet the artists and

attend the awards ceremony, announcing the event’s top voted artist.

The event closes with the plein air paintings on exhibit and for

sale from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the museum July 18.

Tickets for the gala are $125 for museum members and $135 for

non-members. For tickets, call (949) 494-8971 Ext. 200 or online at

https://www.lag

unaartmuseum.org. Laguna Art Museum is at 307 Cliff Drive.