Artists in the outdoors

Surrounded by miles of pristine coastline, a newly thriving wetlands

and scores of historical beach bungalows, artist Pamela Panattoni

finds beauty in one of Huntington Beach’s least-favorite sons: the

AES power plant on Newland Avenue.

“I just have these strong feelings about it,” the Yorba Linda

artist said from the small patch of concrete near Magnolia State

Beach where she spent half a day painting the imposing towers of the

coastal generator. “I’m not surprised there are some negative

feelings about it, but I think it’s something beautiful.”

Artists are often enamored of the clean lines and infinite stream

of pipelines at AES and find artistic inspiration in what many local

residents see as blight, said Darlene DeAngelo of the Huntington

Beach Art Center, the curator of a show on outdoor art at the museum.

Titled the Plein Air Painting Festival (o7plein airf7 is French

for “in the outdoors”), the seven-day exhibition celebrates 30

artists who captured outdoor scenes of Huntington Beach.

As in other plein-air festivals throughout California, artists are

required to have completed their works in the outdoors, in front of

their subjects.

Some artists brought their canvases to the corner of Main Street

and Pacific Coast Highway to capture the bustling summer crowds of

downtown, while others erected their easels on bluffs overlooking the

Bolsa Chica wetlands and gazed upon the disappearing oil fields,

slowly being removed through a massive project to reconnect the

wetlands with the ocean.

“I like its openness and semi-abstract nature of gritted earth

surfaces,” said retired Boeing engineer and artist Thom Wright, who

spends his free time studying art at Cal State Long Beach and

creating paintings on the Seapoint Avenue bluff.

“The stark geometry of the drilling and the pumpers and the pipes

appeals to me,” he said.

The plein-air concept originated in France during the 1870s as

part of the Impressionist movement. Many artists moved outside of the

confines of their studios to capture the natural landscape.

The movement eventually took hold in California, and plein air has

emerged as a leading genre for artists, with annual festivals in

Laguna Beach, San Clemente and San Luis Obispo.

While working outside has its benefits, it’s not always easy to

contend with the elements, Wright said.

“There are constantly changing light conditions, and when you’re

working with watercolor, the paper has to be shaded from the sun,” he

said. “It’s pushing the limits of control, and you never really have

full control over the process.”

Panattoni expressed similar sentiments.

“Dealing with the wind is pretty difficult,” she said, describing

her experience painting the power plant. “It got so windy that I had

to open the hatch of my car to protect my canvas.”

Also participating in this year’s festival are artists Jerry Owens

and Diana LoShiavo, who have taught workshops on plein-air painting.

Famed master painter Milford Zornes also conducted a workshop on the

genre for the exhibit. The three artists will enjoy a special display

at the exhibit showcasing 15 pieces of work.

The rest of the paintings in the exhibition will be offered for

sale, with a portion of the profits going to the art center.

A reception for the exhibition will be held from 6 to 9 p.m.

Saturday at the art center. The exhibit itself will run until Sept.

30. Some of the artwork for the show will be sold at the Brunch for

the Arts fundraiser gala at the Hilton Waterfront Beach Resort Oct.

2.

“This community has such a strong passion for the environment,”

art center Director Kate Hoffman said. “This is a chance to take art

from outside of the art center’s four walls and give it to the

community.”