Festival
Come and paint outdoors with fellow Plein Air enthusiasts in Madison County, VA on September 10th. This is an unjuried event with painting from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. followed by a wine tasting and artists’ exhibition of the day’s paintings. Last day to register, September 5th, rain date September 17th.
Festival HQ is Possum’s Store Art and Artisan Gallery, a historic building circa 1890, once a general store and post office, and now host to Virginia art and artisans, music events and artist workshops. The store is owned by Charlottesville-based artist, Renee Balfour.
Plein Air Painting Demonstration by
Ingrid Lohr Matuszewski
September 10th from 9:00 AM - 11:00 AM
Check-in at Possum's Store and then enjoy a demonstration by Ingrid before setting off to paint!
Exhibit & Wine Tasting
The day's painting will end at the magnificent DuCard Vineyards where artists can exhibit their work and enjoy a wine tasting. 6:30-8:00 p.m.
Plein Air Painting
Plein Air, “open air” in French, is a form of painting which allows artists to speedily capture outdoor scenes while working a la prima, or “wet on wet.” Plein Air artists quickly paint to capture atmosphere, light, color, and form, usually in one sitting, rather than painstakingly building up layer upon layer over many sessions.
Plein Air painting goes as far back as the Renaissance but became synonymous with the impressionists and such artists as Monet, Carot and Cezanne.
by Ingrid Lohr Matuszewski
Photo by Scott Taki Sidley
Madison County, VA
With a rich history stretching back millennia to its original native American settlers, Madison County, VA is host to many historical sites, museums, and opportunities to explore the past. It is equally rooted in the twenty first century with fine dining, first class accommodation, many wineries and breweries, and cultural opportunities.
The area boasts some of the country’s most stunning natural features as well as picturesque farmlands along scenic byways. It is a sought-after destination for weekends getaways, restaurant sampling, hiking, fly fishing, camping, photography, horseback riding, apple picking, bird watching, wine and beer tasting, antiquing…Name it, and you’ll be sure find it in Madison County!
Nestled in the Piedmont area west of the Blue Ridge Mountains, much of Madison is occupied by public recreational areas such the Shenandoah National Park, Big Meadows, White Oak Canyon with its five major waterfalls, and The Blue Ridge Parkway cresting the Appalachians north to south. Painting opportunities abound. Larger cultivated areas with dairy farms, orchards and field crops stretch for miles interspersed with small towns which offer their own unique charm. The problem is not one of choice, but rather an overabundance of possible Plein Air sites.
Madison County is easily accessible from Charlottesville, VA, (approx. 30 miles), as well as Washington, D.C., and Richmond, VA, lying roughly equidistant between the latter two. All three cities offer easy driving and local airports should you be traveling from further afield.