7th annual Paint the Beach call for artists
Painting in the open air “isn’t for wimps” – but it is fun.
Michele Buelow, co-chair of Paint the Beach Plein Air Festival, has been “plein air” painting for 16 years. Now while up in Michigan, she’s already prepping for the 7th annual Paint the Beach in November. Artist registration began July 15 and runs through September 30.
“I was just painting in Michigan on the beach and we were laughing because it’s windy, I had to hold everything down,” she said.
Plein air painting presents a unique challenge for artists: capturing a scene while exposed to the elements. The light, temperature and weather can change, and change your picture, Buelow said.
The festival will be held Monday, November 7 through the 13 and is open to all artists 18 years old and above.
The Plein Air Festival brings painters, both local and abroad, to the beach to paint its environments, landscapes and cityscapes in the open air. Two divisions divide artists by age, and the competition offers up more than $6,000 in prizes. On November 12, a “quick draw” two-hour contest will include a section for local high school students. The festival culminates in a two-day art sale at Santini Marina Plaza.
Slots are filling up fast: the limit caps at 60 artists in the main competition and 30 in the quick draw.
This is the first year the contest has gotten so many entries so early, Buelow said.
Paint the Beach is adding a new activity this year, a “sundowner.” Artists who enter the sundowner will get to paint the sunset one evening during the competition – a real challenge, considering the swiftness the sun sets.
Registration is $50 for the main competition categories and $20 for the quick draw. Although painters can create as many pieces as they want during the contest, they can only choose two for entry into the art sale. Paintings are judged by a panel, and the first place winner gets $1,000. For more information, visit paintthebeach.com
Revenue from the festival benefits the Fort Myers Beach Arts Association and its programs, including its scholarship fund for local high school students who are studying art in college.
So painters, prep your brushes.
“It’s a real appreciation for the beauty of nature, a challenge with painting, and you have a limited amount of time,” Buelow said.