Two dozen artists will spend a week capturing the beauty of Colorado's open space, followed by a weekend exhibit where hundreds of these Colorado landscape masterpieces will go on sale to the public.
This week, the "Capturing the Beauty of Open Land" event will take 24 artists into remote areas of Douglas County to participate in five full days of "plein air" or "open air" painting. Then, on Saturday and Sunday, June 23 and 24, their artistic, nature-inspired creations will be put on display and made available for purchase.
WHEN: Saturday, June 23 -- 10 a.m.–6 p.m. | Sunday, June 24 -- 10 a.m.–4 p.m.
WHERE: White Pavilion, 414 Perry Street, Castle Rock
COST: Free admission
Sponsored by the Douglas Land Conservancy, the annual "Capturing the Beauty of Open Land" event is in its fifth year, with a portion of art sales going toward Douglas Land Conservancy's efforts to protect open space.
This year, the plein air painting will take place at Sandstone Ranch, a 2,000-acre piece of property in Douglas County that has just recently been acquired by the county and is not yet open to the public.
Courtesy of Douglas Land Conservancy
“We created this event to celebrate to natural marrying of the beauty of the land with talented artists,” Patti Hostetler, the Douglas Land Conservancy Executive Director, said. “They will end up producing hundreds of paintings over the course of the week, and these gorgeous pieces truly serve as a reminder of why we live in Colorado.”
Artists who will be participating in the event include Mark Akins, Cliff Austin, Deb Bartos, Susan Bell, Gina Blickenstaff, Carole Buschmann, Karen Button, Harold Deist, Marianna M. Duford, Diane Fechenbach, Loretta Foyle, Sue Fraley, Carol Hein, Buffalo Kaplinski, Susan Larson, Janeice Linden, Rodgers Naylor, Paul Nutting, Nancy Raskin, Jennifer Riefenberg, Terri Sanchez, Karen Storm, Tom Ward, and Sally Ann Wilson.
"Plein air" painting is a branch of impressionistic art where the artist responds to the scene, being careful to incorporate the natural light in their interpretation of it.
Whether you're a nature lover or an art enthusiast (or both!), you're bound to enjoy this oh-so-very "Colorado" exhibit of one-of-a-kind masterpieces. To get just a taste of what the plein air experience behind the art is like, watch this video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=929&v=pPLfTn5zvJM
For more information, visit the event's website.
Are you planning to go? Have you been in the past? We'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments below!!
