The Plein Air Artists of Kentucky are more than artists who have work displayed all over the world. They’re “capturers” because they say they use their paintbrushes to capture brief moments in time.
Havana Highlight by Suzanne Enriquez Dougherty
The J’s Patio Gallery will feature the work of over 30 Plein Air Artists July 10-August 23. Using oil paint and pastels, the Plein Air painters gather weekly to paint landscapes and streetscapes in the Kentuckiana region. They do their work outside, portraying scenes in nature and conveying it on canvas.
Founder, Jane Morgan, said she started the group in 1998 because she wanted artists to be able to feel and see the fullness of the nature they paint.
“Painting onsite gives us the opportunity to observe the foreground, middle ground and background,” Morgan said. “To paint “en plein air” means to paint in the open air – something Morgan said is challenging because the forces in nature constantly alter the appearance of the scene. Outside light can change quickly and altering color and altering forms, which evoke responses from the painters.
“The elements change constantly as we are painting; for example, the light, or a shadow cast from a passing cloud, a building or a person, a foggy or cloudy day, a blustery or calm day, people moving and more,” Morgan said.
It’s impossible, she continued, for a Plein Air artist to claim they’re painting “en plein air” without recognizing nature’s transitory objects. A Brief Moment in Time will open at a reception in The J’s Patio Gallery on Sunday, July 10, from 2-4 p.m. Gallery admission is free.