June 27, 2017

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Insider information about the 2017 line-up

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The Artist's Choice Award

Each Friday evening of Sonoma Plein Air, the participating artists gather to display what they consider their finest painting of the week. Every artist has one vote to cast for the painting they believe is "the best of the best" and that artist wins the Artist's Choice Award. All the paintings are then auctioned at our Gala Dinner which, along with the Saturday Festival, raises significant money to fund art education in Sonoma Valley Public Schools and through community art organizations that reach the youth of Sonoma Valley.

The first Artist's Choice Award went to Sonoma Plein Air Festival founder, Keith Wicks, in 2002. In celebration of our 15th Anniversary, we are hosting a special show and sale for the entire month of August - featuring the current works of past award winners. Have a look at their winning paintings on our website, and come see the show and taste the fine wine at Adastra Wine and Art on the Sonoma Plaza. We are grateful to Adastra for their generous sponsorship of Sonoma Plein Air and look forward to an exceptional exhibition of new work from these acclaimed artists.

In addition to Keith Wicks, we are delighted that the following former Artist's Choice Award winning painters will be participating in the 2017 Sonoma Plein Air Festival.

Eric Bowman - see more at his website.

Robert Sandidge - see more at his website.

Kevin Courter - see more at his website.

Aimee Erickson - see more at her website.

Eric Jacobsen - see more at his website.

Who will win the Artist Choice Award in 2017? Be among the first to find out at the gala dinner at Buena Vista Winery on Friday, September 15. There are still Patron opportunities available and tables are going fast! General admission tickets, if any remain available, will go on sale in July.

The Sonoma Plein Air Foundation is a 501(c)3 organization and 40 percent of each painting's purchase price is a donation to support art education in the community and public schools in Sonoma Valley.

June 7, 2017

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Summer vacation for artists?

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The student art shows have been taken down, and the students are off for summer. Now is when the Sonoma Plein Air Foundation's work really kicks in: we prepare for the 15th Annual Gala and Art Festival. When you join with us, as a patron of the gala or when you purchase a painting at the Festival, you will ensure that the youth of Sonoma Valley have another year of arts education!

Meet three of the new artists who will create beautiful paintings for the Sonoma Plein Air Festival, September 16th in the Plaza

Pati Bruce has always had a passion for drawing and painting and a fascination with color. That passion led her to take drawing and painting classes as a child. By the time she got to college Pati studied Graphic Design and Illustration. Her love of art transitioned into a career as a Free Lance Graphic Designer. It wasn't until after her children were raised that Pati went on to pursue painting in oils and studying under different nationally acclaimed artists.

Pati received a Masters Degree in Psychology and Art Therapy so as to reach out in her community. As a Marriage, Family and Child Therapist she uses art therapy working with children who have chronic illness and emotional disabilities. She says, “As an artist and psychotherapist, painting has led me to understand that when I engage in the process of making art, I always discover new possibilities for growth and self awareness.”

Pati is a founding member of the Pasadena Art Colony, and this is her first appearance at Sonoma Plein Air. Be sure to give her a warm welcome - and until then, see her work on her website.

Danny Griego has expressed himself artistically in many ways - as a child he had the "art bug" - and as an adult, he worked about 23 years in the world of theater as a scenic artist, including The Old Globe Theater in San Diego, CA, where he painted and sculpted scenery for the stage and planned and executed large canvas drops as background elements for musicals, comedies and dramas, many of which eventually premiered on Broadway.

In adult life he got the "home brewing bug," and was an award winning home brewer and seriously contemplated a career in brewing. But his calling to art was a force to be reckoned with so he balanced working at the theater, brewing beer and going to art classes.

Something had to give, so he retired from theater in 2004 and became a contractor, which gave him more time to pursue art. He eventually sold his brewing equipment (though he still enjoys a good craft beer) and continued art classes and workshops. Danny has participated in several plein air festivals, and we are excited to welcome him to Sonoma Plein Air. Visit his website to see more of his work.

Anette Power credits her mom (who also paints) and growing up on an island off the Swedish coast for providing a childhood full of creative exploration and a love for the outdoors.

After more than a decade of fine-tuning her sense of light, color and setting a mood, working as a background painter for studios like Disney, Warner Bros., Cartoon Network and Universal, Anette now dedicates her time to painting in oils.

“I find myself drawn to subject matters with light and color that celebrate life's moments,” says Anette. "I enjoy painting on location immersing myself and capturing a sense of our personal place in history. Nothing compares to plein air painting when it comes to taming that panic of capturing a fleeting moment - and staying absolutely present at the same time. It is always a challenge, and a true gift to me as an artist."

Visit Anette's website to see more of her work, and be sure to welcome her at her first appearance at the Festival.

Patron Tickets and Sponsorship Opportunities are available on our website.

Would you like to be a volunteer for Sonoma Plein Air?
Let us know what you are interested in !

May 18, 2017

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More colorful than ever - open to see what we mean!

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Color may be the first thing you notice when you look at a painting, and one of the first things an artist sees when deciding what to paint.

Drying Time, by Tara Will. See more on her website, and Instagram.

Artist Tara Will, who joins Sonoma Plein Air for the first time in 2017, says "Plein Air painting offers a limitless studio with ever changing subjects that catch light and shadow and reflect color in a way that provides constant inspiration. From an unnoticed alley, to a beautiful farm scene, to laundry drying on the line, finding these little gems in time is one of my favorite parts of plein air painting."

Sonoma Valley second graders at Flowery School recently learned about artist Wassily Kandinsky, and how different colors affect emotions. They learned about primary colors - red, yellow and blue - and mixed them into secondary colors - orange, green and purple. The children experimented with the warm colors of red, yellow and orange - usually considered lively colors - and the cool colors of green, blue and purple - thought of as more peaceful and subdued.

Classroom instruction in art could not, and would not happen in Sonoma Valley public schools without the generosity of patrons who support art education, and the art buyers and artists of the Sonoma Plein Air Festival - where 40% of the purchase price of every painting is a direct donation to fund art in education.

This is color of money:

Precisely $1,163,848 has been raised by Sonoma Plein Air Foundation for children's art education in the Sonoma Valley. In our 15th anniversary year, we hope you will join us - as a patron, sponsor, festival-goer and/or volunteer - and together we will go "bigger than ever" for the benefit of the kids.

Thanks for reading, and have a color-filled day!

Patron Tickets and Sponsorship Opportunities are available on our website.

Would you like to be a volunteer for Sonoma Plein Air?
Let us know what you are interested in !

May 11, 2017

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Bigger than ever for the benefit of the kids

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From September 11 - 15, noted plein air artists from across the country will be painting on location in Sonoma - in town, in the vineyards, out on the coast and into Marin, Napa and San Francisco. You may see them along the road, working away to create beautiful paintings to sell on Saturday, September 16 at the Sonoma Plein Air Festival - all for the benefit of children's art education programs in Sonoma Valley.

Have you ever wondered about the artist's experience when they are painting outdoors? We asked our 2017 artists to share anecdotes so we can all understand the process and the adventures of working "en plein air."

Big River, by Clark Mitchell

Clark Mitchell, who returns to Sonoma Plein Air for our 15th anniversary festival, shared a recent plein air experience.

"This past April, I was invited to paint in the Kern County Plein Air Painting Festival, based in Bakersfield. This being the third year I’ve participated, I was looking for something a bit different, and had the goal of finding a site that would give me a view out over this rich agricultural valley and its patchwork of fields brimming with an amazing variety of crops. Aha! I remembered some intriguing views from a fruit stand/truck stop/tourist destination, Murray Family Farms, on Highway 58 just before heading up into the mountains towards Tehachapi.

I wandered all around the property to find the best views possible while being out of the way of autos and tourists. I’m just as apprehensive of being told to leave from public property as private.

I found a great vista from the fence line tucked back by a row of palm trees. I had my preparatory sketch done and was just beginning on my underpainting (I work in pastels and use isopropyl alcohol to set this first layer of color.) Oh, no. Here comes an employee, a fellow in uniform who was cleaning up the area. Is he going to tell me I have to leave? No. He was just curious what I was doing. We talked a little about the scene I was painting and I mentioned that I was afraid the color I had going for the valley haze was too green and looked more like a dust storm. I told him he’d better come back in an hour.

Later another employee got out of her car, apparently going home after her shift, and admired my painting. Yes, I could put some more snow on the mountaintops. Just what I wanted to do!

The first visitor came back as I was putting things away and said how I had very accurately captured the valley atmosphere. And one trucker’s lady gave me a thumbs-up and they drove by.

My concerns about being evicted from the parking lot were unfounded. Everyone was a friendly as could be and interested in what I was doing."

Clark Mitchell will be selling his work at the Sonoma Plein Air Festival on September 16, where 40% of the painting sale prices are your direct, tax-deductible donation to the Sonoma Plein Air Foundation. Until then, please preview his work on his website and follow him on Facebook and Twitter.

Would you like to be a volunteer for Sonoma Plein Air?
Let us know what you are interested in !

Patron Tickets and Sponsorship Opportunities are available on our website.

April 20, 2017

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Announcing the details and artists for Sonoma Plein Air 2017

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Over the past 15 years, the Sonoma Plein Air Festival has become one of the nation's leading plein air art events, attracting artists and art lovers from across the country to our small city. The proceeds from painting sales go directly to support art education in public schools. Perhaps more than ever, those of us who value art education are coming together to support the arts - we hope you'll join us!

In 2017 we're going bigger than ever!

We are looking at more pre-event opportunities to show the varied work of our talented artists - including large studio pieces, and small plein air sketches.

Many new artists join long-time favorites

See the 2017 juried artists and their work on our new website.

A new gala event in Sonoma

We are celebrating our 15th anniversary gala at Buena Vista Winery.

Thanks to our founders, Keith Wicks and Judy Vadasz, loyal patrons, artists and art buyers, we are able to fund the vast majority of art education programs in every Sonoma Valley public school, as well as art programs in several community organizations. Here's a listing of our current grant projects.

Please mark your calendars join us this September for Plein Air Week - the calendar of events will be updated on our website throughout the next several months.

Thanks for reading, and we look forward to staying connected with you throughout the year!

Sincerely,
The Sonoma Plein Air Foundation Board of Directors

Sebastiani Theatre, by Keith Wicks, winner of the 2002 Artists Choice Award. You can see other winners here.

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September 8, 2016

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Art Show & Sale 10 am-4 pm on Sonoma Plaza

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The big reveal is two days away - Saturday, September 10th

The Sonoma Plein Air artists checked in on Monday - new names, long-time favorites, and others who re-join us after a hiatus. The have been painting up a storm all over - and you can see lots of great photos of the artists in action on Facebook and Instagram. Here is a peek at the week's events so far:

Adastra Wine Tasting Room on East Napa Street across from the Plaza is our indoor home away from home - the artists checked in Monday morning and left to paint in Sonoma, Napa, Marin and San Francisco.

Artists brought studio pieces which are on display at Adastra Wine Tasting Room through Friday afternoon. Within two hours of hanging the show, the first painting, "Tadich Grill," a 36" x 48" oil by Dennis Ziemienski sold right out of the front window - 40% of the proceeds went right into the Sonoma Plein Air Foundation - a healthy start to this year's fund for youth art education.

Artists and the generous families that host them for Plein Air Week were invited to a welcome reception at a beautiful home in the hills above Sonoma on Monday evening.

Not letting a moment of painting time go to waste, artist Mark Farina set up his easel and palette to capture the early evening sun lowering through the trees.

Every morning, artists planned their days. On Monday several artists stayed in the Sonoma Valley, while on Tuesday there was a lot of painting activity on the coast before many of the artists returned to participate in the Quick Draw event in Sonoma Plaza.

Artist Debra Huse found the ambiance of the Farmer's Market at Tuesday's Quick Draw event - where artists have 90 minutes to plan, complete and frame a painting for immediate showing. Many paintings sold on the spot, the others are on display at Adastra through Friday and will be at the festival on Saturday.

Thursday, many of the artists gathered for a lunch hosted by the Sonoma Plein Air Foundation at the peaceful K2 Ranch in Glen Ellen. Some stayed to paint - others ventured off to new locations at wineries, farms and private ranches.

Friday night is the annual Patron's Gala where each artist brings what they deem their best painting of the week to be voted on by their peers. The Artist's Choice winner will be revealed, and the entire lot of paintings will be sold at silent auction. (Sorry, there are no more tickets for this year's event!)

We hope to see you at the Sonoma Plaza on Saturday, where you can see the week's work of our talented painters and bring home a painting to add to your collection! Remember - 40% of the purchase price of each painting is a tax deductible donation to the Sonoma Plein Air Foundation, and directly funds youth art education!

Thank you,
The Board of Directors and Volunteers of Sonoma Plein Air 2016

Forward this to a Friend and Invite them to join you Saturday!

August 30, 2016

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You will want to read this...

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He started it. And now, look what's happened.

Fourteen years. About a hundred artists. Thousands of art lovers. Over one million dollars raised. Tens of thousands of school-age youth in the Sonoma Valley have received art education. All because artist Keith Wicks had a hope that all kids would have a chance to participate in art - and that after years of school budget cuts, art would become part of every kid's school education.

On Saturday, September 10th, when you come to the Sonoma Plein Air Festival on the Plaza - please stop by and see Keith's work, and join us in saying thanks for the inspiration. And remember, the Sonoma Plein Air Foundation's work is not done: a full 40% of the sale price of any painting you purchase is a direct donation to support art education in public schools and youth-serving arts organization in Sonoma Valley!

Keith Wicks paints with a sensitive and realistic style that emanates luminosity, capturing that precise instant when the viewer beholds a thing of beauty for the first time. He learned to paint in oils at age 11. After graduating from the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, Keith continued his fine art career with exhibitions and sales and kept his day job working in the multi-media field with notable firms, such as Industrial Light and Magic. Keith went on to open his own gallery and start Sonoma Plein Air Foundation.

Keith Wicks is a Signature Member of the California Art Club and exhibits his work in galleries and museums around the country. He loves to travel the world gathering inspiration for his next paintings, and continues to inspire future generation of painters by teaching at the Academy of Art University in San Francisco. See more work on his website, and at the festival.

CLICK FOR SLIDESHOW OF PAINTINGS BY FESTIVAL ARTISTS

August 14, 2016

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Open this email now for time-sensitive pre-Festival news!

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Since March, we've been introducing you to many of the artists of Sonoma Plein Air 2016 in this newsletter. If you've missed any of the newsletters, you can find them here. The artists arrive in just three weeks to capture the beauty of Sonoma, Marin, Napa and San Francisco! We hope you will join us to see their work at the Festival on the Plaza, on Saturday, September 10. Here are four more artists you'll want to know about:

George Handrahan has been painting landscapes for more than forty years, and his work is in museum, corporate and private collections in Utah, California, New England, and the Southwest. A veteran of Sonoma Plein Air, his primary objectives are to capture those instants in nature where form, color and light are constantly changing, while simultaneously instilling into each canvas a personal and emotional response. His paintings invite the viewer to see, in a unique way, color they might otherwise have missed, to sense a mood frequently ignored, and to share in the beauty of a transient time and place.

Raised in rural Utah, he came to love and appreciate the diverse natural landscape surrounding him, taking every opportunity to spend time out of doors. As a student, George learned to appreciate many forms of art but gravitated towards the work of California and American Regionalist artists, admiring their ability to subtly portray the essence of light, color, form, and mood. You can see more of his work on his website.

Randall Stauss started painting at an early age, taking painting lessons at the Portland (Oregon) Art Museum. The weekly trips to the museum with its huge rooms, long marble steps, and stunning works of master painters, made a strong and enduring impression on the young artist.

He attended Oregon State University and the University of Oregon, then moved to Lake Tahoe in 1980, where he began to paint seriously, focusing on watercolors. He supported himself hand lettering custom boat names.

During the 1990s, Stauss became fascinated with oil painting, pursuing the same themes as his watercolor work - primarily landscapes. He and his wife Edith now spend half the year in Marin County and the summer months on Lake Tahoe's North Shore. His website highlights landscapes from some of his favorite painting locations. We look forward to seeing his new work created in September, exclusively for the Sonoma Plein Air Festival.

Mark Farina started his college career in Florida on a partial golf scholarship, but only played for one year. He became interested in art and it became his main interest for the remainder of his college education. After graduating from college he made a livelihood in both golf and commercial art. He moved to the Monterey Peninsula in the early 1980’s and free-lanced as a graphic designer and illustrator. Inspired by the spectacular scenery of the Monterey Peninsula, Mark started painting en plein air and it became a passion. He has been a favorite at Sonoma Plein Air for many years, and also participates in other festivals, including Carmel Art Festival, Telluride Plein Air, Richmond Plein Air and En Plein Air Texas.

Fine art painting is now Mark's full time vocation, and in addition to landscape, he also paints still-life, architecture and figures, in both watercolors and oils. Have a look at his website. His paintings have been juried into many national shows and have awards across the country, including Oil Painters of America, California Art Club, Hudson Valley Art Association, Butler Institute of American Art, American Impressionist Society, Watercolor West, and the California Watercolor Society.

David Savellano works primarily en plein air, creating watercolor paintings that capture random moments—on the street, in nature, and wherever else his portable easel takes him. A native Californian, he lives in the Bay Area, which is reflected in the sun-dappled streets and waterfront imagery that dominate his work. Although largely self-taught as a watercolor painter, David credits his 30 years as a practicing architect with giving him the drawing skills and strong sense of perspective that have elevated his artwork to a professional level.

Painting outdoors, especially in the urban settings he favors, requires adaptability and above all speed. Usually the elements are a factor, like the changing light and the most alluring subjects/scenarios are often fleeting or temporary at best. David seeks to create the feeling and energy of spontaneous work. He gets completely immersed in the scene—the atmosphere, the mood, feeling the subject and actually capturing its essence. When he looks at one of his paintings, he can feel the energy of that place or scene like he was there yesterday. Ultimately, that’s the feeling he is trying to induce in the viewers of his work. See more on his website and be sure to stop by and see him at the Festival.

SPECIAL FRAME OFFER for ARTISTS and
SONOMA PLEIN AIR COLLECTORS

Randy Higbee Gallery, frame supplier to many of our artists will be at the Festival with a van full of frames at sale prices to artists and collectors! This is a great opportunity to refresh the look of your favorite paintings, watercolors or pastels. Visit his website to see the full collection, call to pre-order at 10% OFF the already low-listed prices and be sure to mention Sonoma Plein Air to get your discount! Pick up your frames at Sonoma Plaza on Saturday while you enjoy the new art at the Festival.

PLEIN AIR PREVIEW and EXHIBITION IN PETALUMA

August 10, 2016

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You still have time to RSVP

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CLICK TO GET YOUR GALA TICKETS TODAY!

The deadline to RSVP and purchase your tickets to the 2016 Sonoma Plein Air Gala is fast approaching - and we hope you'll join the pARTy!

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 9
5:30 pm cocktails, Live Music, Hors d'oeuvres
Silent Auction of Paintings
7:00 pm Dinner & Brief Live auction

The Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn
Sonoma, California

Please join us for for an intimate evening with cocktails, wine and elegant three-course dinner served in the tent at Sonoma Mission Inn. Meet and mingle with fellow art lovers, the Plein Air artists and their favorite paintings. This is a great opportunity to collect beautiful art from 37 nationally-known, award-winning artists who will spend the week of September 5 painting outdoors in Sonoma, Marin, Napa and San Francisco - each bringing their favorite work to the gala for a silent auction. A full 40% of the purchase price of each painting is a tax-deductible donation to the Sonoma Plein Air Foundation, the non-profit that provides the major funding for public school art education for the children in Sonoma Valley.

GET YOUR GALA TICKETS TODAY!

Even if you can't make the gala this year, please join us in the Sonoma Plaza for the free, public events!

www.facebook.com/sonomapleinair

@sonomapleinair

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July 30,2016

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It's just six weeks away...

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You won't want to miss these six artists!

Hui Lai Chong

Hiu Lai Chong comes to Sonoma Plein Air from Washington, D.C. As an artist, she focuses on landscape, portrait and figure painting, enjoying the beauty that all of nature offers. She loves painting from life and enjoys using vivid colors and sensitive brush strokes to express mood and feeling in her work.

She received her early art training in Hong Kong and her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago with the Fellowship Award.

Hiu Lai is an artist member of the California Arts Club, Laguna Plein Air Painter Association, member of the Oil Painters of America, the Salmagundi Club, Portrait Society of America, Signature Member of the American Society of Marine Artists and Mid-Atlantic Plein Air Painter Association, and member of the Washington Society of Landscape Painters. Her paintings have won awards and been shown in museums around the country. Fine Art Connoisseur magazine named Hiu Lai as one of Three Artists to Watch, and she was featured in Plein Air magazine. She has won numerous awards, including the Grand Prize and Artist's Choice Award at Plein Air Easton, Maryland, the First Place award in the Southwest Art Magazine’s Artistic Excellence Art Competition and Best in Show in Maui Plein Air Invitational. We're excited to see her work this year at the Sonoma Plein Air Festival!

Anton Pavlenko

Anton Pavlenko says: “For me, a good landscape painting is always born outdoors – out there in the elements. I focus less on capturing a visual snapshot and more on a dynamic observation which employs all my senses. When I paint alone, I like to press into the silence and begin to wake up to what’s actually in front of me. That’s when I can really begin feel the landscape with my brush.”

Anton taught himself to paint by creating copies of paintings by masters. Years later, an admirer who visited Anton’s studio offered to trade a plein air easel for one of his paintings. That easel took Anton outdoors and revealed to him a love and passion for travel and painting on location.

Since then, Anton’s travels have taken him across the world. His work has appeared in artist magazines and publications including a feature in Southwest Art Magazine as an “Artist to Watch.” Anton’s work has won numerous top awards and has been included in prestigious shows, galleries and museums across the country, and we are delighted to welcome him back to Sonoma.

Carolyn Lord

Southern California native, Carolyn Lord was introduced to the "California Regionalist Watercolor" tradition by James Green in the mid 1970's while attending Principia College, in Elsah, Illinois. Two months after college graduation, she had her first solo show at the Maybeck Gallery, Elsah Illinois. The following month, she began exhibiting in Carmel, California, and her career continued to build with gallery associations, watercolor societies and museum exhibitions.

Carolyn's early career capitalized on watercolor's portability, with road trips in California, Oregon, Nevada, Utah, and Colorado as well as international trips to Brasil, Denmark, England, Italy, US and British Virgin Islands, Mexico, and French Polynesia. Her mid-career work is focused on her home state of California, with its landscape, architecture and gardens. She has participated in plein air events in Carmel, Laguna Beach, Torrey Pines, San Luis Obispo, and Paso Robles. This year marks her first time at Sonoma Plein Air Festival.

Paul Youngman

Born in 1941 and raised in Wisconsin, Paul Youngman studied Fine Art and Graphic Art at the University of California Los Angeles, and became an architectural and freelance illustrator. After 20 years in commercial art, he chose to expand upon his natural ability as a painter.

Relocating to the Napa Valley in 1994, Paul found it to be the ideal place to paint, and he has become one of the area's most popular painters of California Wine Country - and a longtime participant in the Sonoma Plein Air Festival.

Paul's paintings have the essence of the early California Plein Air artist's view of color and changing light, but with a contemporary sophistication. Through numerous one-man shows and juried exhibits, his paintings have been featured in films and are included in serious corporate and private collections. He is a member of the California Art Club and Signature Member of the Oil Painters of America. He has been featured in Art of the West, Southwest Art magazines, as well as Art Talk, and the coffee table book, Art of the American West.

Meridee Mandio

This story, "By Land and Sea" by Bonnie Gangelhoff, was featured in the June 2016 issue of Southwest Art magazine.

Long before she even understood the idea of a career in fine art, Meridee Mandio had a pencil, pastel, or crayon in her tiny hand. As a child, Mandio says, she drew and painted out of sheer delight. And while growing up in Pennsylvania, she was fortunate enough to have an endless supply of paper: Her grand-father worked in a nearby paper mill and regularly brought her rolls of butcher-block paper. “When it came time to pick a career, it was always art,” Mandio says.

Mandio went on to earn a fine-arts degree at the Philadelphia College of Art (now called University of the Arts). Over the years the artist has lived in cities across the country, but today she is fond of saying that she has two spiritual homes, Santa Fe and Los Angeles. Peruse her body of impressionistic paintings, and it’s easy to see the visual evidence of this. In California she often captures the blues and greens of the 240-mile ribbon of seacoast that stretches from Santa Barbara northward to Monterey. From her home in landlocked Santa Fe, by contrast, she depicts the earthy colors of dry terrain or dramatic skies. “New Mexico is just so paintable,” Mandio says. “I’ve never seen skies and clouds like New Mexico’s. In the summer they begin peeking over the hills in the morning, and by afternoon there are great armies marching across the sky, sometimes growing into enormous thunderheads. Then by first light they have all disappeared.”

Although she paints still lifes and figures as well, she finds painting landscapes to be a magical experience. Like the many plein-air painters who have gone before her, Mandio relishes immersing herself in the natural world, experiencing the smells, sounds, heat, wind, and rain on location.

At times she may turn to the early California plein-air painters for inspiration, as well as to one of the great visual interpreters of the Southwest, Maynard Dixon. “I’m trying to capture the beauty and wonder of the world we live in, and if I can convey some of that in paint to others, that would feel like a successful painting,” she says.

Be sure to visit Meridee Mandio at Sonoma Plein Air in September.

Stuart Fullerton

Stuart Fullerton didn't go to art school - he studied ancient Greek and Latin at Harvard College. After a year studying archeology in Greece and Turkey, he returned to Harvard for law school. He works as a federal prosecutor in Chicago. His varied interests bring a unique perspective - as evidenced by this statement:

"When I approach a subject in art, I desire to make a statement that reflects the best of both myself and the subject. We all have blemishes; this world is full of imperfection and ugliness. But I don’t want to hold the imperfections of a subject against it. I’m looking for something in a portrait or a landscape by which I can make a larger statement, something more important than exactitude. Certain subjects cast me in mind of stories, or settings, or moods. It’s hard to pin down. But I’m at my most creative—I respond best to the subject—when I can capture that elusive something that goes beyond the actual thing or person that is in front of me."

Stuart began learning to draw and paint later in life, and is a long-time member of the Palette and Chisel Club and of the Plein Air Painters of Chicago. He has been accepted into juried shows such as the Oil Painters of America National Exhibition, Salon International, the American Impressionist Society National Show. He has participated in plein air festivals in Carmel, Telluride and Door County. This is his first time at Sonoma Plein Air Festival.

Mark your calendars and meet us at the historic Sonoma Plaza for a fantastic art show and sale on Saturday, September 10th - from 10 am - 4 pm.

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July 10, 2016

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Go behind the scenes with three artists

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Get to know these 2016 Sonoma Plein Air Artists:
Philippe Gandiol, Niles Nordquist and Dennis Ziemiemski

Making his sixth appearance at Sonoma Plein Air is Philippe Gandiol, an award winning Northern California painter who was born and raised in France and moved to California in his early 20’s. Philippe pursued an independent program of study taking classes in France, San Francisco and Sacramento and with several renowned West Coast painters and has painted with oils for over 25 years. Philippe likes to paint a variety of subjects like landscapes, cityscapes, still life and figures “en plein air” or in the studio. He works as much as possible from life, believing that only in life can he find the full range of light and color he wants in his paintings and the spirit of his subject matter. We are thrilled he's back with us in Sonoma this year. Follow him on Facebook and visit his website to see more of his work.

Drawing onlookers while painting en plein air happens frequently for Niles Nordquist - he's been a favorite at Sonoma Plein Air since his first appearance in 2004. A California native, Niles Nordquist is equally at home painting the beauty of the coast, the majesty of the mountains or the solitude of the deserts and backcountry. His love for the natural landscape stems from an early childhood lived on the Oregon coast, and summers spent at his parents’ home place in Montana. Niles makes his home in Star, Idaho. This summer, he will be painting in the national show of the Rocky Mountain Plein Air Painters in Jackson, Wyoming, before making his way to paint the Sonoma landscape. Until then, visit his website and find him on Facebook.

Dennis Ziemienski, with his artist wife, Anne, have supported Sonoma Plein Air from the beginning - and for good reason. They live and work in Sonoma Valley, and their daughter attended the public schools which benefit from the funds the festival raise. Dennis is an internationally known painter, illustrator and designer. His paintings have been in numerous one man and group exhibitions and have won many awards. Most recently, his artistic pursuits brought him to explore and paint the National Parks of the United States for the 100-year anniversary of the National Park Service. The stunning beauty, history and wildlife provides an unlimited source of inspiration and subject matter for his paintings, which are inspired by early 20th century travel posters. Get a sneak preview of the National Park Series on Facebook, and see more of his work on his website.

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It's time to mark your calendar for the 2016 Sonoma Plein Air Festival

Monday, September 5: The artists arrive and begin 5 days of painting all across Sonoma County - and into the surrounding areas -
including Napa, Marin and San Francisco

Tuesday, September 6: The artists assemble at the Sonoma Plaza for a "Quick Draw" and compose and complete a painting in a limited time frame.
See one you like? Purchase it on the spot!

Friday, September 9: A gala dinner event for patrons and art collectors.

Saturday, September 10: Art Show and Sale on the Plaza

The Sonoma Plein Air Foundation is a 501(c)3 organization and 40 percent of each painting's purchase price is a donation to support art education in the community and public schools in Sonoma Valley.

June 20, 2017

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From graphic design and photography to plein air...

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It's never too late to become a painter

Did you know that several Sonoma Plein Air artists came to painting (or came back to it) after a career doing something else? The work of these three artists resonates with collectors -- not only for visual sophistication -- but because it is grounded in life experience. We invite you to learn more about these multi-talented artists of Sonoma Plein Air 2016: Timothy Horn, Lon Brauer and Richard Lindenberg.

Timothy Horn graduated from the Cooper Union School of Art in New York City in 1984, and worked at several graphic design firms in New York and San Francisco. He took his first painting class in 1998 and knew he had found his calling. He began painting more and more, and doing less and less graphic design until the fall of 2006 when he closed his design business entirely.

He now paints full-time and lives in the small California town of Fairfax, where he is drawn to the everyday scenes of the rural areas in Marin and Sonoma Counties -- the old buildings that have evaded development, the workings of ranch life, the old cars and trucks that continue on, or sometimes simply the play of light and shadow across planes of weathered color.

His work has won numerous awards, has been featured in several magazines, and was on the cover of Southwest Art in 2012. We are excited to welcome him back to Sonoma Plein Air after a few years away. Have a look at his Facebook page and website to see what he's doing now!

Lon Brauer came out of Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri in 1980, with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree as a painter and had plans to make it as a painter. While scrambling for work he found a position with a major photography studio and ultimately turned that into a career.

When the photography industry went "digital" and the needs of clients changed drastically, Lon decided to pull out the paints, relearn the vocabulary of painting, and transition his career to the fine arts.

Lon’s paintings have been exhibited in numerous galleries throughout the country and with top end art fairs where he has garnered numerous prestigious awards. He lives and work in Granite City, Illinois - just across the river from St. Louis, where he teaches drawing and painting and still takes on the photography assignments that come his way. Follow him on Facebook and see more on his website.

After attending Brooks Institute in Santa Barbara, California, Richard Lindenberg's chosen creative medium for thirty years was landscape photography -- using primarily black and white images and the magic of polaroid transfers on watercolor paper.

Most of his adult career was spent as an entrepreneur importer and graphic designer. He became involved in the business side of the art industry as the product manager for the exclusive importer of fine art materials from France and his eyes were opened to the Impressionist era and to art materials in general. He later became part of Plein Air Magazine as their Marketing Manager for Vendors/Suppliers.

In 2001, after taking a painting class in soft pastels to enhance his polaroid transfers, Richard was swept away by the possibility of actually being able to paint. After years of painting landscapes in pastel, his passion now is painting the landscape en plein air exclusively with oils. We are pleased to welcome him back to Sonoma Plein Air. Follow him on Facebook and see his latest work on his website.

The 2016 Sonoma Plein Air Festival Artists

Eric Bowman, Lon Brauer, Hiu Lai Chong, Dick Cole, Kevin Courter, Mark Farina, Stuart Fullerton, Philippe Gandiol, George Handrahan, Timothy Horn, Tom Hughes, Debra Huse, Eric Jacobsen, Chuck Kovacic, Mike Kowalski, Paul Kratter, Greg LaRock, Richard Lindenberg, Sergio Lopez, Carolyn Lord, Nancy MacDonald, Meridee Mandio, Wayne McKenzie, Niles Nordquist, Anton Pavlenko, Robin Purcell, Robert Sandidge, Patrick Saunders, David Savellano, Greg Scheibel, Brian Sindler, Randall Stauss, Robert Stelle, Kim VanDerHoek, Keith Wicks, Jim Wodark, Paul Youngman, Dennis Ziemienski

The Sonoma Plein Air Foundation is a 501(c)3 organization and 40 percent of each painting's purchase price is a donation to support art education in the community and public schools in Sonoma Valley.

June 17, 2016

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It will be a sellout, so RSVP now if you haven't already!

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Dear Sonoma Neighbors, Friends and Art Lovers,

While our gala fundraising event is not until September 9, we know the tickets and tables will sell out quickly so please read the message below. If you haven't already, we'd like you to consider becoming a 2016 Sonoma Plein Air Patron. By becoming a Patron you join a notable group of loyal donors who share a passion for art education and engaging students in art experiences during their school years in Sonoma Valley.

As you may know, Sonoma Plein Air Foundation has now donated over $1,000,000 to fund art education for Sonoma Valley youth. We raise all our funds through private donations and the sale of fantastic art during the week-long Sonoma Plein Air Festival, which will be held September 5-10, 2016.

Art leaves no child behind in Sonoma! Children exposed to art education receive better grades and stay in school longer. With your financial support, our students are better prepared for the world they face, and this strengthens our community.

The Sonoma Plein Air Foundation is now in our 14th year - children who were 2nd graders when we started are now graduating college! It is more vital than ever to engage more art enthusiasts, parents and art education supporters to join our mission to support art education in Sonoma Valley schools and the community.

As you are able, we invite you to become a Patron of the festival now and have a guaranteed place at this year's gala event. Any remaining tickets will be offered for sale in July - if you would like to receive an invitation to purchase these individual tickets to the gala, please click here. Thank you for your consideration, and we hope to see you at the Gala and Plein Air Festival Week activities!

Sincerely,

Keith Wicks, Founder/Artist
Judy Vadasz, Founder
& The Sonoma Plein Air Foundation Board
Cathy Good, President
Gerry Brinton, Treasurer
Mandy Bolling, Secretary
Louann Carlomagno
Lisa Conner
Susan Cook
Ellen Hoover
Polly Hultquist
Dorinda Parker
Nancy Pollock
Anne Ziemienski

Sonoma Plein Air 2016 Gala

Friday, September 9

The Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn & Spa

If you haven't already done so, please

Click here to become a Patron of the Festival
$10,000 Sponsor includes 10 Gala tickets
$5,000 Benefactor includes 8 Gala tickets
$2,500 Connoisseur includes 4 Gala tickets
$1,500 Enthusiast includes 2 Gala tickets
$ 500 Supporter includes 1 Gala ticket

All Patron Level Sponsors received by June 30th will be listed in the Gala Program and Invitation.

June 5, 2016

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Scholarship winners and artists celebrate summer

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School's out for summer - and the Sonoma Plein Air Festival kicks off in three months!

2016 Sonoma Plein Air Artist Tom Hughes has been teaching and painting in France for the past few weeks. Here's a quick plein air sketch of his students - "Sketchers at Lavardin." Catching the immediate impression of the scene is one of the things that artists and spectators love about the Sonoma Plein Air Quick Draw event. This year, the event is Tuesday, September 6 during the Sonoma Plaza Farmer's Market.

Tom is a self-taught painter and has been a professional artist for 20 years. He paints figures, portraits and landscapes in various media: oil, acrylic, watercolor and alkyd. His work has been featured in American Artist Watercolor magazine and Fine Art Connoisseur. See more on his website.

Wayne McKenzie paints with a laid back confidence employing loose brushwork and bold use of color. Fresh off the Carmel Art Festival, Wayne is painting at favorite locales from Colorado to Lake Tahoe this summer, before arriving in Sonoma for a return visit to the festival in September. Follow his adventures on Facebook and see more work on his website.

Last year, Wayne was among the Sonoma Plein Air Festival artists who ventured beyond the county to capture images of San Francisco and Marin. Look for more artists to expand their geography at this year's festival - and find a wonderful new painting to take home from the Art Show and Sale on the historic Sonoma Plaza, Saturday, September 10.

In addition to running a successful gallery in Newport Beach, California, Debra Huse is a popular teaching and traveling painter with a large following. She was featured in Plein Air Magazine last year, and has spent the first half of this year teaching workshops and painting in Maui, Kern County and the Forgotten Coast Plein Air Invitational Events. She will be at Plein Air Easton before making a return visit to Sonoma Plein Air. Debra's work can be seen on her website, and she's active on social media - find her on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

The Sonoma Plein Air Festival is very active on social media this year. For a regular dose of beautiful images from our artists, such as this beauty from Paul Kratter, you can follow our feed @sonomapleinair on Instagram . New to Instagram? You can download the easy-to-use app for your smartphone and look at the beautiful art of our artists anytime.

P.S. The artists love seeing the feedback (hearts and comments) on their work!

The Sonoma Plein Air Foundation exists to support art education!

Sonoma Plein Air Foundation Board Members Gerry Brinton and Susan Cook awarded the 2016 Lewis E. Cook III Scholarship to Sonoma Valley High School graduating seniors Lucy Haughton and Kaylin Riebli last week. Each woman received $1000 towards their college education. For more information on the scholarship and how you can help, please visit our website.

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May 20, 2016

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This is huge news for art education

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Thanks to art lovers like you!

In 2002, local artist Keith Wicks and community volunteer Judy Vadasz founded the Sonoma Plein Air Foundation to address the lack of public school funding in the visual arts. Fourteen years later, Sonoma Plein Air has funded $1,003,820 million to public schools and non-profit arts organizations that serve the Sonoma Valley. These funds come from patrons, sponsors, donors and directly from the sale of paintings from nationally-known artists like the three profiled here.

Follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter for more beautiful images of plein air art from the Sonoma Plein Air artists of 2016!

Robin Purcell started painting in the Sonoma Plein Air Festival in 2007, the same year she (and her daughter) both started classes at Sonoma State. Her daughter was convinced Robin was there to be a helicopter parent, but Robin had plenty to keep her busy! Nothing has got in the way of her creating a signature style in watercolor which is a favorite with art lovers at Sonoma every year - except 2011 - which conflicted with her daughter's graduation! See her in September and until then, follow her on Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter and her website.

Mike Kowalski wins the award for traveling the farthest distance to paint in this year's Sonoma Plein Air Festival - from Melbourne, Australia. Mike participated in the festival in 2010, when he lived in the U.S. He now schedules his travel time to participate in U.S. shows, plein air festivals, workshops and visiting with his kids. It's not easy for him to fit in painting at all his favorite places - the Southwest, Pacific Northwest, California coast and mountains - but we are delighted he'll be with us in Sonoma! Until then, have a look at his wonderful watercolor and oil paintings on his website.

Robert Sandidge tells us that Sonoma Plein Air is by far his favorite plein air event - and he has been with us since the inception. The winner of the 2009 Artist Choice award credits founder Keith Wicks with putting together a fun-filled week of painting opportunities with a group of great artists. Robert and his wife, Jackie, are living their dream of an "artful lifestyle" in California's Gold Rush country where he can paint plein air and in the studio. They live in a 160 year-old stone building near Placerville which also houses their art gallery. Visit his website now and be sure to come see his work in person at this year's festival.

Save the Dates! 2016 Sonoma Plein Air Festival

Monday, September 5: The artists arrive and begin 5 days of painting all across Sonoma County - and into the surrounding areas -
including Napa, Marin and San Francisco

Tuesday, September 6: The artists assemble at the Sonoma Plaza for a "Quick Draw" and compose and complete a painting in a limited time frame.
See one you like? Purchase it on the spot!

Friday, September 9: A gala dinner event for patrons and art collectors. Would you like to receive an invitation? Let us know through this link.

Saturday, September 10: Art Show and Sale on the Plaza

May 6, 2016

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Here's a beautiful tax deduction.

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When you buy a painting at the Sonoma Plein Air Festival, you are supporting the future of art.

Did you know 40 percent of the purchase price is a donation to provide art education in the community and public schools of Sonoma Valley? The 38 professional artists of the Sonoma Plein Air Festival are proud to participate in this effort - say thanks to them by bringing home a painting in September!

The Artist's Choice Award

In 2017 we're going bigger than ever!

Many new artists join long-time favorites

A new gala event in Sonoma

The big reveal is two days away - Saturday, September 10th

He started it. And now, look what's happened.

SPECIAL FRAME OFFER for ARTISTS and SONOMA PLEIN AIR COLLECTORS

PLEIN AIR PREVIEW and EXHIBITION IN PETALUMA

You won't want to miss these six artists!

Hui Lai Chong

Anton Pavlenko

Carolyn Lord

Paul Youngman

Meridee Mandio

Stuart Fullerton

Mark your calendars and meet us at the historic Sonoma Plaza for a fantastic art show and sale on Saturday, September 10th - from 10 am - 4 pm.

Get to know these 2016 Sonoma Plein Air Artists: Philippe Gandiol, Niles Nordquist and Dennis Ziemiemski

It's never too late to become a painter

School's out for summer - and the Sonoma Plein Air Festival kicks off in three months!

The Sonoma Plein Air Foundation exists to support art education!

Thanks to art lovers like you!

When you buy a painting at the Sonoma Plein Air Festival, you are supporting the future of art.

SPECIAL FRAME OFFER for ARTISTS and
SONOMA PLEIN AIR COLLECTORS

Get to know these 2016 Sonoma Plein Air Artists:
Philippe Gandiol, Niles Nordquist and Dennis Ziemiemski