Since our founding in 2002, Sonoma Plein Air Foundation has funded
over $2 Million
in art education grants for Sonoma Valley’s K-12 youth
Achieving this milestone is THANKS to the generosity of Patrons, donors, art buyers and the participating professional artists that THE Sonoma Plein Air Foundation has successfully continued its grant making for the past 21 years.
The grants are for art-related K-12 educational programs and needs. They are applied for by both public schools and community organizations in Sonoma Valley. Over the years, Sonoma Plein Air Foundation’s grant making has supported a range of activities and programs, from student murals & mosaic installations to 3D printers and camera equipment at the high school to afterschool art programs at Art Escape and Sonoma Community Center to student art shows at the Arts Guild and the SVMA. In addition, ongoing grant funding has provided the quality supplies needed to make art education an enriching & rewarding experience for students.
MANY THANKS & A HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!
(Heart Poster by students at Sassarini Elementary School; given to SPAF by Danielle Smith-Wroblewski, Maker Room Teacher.)
14 Grants Funded
for 2023-2024 School Year
Our 2023 Sonoma Plein Air Festival last September was a huge success! With the over $175,000 raised, the Foundation has funded 14 grants for art education programs at many Sonoma Valley schools and through our community partners. We are pleased to announce the recipients of our 2023-2024 school year grants:
ADELLE HARRISON MIDDLE SCHOOL
ALTIMIRA MIDDLE SCHOOL
ART ESCAPE (includes programs for FLOWERY & EL VERANO SCHOOLS) ARTS GUILD OF SOMOMA
BOYS & GIRLS CLUBS OF SONOMA VALLEY
CREEKSIDE HIGHSCHOOL
KENWOOD SCHOOL/EDUCATION FOUNDATION
LA LUZ CENTER
SASSARINI ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
SONOMA CHARTER SCHOOL
SONOMA COMMUNITY CENTER
SONOMA VALLEY HIGH SCHOOL
SONOMA VALLEY MUSEUM OF ART
WOODLAND STAR CHARTER SCHOOL
(Examples of artwork created by students at Sonoma Valley High School's 2023 Spring Art Show with quality art supplies purchased with funds from Sonoma Plein Air grant.)
Join us this year – we are busy planning for the next Sonoma Plein Air festival taking place the week of September 9-14, 2024. Volunteer on a committee or for an event, attend our Gala, Quick Draw or Art Show & Sale and have fun getting in on the act, supporting art education for the kids of Sonoma Valley!
This painting was originally created by Dennis Zieminski for a Lasseter Family Winery wine label.
Join us for the 2023 Sonoma Plein Air Gala at the Justi Creek Railway Estate in Glen Ellen on Friday, September 15th.
Tickets are now on sale for the annual Sonoma Plein Air Gala - where you will see the "best of the best" art created by our 30 world-renowned artists, and have the opportunity to bid by silent auction to take your favorite home!
The gala location will stop you in your tracks...and the event will be emceed by The Singing Auctioneer, Ellen Toscano, with catering by Park Avenue Caterers.
Meet Sid Chapin, 2023 recipient of the Lewis E. Cook III Scholarship
Sid shared a lovely hand-crafted Thank You note along with few thoughts on what receiving this scholarship means to them: "Art and creativity as a whole has always been very important to me, and I am happy to be ever closer to achieving my dream of sharing my art and stories with the world. I am extremely grateful to have received this scholarship and will put it to use to pay for my tuition. I hope to make Sonoma and the whole valley proud of me as I continue my education and my passions, and I will always be looking for a way to properly repay the graciousness of the town that raised me."
Sid will be attending Wheaton College in Massachusetts in the fall studying film and creative writing but plans to continue to pursue visual arts as well.
About the Cook Scholarship: In 2011, Lewis and Susan Cook of Glen Ellen, CA created this scholarship in their son's memory in honor of his time spent at Sonoma Valley High School. Each year, a deserving senior from SVHS receives a monetary grant to help them in their pursuit of the arts in any form. The scholarship funds are granted by the Sonoma Plein Air Foundation.
Boys & Girls Clubs of Sonoma Valley becomes a new grantee of Sonoma Plein Air Foundation
This year Sonoma Plein Air Foundation provided a grant to help the Boys & Girls Clubs of Sonoma Valley (BGCSV) fund their robust summer camp programs. BGCSV has seven locations in Sonoma Valley where they provide exceptional youth development programs for kids between the ages of 6 - 18. They currently serve over 1,800 youth annually.
Our 2022 Festival week celebrating Sonoma Plein Air's 20th year was one for the record books - stay tuned for news about 2023!
Our generous donors celebrated under a full September moon in the oak grove site of our very first gala in 2002. During a week of historic heat, our artists painted amazing local scenes to display on a perfect fall day at the Art Show & Sale on Sonoma Plaza. Excellent sales and happy artists and patrons culminated in a fund raising success for this year's Sonoma Plein Air Foundation grants program.
Read on to see where the Festival funds raised are going to foster student creativity this current school year...
Sonoma Plein Air Foundation Board awards grants to public schools and local arts community partners for 2022-23 school year.
On the heels of a very successful 2022 Sonoma Plein Air Festival in September, the Board began the next process of allocating funds raised by reviewing and approving grant requests from schools and community partners across Sonoma Valley.
With over $150,000 raised thanks to the generosity of our patrons, donors, artists and art buyers, the Board approved grants in early November 2022 to 14 schools & non-profit organizations for programs and supplies to support K-12 arts in education and creativity development for our Sonoma Valley children and youth for this school year. Recipients list follows below.
Student projects and Art Shows popped up around Sonoma this year funded by Sonoma Plein Air Festival patrons
Sonoma Plein Air Foundation Grant recipients for the current school year are listed below for your reference. Grantees came to us with wonderful ideas and goals! You can visit our website for details on each grant.
Elementary Schools:
Sassarini, Sonoma Charter School, Woodland Star Charter School,
El Verano & Flowery Schools under program grants to Art Escape
Middle Schools:
Adele Harrison and Altimira
High Schools:
Sonoma Valley High School
Creekside High School
Community Partners:
Art Escape
Arts Guild of Sonoma
Sonoma Valley Museum of Art
Sonoma Community Center
Sonoma Plein Air is here to help students experience creative ways of thinking through art. Art empowers a student to become stronger and build confidence that can last a lifetime.
There will be a wide variety of volunteer opportunities at the Sonoma Plein Art Show & Sale at the Sonoma Plaza on Saturday,September 10. As a volunteer you will benefit as well by participating in one of the most fun & beautiful fundraisers in Sonoma Valley. You will meet nationally acclaimed talented artists, see glorious plein air paintings and talk to art enthusiasts from the Bay Area and beyond. Anyone who is interested can help!
On Friday, September 9, we will come full circle and gather at a beautiful private Sonoma vineyard - the site of our very first Sonoma Plein Air Gala in 2002. We'll celebrate in the open air, surrounded by heritage oaks under the Sonoma sky.
Tuesday, September 6: Quick Draw Event at the Farmer's Market
Plein Air artists set up easels around the Plaza on Farmer's Market Tuesday and have 90 minutes to complete a painting, frame and display it for immediate sale. Visitors watch the artists paint and can acquire their favorite on the spot!
5 p.m. Artists paint around square - walk around and watch them paint
6:30 p.m. Artists bring paintings to plaza for framing and pricing
6:45 p.m. Painting sale begins of SE quadrant of Plaza
7:00 p.m. Sale ends
Saturday, September 10: Art Show and Sale on Sonoma Plaza, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
FREE ADMISSION to the art show, artists demonstrations, live music and hands-on art activities for children of all ages.
Purchase a painting and support arts education!
11:00 am Painting Demonstration - Keith Wicks
1:00 pm Painting Demonstration - Camille Przewodek
Carol Devereaux, Geoff Allen and Randall Stauss are among the acclaimed artists who will join us in September for the Sonoma Plein Air Art Show & Sale - other artists participating include some new names and many long-time favorites.
Carol Devereaux
Carol Devereaux, originally from Memphis, Tennessee, is a figurative and landscape painter living in Dallas, Texas. Her preferred mediums are oil and pastel, she enjoys working from life and "en plein air" finding inspiration in the patterns of light touching and defining form.
Carol tells us that plein air painting has brought much joy into her life. She is widely traveled and has painted across the United States, New England, Tennessee, to Florida beaches, New Mexico, Colorado to California. Being able to travel abroad to paint in France and Cuba were special experiences. Painting in Sonoma County will open up a wide range of new vistas - from the hills and valleys to the river and coast. We are looking forward to seeing her artistic interpretations of our countryside!
"When I set up to paint, I am stationary for a few hours. This allows observation of not only location, but of the nature surrounding. I’m often visited not only by various curious people but by animals, including many squirrels, chipmunks, and of course bugs (which I could do without!). I’ve had dolphins surface and play while painting on the beach, cows and donkeys approach to check me out. In Colorado, elk herds have run past on their way to water. The most frightening, I had two coyotes run past at arm’s length, on their way to join their group hunt. Thankfully I wasn’t on their menu! Everyday painting plein air is a great day, whether or not my painting turns out, I’m having fun, smiling and pushing paint!"
Geoff Allen joins us from a coastal town north of San Diego, and the boatyards of Southern California offer him great opportunity and inspiration. Will he head to Bodega and the Sonoma Coast to paint? We are excited to find out!
"As an artist, plein air painting allows my art to showcase two of my greatest passions: my enthusiasm for the outdoors and the beauty of watercolor. Plein air painting both lends focus to my work while promoting spontaneity. While I have worked in many media, for me watercolor is the most immediate. By embracing the water's independence, I find that it is both medium and metaphor, and at times both a curse and a blessing. I love that aspect of art making- something that is out of my control and a challenge. My journey in watercolor is to learn how to conjure the water into abstraction, in other words to allow the water to do the work."
Geoff was the featured artist in Summer 2022 edition of Watercolor Artist magazine.
Randall Stauss’s paintings have captured life on the West Coast for over 40 years. A third generation Oregonian, Randall began drawing and painting at an early age, studying at the Portland Art Museum, Oregon State University and the University of Oregon.
'"I am both a studio and plein air painter. But truth be told, it is plein air that is the crown jewel. Seemingly endless benefits befall the outdoor artist, not the least of which is an expanded sense of presence at the place one has so carefully and intuitively chosen."
What places will he chose in Sonoma? We look forward to find out in September!
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 arts and creativity education for youth in the public schools and community organizations in Sonoma Valley.
Artist Keith Wicks shares the origin story of Sonoma Plein Air.
“Dad, we don’t have art in class.”
When Keith Wicks’ young daughter announced that her Sonoma public school had art just once a month, by a teacher who visited all the schools with boxes of crayons and craft materials, he said, “Well, that’s not right, because I had art every day in school, and that’s why I am an artist!” And then he did something about it.
In the early 2000s, funding for arts programs were minimal, and Keith knew that if he (and other like-minded parents and community members) wanted art in schools, the task at hand was to reach out to the community and fund it themselves.
As a signature member of the California Art Club, Keith was experienced at attending Plein Air events in Southern California, and knew he could put on an event in Sonoma to raise money, but he needed funding to get the idea off the ground.
Here was the pitch: “Listen, I’m going to bring a whole bunch of talented artists to our town, and we are going to paint the landscape for a week. We are going to create all this work and then we’re going to do one big one day sale. And then we’ll use all that money and fund all the art programs in the schools.” Community members responded with their checkbooks.
Judy Vadasz thought that was a great idea, offered seed money and helped create the first Sonoma Plein Air Festival in 2002. Her founding partnership encouraged volunteers and patrons throughout Sonoma Valley to join the cause. A casual fundraising event was held in her family’s vineyard – an event that will come full circle –this time with a 20th anniversary gala dinner at the Vadasz estate on September 9.
Filmmaker John Lasseter, who was a collector of Keith’s art, said he would get involved – inspired by a parent who was an art teacher. He underwrote the printing of sets of notecards featuring paintings by all the participating artists. Half the artists participating in the first festival came from Pixar Studios where John was, at that time, chief creative officer. He gave them all a week off from work to be a part of the first Sonoma Plein Air. One of those artists was Paul Kratter, who loved the experience so much, he became a full-time plein air painter. Paul has been a regular at Sonoma Plein Air ever since.
Keith invited artists he had met at other festivals and some of the best artists in the country agreed to make the trip. Housing was offered by generous host families – a tradition that carries forward to this day. Keith created an atmosphere of camaraderie, not competition, between artists. Unlike other art festivals, there is only one award, with a small monetary prize and bragging rights. The “Artists’ Choice Award” is one where peers choose what they believe is the best painting of the week. Each artist selects their personal best and presents it for silent auction at the Friday night gala. All the remaining paintings are brought to the Sonoma Plaza on Saturday for the one day show and sale, attended by locals and art collectors throughout the Bay Area and beyond.
The artists who are selected by jury each year for Sonoma Plein Air gladly support that 40% of the sales price of their work goes to the Sonoma Plein Air Foundation which distributes all the funds to arts education in the community. Each year, the all-volunteer board distributes grants to elementary schools, middle schools, the high school, charter schools, the Sonoma Community Center, The Arts Guild, Art Escape and the Sonoma Valley Museum of Art.
Bartholomew Estate Winery will be featuring a solo exhibit of the work of Sonoma Plein AIr Founder Keith Wicks this week. A portion of the proceeds from art sales from this exhibit will be donated to the Sonoma Plein Air Foundation. If you are in Sonoma, be sure to stop by!
We couldn't be prouder of Sonoma Plein Air Board member Pat Meier-Johnson! She was selected the 2022 Treasure Artist in the City of Sonoma. A reception is being held in her honor June 9 at Vintage House.
"Art has a value that doesn't test the same way that math and science do...I took as many art classes as I could but I actually did better in my other subjects as well because I was so happy."
– Chester Arnold, Artist, Sonoma, CA
We are passionate about our mission to ensure every student has access to art in every grade. One reason why? Research shows that students who study creativity and the arts have higher test scores across the board in every subject area.
The past two years have presented major challenges in educating public school students at all grade levels, in all subjects. Our steadfast goal is to ensure teachers and local arts organizations have access to funds to support art education in and outside the classrooms.
In this newsletter, meet the artists who help make this possible by designating 40% of their art sales during the Sonoma Plein Air Festival, and enjoy watching the inspiring Chester Arnold, who offers his take on why art is so important for children.
Meet the Artists of Sonoma Plein Air 2022!
It's the 20th anniversary of Sonoma Plein Air and we are delighted to invite new artists and returning favorites. Here are the juried artists who will join us in September:
Najeeb Abdulrahimin
Geoff Allen
Marc Anderson
Richard Boyer
Allen Brockbank
Steve Curry
Carol Devereaux
Vlad Duchev
Mark Farina
Philippe Gandiol
Eric Fe Guan
Debra Huse
Paul Kratter
Richard Lindenberg
Carolyn Lindsey
Sergio Lopez
Carolyn Lords
David Marty
Wayne McKenzie
Alison Leigh Menke
Niles Nordquist
D.K. Palacek
Anton Pavlenko
Camille Przewodek
Chuck Pyle
David Savellano
Brain SIndler
W. Jason Situ
Lisa Skelly
Randall Stauss
Robert G. Steele
Barbara Tapp
Kim VanDerHoek
Keith Wicks
Richard Yang
Jing Zhao
Dennis Ziemienski
Please visit our website for full-size images and links to each artist's website!
Art in school makes a difference in people’s lives, and in the third of our video series, The Community Speaks, we meet Chester Arnold, Sonoma Treasure Artist and longtime art instructor whose work is currently featured in a retrospective "Reports to the Contrary: A Persistent Vision" at the Fresno Art Museum.
The artist jurying is complete - and in just a few weeks we will be able to release the names of all participating artists in the 20th anniversary Sonoma Plein Air Festival!
Our all-volunteer foundation is busy planning the events and keeping in touch with our grant recipients. Read on for the heartwarming comments from the kids who benefit from the programs our donors fund, and watch a video from a Sonoma public school graduate who built a life around his art.
Sonoma Plein Air teams with Art Escape to keep art alive during challenging times...
Flowery School Art Experiences Flourish
Though pandemic distancing restrictions reduced the number of students that could participate, Art Escape was able to schedule classes in October, Novmeber and December 2021 for Flowery's After School Wednesday program. Third through fifth graders joined in two-hour sessions filled with diverse art projects. In fall, students participated in printmaking, bookbinding, collage and more. Through the generous support of Sonoma Plein Air donors, these classes are now scheduled throughout the school year!
Sonoma Teens Explore Art in the City
During pandemic restrictions, teems everywhere have been seriously impacted by the loss of socialization and independence. Sonoma Plein Air provided the primary funding for two field trips of 10 Sonoma teens each to the Legion of Honor in San Francisco.
Here’s what some of the participants had to say:
"This trip was cool and special. It was my first time going to the city and now I know how different it is from Sonoma. I also made some new friends that I've never met before."
"It was the BEST day ever. I got to know new people who ended up being new friends. I also have a new favorite painting."
"My favorite part of today was walking around the museum. I loved it because of all of the different types of art we got to see. Lunch was also amazing, and it was fun to talk with new friends."
"Going to the art museum in the city was an amazing experience. I enjoyed the car ride and seeing all the fabulous artwork.”
"I think if Art Escape gets the funding they should do a trip like this again! It was really cool being able to go around the city and museum. I would never have had the chance to go there without this trip. Thank you so much for inviting and including me in this super awesome experience!"
A special thanks to all our donors who make experiences like this possible.
Art in school makes a difference in people’s lives, and in the second of our video series, The Community Speaks, we meet local businessman and artisan Steve Chiurco, who designs and fabricates custom metalwork projects. Influenced by a couple of wonderful art teachers in junior high and high school in Sonoma, Steve created Steel Geisha Designs with his wife, Anastatia, in 2006.
Steve is a firm believer in the importance of arts education for kids. He told us, “I was better at using my hands than my mind, and then eventually got better at using my mind over my hands.”
He added, “When you are happy doing something, it just seems that other opportunities, like making money at it, may fall into place.”
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 10th
The 20th Anniversary Sonoma Plein Air Festival Art Show & Sale
Sonoma Plaza
Dear Friends,
In 2022, we will celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Sonoma Plein Air Festival! The support of generous donors, art buyers and artists have allowed us to fund $1.7 million dollars of arts education for public school students in Sonoma Valley. The impact on students is profound. Read on as Middle School Art Teacher Cheryl Coldiron shares her student work, and is interviewed about the importance of art in our schools.
I wanted to let you know about our most recent art project at Adele and Altimira MIddle Schools.
We just completed a multi-day integrated curriculum project about Endangered Species. Students were given time to research an animal of their choice; then conduct additional research about what the animal looks like, their habitat, what they eat, how and where they live, unusual facts, an so on.
They were taught how to create a mini-book, where they wrote about their animal and drew small illustrations on the pages. Finally, using earlier lessons about color and composition, they created their Endangered Species Painting. (All students are eligible to enter their paintings in a National Contest as well).
Thank you very much for the funding to purchase the painting paper, paint supplies, brushes and more!
In Sonoma, we are well-attuned to the impact the pandemic has had on tourism and how wineries and restaurants have pivoted to different business models. While less visible, the arts and cultural sector of the economy may have been hit the hardest of all – not only have artists lost employment but people have lost in-person access to cultural events.
In June, we received full permission from the City of Sonoma to plan the Sonoma Plein Air Art Show and Sale on the Plaza. With safety top-of-mind, our all-volunteer board is hard at work planning and promoting the events, hosts are readying accommodations for the artists, and 34 nationally-renowned artists will soon be on their way to Sonoma for a week to paint the natural beauty of the area.
Now, more than ever, is the time to support artists, the arts and art education!
Put these events in your calendar!
Quick Draw at the Farmer’s Market: Tuesday, September 7
Gala Dinner and Auction at Jacuzzi Vineyards: Friday, September 10
Art Show and Sale in Sonoma Plaza; Saturday, September 11
Important Information about the 2021 Sonoma Plein Air Gala
The evolving nature of COVID means we will continually monitor the latest medical advice and protocols so we can come together at Jacuzzi Vineyards in a gala setting in about 6 weeks. For now, this means we will require that all gala attendees are fully vaccinated. Following restaurant models, meals will be individually plated and service staff will have shown proof of vaccination and wear masks. Dining tables will be appropriately spaced and, as always, we will do our best to honor all dinner seating arrangements.
We hope this will give you the confidence to join us for this all-important fundraiser. In past years, the gala has raised 60% of the annual funds for the Sonoma Plein Air Foundation. The youth of Sonoma Valley are headed back to the classroom – some for the first time in over a year of distance learning. What kind of learning environment do we want for them?
One that is safe, supportive, engaging and challenging.
One that prepares them for adulthood with an appreciation for creative expression.
They need our support to keep art education alive – because the arts nourish all our hearts and souls.
Thank you!
The Sonoma Plein Air Foundation Board of Directors Cathy Good & Cheryl Shimek, Co-Presidents
Barbara Wells, Treasurer
Pat Meier-Johnson, Secretary
Keith Wicks, Founder
Gerry Brinton, Irene Cook, Gretchen Gardner, Judy Hallden, Ellen Hoover, Nancy Evers Kirwan, Nikki Parr, Nancy Pollock, Linda Rosso, Dana Simpson-Stokes
We will follow the most up-to-date requirements provided by the City and County of Sonoma with regards to physical distancing and numbers of people permitted in the Sonoma Plaza art show area at any one time. Currently, masks are not required outdoors for vaccinated people.
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED for SONOMA PLEIN AIR FESTIVAL EVENTS!
Week of September 6-11
Distribute marketing materials around town, set-up and take-down, decorations, artists' assistants, and other fun jobs at an Artists' Reception, Quick Draw, Gala and Festival.
The Sonoma Plein Air Foundation is a 501(c)3 organization that funds youth art education in community organizations and public schools in Sonoma Valley.
Happy July! Before you head into the holiday weekend, we wanted to share the good news that Sonoma Plein Air 2021 is a GO! We are excited to be back to share art with the community and raise funds for art education in Sonoma Valley. We also want to introduce you to a talented young artist that reminds us why art is so important to young people, and how they can make a difference!
This year's Sonoma Plein Air Gala theme is "Under the Sonoma Sky," inspired by this painting by Anton Pavlenko, the recipient of the 2019 Artists' Choice Award.
Join us on Friday, September 10th atJacuzzi Family Vineyards, where we will celebrate art and raise funds for art education for the youth of Sonoma Valley. Tickets are available on our website.
The gala is a delightful celebration of art where art lovers mingle and dine and view the "best of the best" paintings created during the Sonoma Plein Air week. The artists hold a peer vote for the best painting of week, and gala attendees bid at silent auction to take home their personal favorites. You can see the award winners from past festivals on our website.
We are able to gather on the Sonoma Plaza
With COVID-19 restrictions removed, we have been given the go-ahead to present the Sonoma Plein Air Festival, including a Quick Draw event during the Tuesday Night Farmer's Market. September 7, and the Art Show and Sale on the Sonoma on Saturday, September 11. Here are the participating artists. We look forward to seeing you there!
Meet the Artist: Elsa Winter
Class of 2021 Sonoma Valley High School
Lewis E. Cook Scholarship Winner
Each year, a deserving senior from Sonoma Valley High School receives a $1,000 grant to help in their pursuit of the arts in any form. This grant is made from a fund established by former board member Susan Cook in honor of her late son. We are delighted to announce Elsa Winter, the 2021 Lewis E. Cook III Scholarship Winner.
Elsa uses art as a tool to elevate her other passions. Since Elsa was young, she has been surrounded by an artistic atmosphere and has immersed herself in different creative ventures. After taking her first art classes at Sonoma Valley High School, she fell in love with the power of art and applied her creativity to a variety of pursuits; starting a club to turn recycled materials into jewelry and art pieces, designing and selling Black Lives Matter t-shirts to donate the proceeds to the Innocence Project, interning in graphic design to develop her skills in the digital space, and collaborating with the Campus Beautification Club to create and execute an 800 square foot mural. She will attend UC Santa Barbara as an Environmental Studies major in the fall, and plans on both focusing on bringing a creative perspective to the environmental movement and possibly minoring in Art & Design. She believes that art serves as a catalyst to create a more innovative future, and is excited to continue devoting her creativity to fuel the greater good.
Elsa Winter's pencil illustration of Mother Nature, created from the prompt, “Stop,” in her AP Art class at SVHS.
Click the image to see the mural Elsa created in coordination with the Sonoma Valley High School Campus BeautificationClub.
The Sonoma Plein Air Foundation is a 501(c)3 organization that funds youth art education in community organizations and public schools in Sonoma Valley.
We are thrilled that our friends at Bartholomew Estate have been able to re-open the Sonoma Plein Air Gallery, located within their historic, mission-style winery building. Come view the exhibition of Sonoma Plein Air artists’ works by reserving a private time. Stroll through the exhibit to enjoy the art and perhaps fall in love with a piece to bring home. 25% of the proceeds from art sales are a tax-deductible donation that directly supports art education in local public schools and community organizations, something near and dear to our hearts!
For your safety and social distancing, they are now accepting reservations for 30-minute private viewing sessions in the Gallery, for single party groups of up to six people, Wednesdays through Sundays. Admission is complimentary. While you are there, make a reservation for a seated, outdoor tasting of their beautifully crafted, estate wines from organically farmed vineyards.
Art Rewards the Student (A.R.T.S.) program brings, free to the schools, experienced teaching artists to Sonoma fourth and fifth grade students. In school classrooms, and in the Sonoma Valley Museum of Art, students experience art-making projects themed to the Museum’s current exhibition that spark creativity and critical thinking. This year, all lessons were taught virtually and the program explored how art can connect people, build communities, and help create a kinder, more tolerant world.
Sonoma Plein Air helps to fund this important program and exhibition which this year is a mix of online and in-person at SVMA, The Arts Guild of Sonoma, and El Verano Elementary Schools.
The Arts Guild Show, was exhibited at the Guild at 140 E Napa St, Sonoma.
While we are waiting for final approvals, we are planning and have faith we will be able to gather once again for Sonoma Plein Air Festival week - with Quick Draw, a Gala on Friday, September 10 and the renowned Art Show and Sale on Saturday, September 11. Please check our website for future announcements!
Spring has arrived and with it comes not only the beautiful colors of our annual mustard bloom but also the promise of a decline in Covid-19's impact on our lives as the population of vaccinated individuals continues to expand. It has been a trying time for all and we wish you all health and happiness in the coming months.
Our March newsletter features the work of the young artists of Sonoma Valley High School during the 2020-2021 school year who continued to create despite the challenges of distance learning. We also have some announcements from our Board and peek into the future for 2021. As always, we thank you for supporting valuable art programs and experiences for the youth of Sonoma Valley over the past 20 years.
Art in the Time of Covid
@Sonoma Valley High School
Several months ago, the arts education faculty used the remaining 2020 SPAF grant funds to create take-away student art supply kits for projects that involved painting, sculpture and textiles. These kits were then distributed in the now familiar drive-by approach. With the kits and a large amount of creativity, along with the help of the SVHS Visual and Performing Arts staff, these young artists engaged, explored and experimented in a range of media. Enjoy the results of their efforts by clicking to see their work!
Changes on the SPAF Board
We are pleased to announce that Barbara Wells has joined the Sonoma Plein Air Foundation Board of Directors! Many of you may recognize Barbara as she has been a key member of our Festival Gala event team over the past years, managing the onsite activities related to the Silent Auction purchases and your generous donations.
Barbara will be mentored by longtime Board Member Gerry Brinton to take on the role as Treasurer, as Gerry remains on the board as an at-large director.
And Will the Show Go On??
At the start of this year, we were asking ourselves this question again and again. To help us answer it, we conducted surveys of Board members and Artists and kept a very close eye on all information and updates Covid related.
Everyone responded with cautious optimism and a strong desire to be part of a Sonoma Plein Air Festival in 2021.Given that, we are happy to announce that the Board is planning on holding our Festival from September 6th to 11th, 2021. Due to Covid considerations, the Festival may look a little different but we anticipate seeing many of you in person come September.
Watch for details in upcoming newsletters and on our website in the coming months.
The Sonoma Plein Air Foundation is a 501(c)3 organization that funds youth art education in community organizations and public schools in Sonoma Valley.
Autumn in the Sonoma Valley brings cooler temperatures and (fingers crossed) the need to get out the umbrella and the rain boots. This newsletter features an update on the activities of one of Sonoma Plein Air's partners, Art Escape, along with the remembrance of a favorite Festival Artist and a review of our September event, #SonomaPleinAir2020. As always, we thank you for supporting valuable art programs and experiences for the youth of Sonoma Valley over the past 18 years.
Art to Gogh: Art Escape Sonoma
Starting in September and continuing through December, Art Escape's mobile art studio, Art Van Gogh, is delivering a variety of free art projects to the children of Sonoma Valley. September's projects included a Mini Weaving Kit and a Clay Kit. In October, demand increased for projects such as the Doodle Kit and the Sugar Skull kit. Each kit comes with all needed supplies along with instructions in both English & Spanish.
Response to date has been great -- many community families are taking advantage of these creative non-screen related projects. Art Escape expects to distribute an additional 360 kits in November and December, ranging from Leaf Rubbing Journal kits to Finger Puppet kits to Snowflake and Popcorn Garland Kits just in time for the holidays.
In Remembrance:
Greg LaRock, Landscape Artist
On October 11th, we lost a well-loved member of the Sonoma Plein Air family, artist Greg LaRock. His wife Laurie shared the following on social media:
"In the most heartbreaking day of our 27 years together, Greg passed away last Sunday afternoon. Two days prior, he and I were rollerblading in our neighborhood, something we loved to do. In an instantaneous and tragic turn of events, Greg fell hitting his head which resulted in a traumatic brain injury precipitating his passing. The loss is both inexplicable and unimaginable. I will miss my lifelong partner, husband, and soulmate as I know many of you will miss your friend, teacher, and mentor. Greg knew compassion like no other man I have ever known and gave it without hesitation. His spirit lives on in those of us who knew and loved him and in his timeless and beautiful paintings. In a final act of kindness and compassion, Greg had designated himself an organ donor and we know he will live on in others who never even knew him."
The photo below captures Greg at the 2017 Sonoma Plein Air Festival with his Artist Choice Award winning painting. He left an incredible body of work -- many of which were seen and enjoyed at our Festivals over the years. Our deepest sympathy goes out to his family and many friends.
And The Show DID Go On...
37 artists teamed up with us to bring you a virtual online festival -- the artwork in the show was beautiful and the opportunity to 'click thru' to purchase a painting and visit each artist's website added another dimension to getting to know these talented individuals. We look forward to seeing them and all of you in person at the 2021 Sonoma Plein Air Festival in early September next year.
The Sonoma Plein Air Foundation is a 501(c)3 organization that funds youth art education in community organizations and public schools in Sonoma Valley.
Monday, September 7th at 10 am
and 37 artists are waiting for you...right here!
The 2020 Sonoma Plein Air Festival on the Plaza has been cancelled...but the show goes on!
We've all been going through challenging times during the pandemic, and it's tough to predict what our future will look like. But we know one thing for sure: ART MUST BE A PART!
We are not giving up on art education! Schools and the community organizations serving them will be able to carry over funds, and we have limited funds available for new grants to keep art alive for the youth of Sonoma.
We are here to support the professional artists who make our annual festival a success. Many have traveled to Sonoma for nearly two decades! All of the artists have lost opportunities to sell their work this year.
August 2020 (Update 09/22/2020: If you would like to learn more about the Tree Of Possibilities project, please click here and you can view their latest video.)
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Dear Friends,
As August draws to a close, this month's newsletter features a very special announcement and highlights summer activities funded by Sonoma Plein Air and conducted by three of our community partners. Each unique project enabled Sonoma Valley youth to experience art and self-expression during the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. We thank you for supporting valuable art programs and experiences for youth over the past 18 years.
Tree of Possibilities: Teen Services Sonoma
Outside Operation Bicycle in Vailetti Plaza on Highway 12 in The Springs, you will find a unique, wonderful sculpture made from recycled bicycle parts and culinary items representing two social enterprises at Teen Services Sonoma, Operation Bicycle and Lovin' Oven. Metal sculptor Marty Munson, with assistance from teens Alondra Perez and Leila Whitney, designed and built the 13-foot kinetic sculpture incorporating flattened spoons and metal leaves imprinted with words about hopes and dreams for the future created by teenagers from across Sonoma Valley.
Sonoma Plein Air Board member and fine artist Pat Meier-Johnson functioned as the Project Coordinator, bringing the Tree to fruition despite an interruption by Covid-19. The Tree of Possibilities was funded by Creative Sonoma and Sonoma Plein Air Foundation.
Home Art Kits: HeART of Sonoma
Over 250 home art kits were assembled and distributed to children in Sonoma so they could create a heart and participate in the latest HeART of Sonoma initiative sponsored by the Sonoma Valley Arts Task Force. The hearts are now on display around Sonoma so keep an eye out for these colorful creations -- they will brighten your day and make you smile!
Virtual Arts Camps: Sonoma Community Center
Over the summer, kids and teens were offered Virtual Arts Camps by the Sonoma Community Center in lieu of onsite experiences that had been planned.
Two Virtual Fiber Arts Camps for youth ages 10-17 years old were held in July featuring celebrated fiber instructor Pia Andersson, who came to the Center for class lessons in the Fiber Arts Studio. Camp was live online using ZOOM video conferencing. Participants learned specific hand sewing, macrame and weaving techniques while completing a fun range of fiber art projects and crafts. All supplies & materials were provided via curbside pick-up.
A Virtual Clay and Art Camp took place the end of July. Children explored the world of clay, fiber and multi-media art through a combination of guided pre-recorded videos and live ZOOM video conferencing. Projects aimed to provide a positive, energy filled studio experience at home and the follow-along camp workbook was available in both English and Spanish.
The Show Must Go On...
On Monday, September 7th, the artists of Sonoma Plein Air would have started painting. On Tuesday, September 8th, the Quick Draw would go on at the Farmer's Market in Sonoma Plaza. On Wednesday and Thursday, you might have spotted an artist painting along Fifth Street, or Highway 12, or tucked into a private vineyard. On Friday night, you could have been dining under the stars at a gala dinner. And on Saturday, September 12th, you would be in the Plaza, scouting out the beautiful paintings. But not THIS year.
THIS YEAR, by special arrangement, 37 artists have teamed up with Sonoma Plein Air to bring the show online in a virtual festival coming to YOUR screen.
The Sonoma Plein Air Foundation is a 501(c)3 organization that funds youth art education in community organizations and public schools in Sonoma Valley.
Last month we shared with you what two of our community partners, Art Escape & Sonoma Valley Museum of Art, did to support art education for children in our schools. This month we introduce you to 4 young artists from the art program at Sonoma Valley High School along with connecting you to the 2020 Film Festival created by the Media Arts program. We want to highlight some of the creative young people who benefited from generous donations to the Sonoma Plein Air Foundation and thank you for your interest in and support art education for the next generation.
Sonoma Valley High School ARTISTS
Angelina Carabini (Class of 2020)
"Creating art whether it's in the classroom or out has become an outlet for expressing my love and curiosity towards nature and its animals."
Ronaldo Castillo Mendoza (Class of 2021)
"Art for me means a way to express everything you feel, to let off steam, to give your point of view of something through images and colors, and personally when I draw I relax a lot, because it is something that I love."
Zanett Velzaquez (Class of 2020)
Zanett has always harbored a passion for creativity in a variety of media including painting, photography, origami, drawing, embroidery and knitting.
Elsa Winter (Class of 2021)
Ever since she was a young child, Elsa has been interested in art -- influenced by her graphic designer mother. She has created jewelry, painted jeans and continues to fill up an abundance of sketchbooks.
2020 SVHS FILM FESTIVAL
The Media Arts Program at SVHS provides a doorway into the digital arts through filmmaking classes, animation, scriptwriting, film theory and story telling. Each year several hundred young people are introduced to the process of making films -- the results are dozens of student shorts many of which you can see by clicking this link.
Lewis Cook, Jr. Scholarship
In 2011, Lewis and Susan Cook of Glen Ellen, CA, created this scholarship in memory of their son, Lewis E. Cook III, who died unexpectedly that year. Since then, each year, a deserving senior from SVHS receives a $1,000 grant to help in their pursuit of the arts in any form. We are grateful to the Cook family and proud to announce the 2020 Scholarship recipient:
Luisa Perez Aceves
Luisa is a dedicated student who is the first in her family to go to college. She was an active student on campus, participating in the AVID program, athletics and clubs during her four years at Sonoma Valley High School. She is considering an Art major when she attends UC Santa Cruz in the fall.
The Sonoma Plein Air Foundation is a 501(c)3 organization that funds youth art education in community organizations and public schools in Sonoma Valley.
We were ready...set...and before we could say GO, our world changed. After delay and deliberation about postponement, we decided to postpone the 2020 Sonoma Plein Air Festival. Since that decision, we've been keeping up with how the schools and community organizations we fund are keeping art at the forefront for the youth of Sonoma. Schools will be able to carry over any remaining funds from their 2019 grants. Here is a look at what two of our community partners have done.
Art Escape
When the school closure was announced, our grantee Art Escape immediately began considering ways to continue to deliver art experiences to students. Preparing and delivering Art Kits became be the viable solution. The kits were distributed during two drive-thru pickup days at Art Escape and during school homework pickup days.
Flowery School's March after school class students received a customized kit that included the printmaking projects that they had been working on, plus the supplies and instructions to finish the project at home. The kit contents included a lino block, dip-dyed rice paper, oil pastels, printing paper, and some other fun activities.The April group of students received kits with the supplies to make a DIY treasure box. This included wooden boxes, glue sticks, tissue paper, sequins and decorations, along with instructions and several project prompts
Kindergarten- third grade students at El Verano received a kit with all the materials and illustrated instructions to make a suncatcher at home. Included were crayons, wax paper, and string. Students enrolled in the Mosaic program at El Verano received a Mini Paper Mosaic kit. This included school glue, all sorts of patterned paper, mat board, and colored pencils.
Sonoma Valley Museum of Art
Sonoma Plein Air funds the A.R.T.S. (Art Rewards The Student) program at Sonoma Valley Museum of Art, which brings the museum to 4th graders and culminates in a wonderful exhibit. Because of the pandemic, this year's show went online.
The class participated in conversations about power, about special skills that comic heroes have, and about themselves. If they could have a special power, what would it be? The students named their powers and then built their own iconic self-portraits encased in beaded, shiny mixed mediums.
Since 2002, our all-volunteer organization has brought together great artists and art collectors for an annual show and sale that provides much-needed funds for youth art education in Sonoma Valley. While we take a hiatus from the Festival, please know we are brainstorming ideas and we are NOT giving up on funding art for Sonoma’s kids!
We have limited funds available for new grants for the 2020-2021 school year. If you are able, and would like to help ensure the future of art in schools, we would be grateful for your support.
The Sonoma Plein Air Foundation is a 501(c)3 organization that funds youth art education in community organizations and public schools in Sonoma Valley.
The Sonoma Plein Air Foundation has distributed the 2019-2020 school year grants totaling $172,362 dollars.
We are able to provide arts education funds directly to schools and the community organizations that provide instruction for school-age children in Sonoma Valley through the generous donations of our patrons, supporters and art collectors who purchase art at the annual Sonoma Plein Air Festival.
Here are some of the projects that will be funded this year:
Middle school and high school field trips to the Legion of Honor, de Young Museum and di Rosa Preserve
Media Arts program at Sonoma Valley High School
Art in Action curriculum at Flowery, Dunbar and Prestwood Elementary Schools
Maker Room at Sassarini Elementary School
Sculpture and Mosaics at El Verano Elementary School
Art programs at Woodland Star Charter School
"Art Rewards the Student" at Sonoma Valley Museum of Art
After School programs at Art Escape
Sculpture Art Installation at Teen Services
Middle and high school "Small but Grand" show at Arts Guild
Art@The Farmer's Market with the Sonoma Community Center
Our all volunteer board works throughout the year to make Sonoma Plein Air happen. A special thank you to Mandy Weltman who has led the board for the past few years, inspiring us and connecting us to our mission! As she steps down from this role, we are grateful that one of our newest board members, Jennifer Parr, will join forces with long-time board member and past president Cathy Good to share the leadership of the organization.
We are getting ready for 2020!
The 18th annual Sonoma Plein Air Festival will bring 36 juried artists to the region for one week to paint, show and sell their work to benefit youth art education in Sonoma Valley. Artists are encouraged to apply between January 2 and February 28. All the information and application will be posted exclusively at JuriedArtServices.com.
Would you like to volunteer with the Sonoma Plein Air Foundation? Please e-mail us and let us know of your interests and abilities. We'd love to hear from you!
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.
The most anticipated plein air art event in the Bay Area starts today! Our 35 nationally acclaimed artists arrived at host homes, checked in this morning and now they are off painting!
Watch for them from the coast to the valley, at wineries, ranches, regional parks and protected Sonoma Land Trust sites. But the best place to watch them paint up close is on and around the Sonoma Plaza tomorrow beginning at 5 pm during the Farmer's Market. At 7 pm all paintings will be brought to the southeast corner of the Plaza (First Street East and East Napa Street) placed on easels and priced for immediate sale.
On Friday, the artists will bring what they consider their best painting of the week for judging by their peers and silent auction at our festive gala, which is the largest fundraiser of the year to support art education for the youth of Sonoma Valley. A few tickets remain, but sales will close tomorrow. Don't miss this!
The main event is Saturday on the Plaza, and the weather promises to be great for art collectors. Remember 40% of every painting sale is a donation that goes directly to the Sonoma Plein Air Foundation (you will receive a receipt for a tax deduction) to fund art education for public school children in Sonoma Valley.
Tuesday, September 10, 5-7 pm
QUICK DRAW - Sonoma Plaza
Watch the artists paint and acquire your favorites on the spot!
Friday, September 13, 5:30 pm
The GALA EVENT
Saturday, September 14, 10 am-4 pm
ART SHOW & SALE - Sonoma Plaza
Artist demonstrations, live music and hands-on art activities for children.
Artist Demonstrations
11 am - Tara Will, Pastel
1 pm - Alison Leigh Menke, Oil Painting
2:30 pm - Philippe Gandiol, Oil Painting
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.
Eric Bowman is a two-time Artists' Choice Award winner at Sonoma Plein Air, which means his work was voted "best in show" by a jury of his peers. In 2012, Eric's moonlight image captivated, and in 2019, he captured early autumn in a timeless stand of eucalyptus.
Eric Bowman is a Southern California native, transplanted to northwest Oregon.
He has exhibited in some of the country's most prestigious galleries and museums including the Autry Museum of the American West, the Briscoe Western Art Museum, the Gilcrease Museum, the Kaiping Art Museum (China), the Academy Art Museum, the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles and the Salmagundi Club in New York city. Eric is a Signature Member of the California Art Club and the American Impressionist Society.
Eric’s paintings are found in private and corporate collections throughout the U.S. as well as England, Australia, China, Canada and Mexico. He had been profiled in feature articles with Southwest Art, Art of the West, Western Art Collector, International Artist, Pratique Des Arts (France), Fine Art Connoisseur and Plein Air Magazines.
In September, come see more of Eric Bowman's work painted on location in Sonoma, and add your choice to your art collection!
It's time to mark your calendar:
Tuesday, September 10, 5-7 pm
QUICK DRAW on Sonoma Plaza
Watch the artists paint and acquire your favorites on the spot!
Saturday, September 14, 10 am-4 pm
ART SHOW & SALE on Sonoma Plaza
Artist demonstrations, live music and hands-on art activities for children.
PURCHASE A PAINTING AND SUPPORT ART EDUCATION!
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.
Plans are well underway for the 2019 Sonoma Plein Air Festival. The jury has completed their work and are pleased to announce this year's line-up. Several artists will be participating for the first time. Scroll down to see all the artist's names with a link to preview their work.
Save the date for the Sonoma Plein Air Gala at Cornerstone Sonoma. Now is the time to secure your place at the party, by becoming a patron or sponsor of this year's festival! Visit our website for more details. Individual tickets to the gala, if available, will be sold in July and August.
Sonoma Plein Air exhibit open at Bartholomew Estate Winery
Something exciting is happening on the east side of Sonoma. Bartholomew Estate Winery opened its doors in late April, and has invited the Sonoma Plein Air Foundation to create a rotating exhibit of Sonoma Plein Air artists in a gallery space adjacent to BEW's tasting room. All works are for sale and a portion of the proceeds will benefit the art programs of our local schools. The exhibit is open from 11 am to 4:30 pm daily and will be rotated on a quarterly basis. For more information about the show and the beautiful and historic Bartholomew property, please visit BEW's website.
The Sonoma Plein Air Foundation facilitates artists, art organizations, public schools and the community to create, appreciate and understand the importance of visual arts. We seek to engage youth through art education, foster artistic excellence, nurture a vibrant local arts community and bring people together for experiences that inspire a creative exchange of ideas.
Eric Bowman
Richard Boyer
Allen Brockbank
Hiu Lai Chong
Kevin Courter
Aimee Erickson
Mark Farina
Eric Fei Guan
Robert Frank
Phillipe Gandiol
Debra Huse
Eric Jacobsen
Mike Kowalski
Paul Kratter
Greg LaRock
Richard Lindenberg
Sergio Lopez
Carolyn Lord
Wayne McKenzie
Alison Menke
Niles Nordquist
D.K. Palacek
Anton Pavlenko
Robert Sandidge
David Savellano
Alex Schaefer
Brian Sindler
Lisa Skelly
Carol Tarzier
Kim VanderHoek
Patty Voje
Stewart White
Keith Wicks
Tara Will
Jim Wodark
Dennis Ziemienski
Follow us on Facebook and Instagram for beautiful art images as we lead up to the Festival!
We are delighted to present the 2nd annual Valley of Talent Show this Thursday, April 4th, from5 pm - 8 pm at the Sonoma Community Center. The jurors have made their selections and you will find the list of participating artists at the bottom of this newsletter. We will be the first stop on the Sonoma Art Walk, which is sponsored by the Sonoma Chamber of Commerce.
The Art Walk Opening Reception is being held at the Sonoma Community Center, from 5 pm till 5:30 pm. We will continue pouring wine and serving light bites through the evening so we encourage you to make the rounds! You can download the walking map, or pick one up at the Community Center.
While you are in the building, visit the BARBIE show! Sonoma Community Center will kick-off Trashion Fashion Week with "BARBIE: Reclaimed & Reinvented," an exhibit and silent auction in Gallery 212. See dozens of cast-off Barbies rescued and repurposed into tiny trash couture works of art by local artists.
Just up the street at the Arts Guild of Sonoma, be sure to see the annual Small But Grand Show. Each year with a grant from the Sonoma Plein Air Foundation, the Arts Guild provides canvases to students at Sonoma Valley schools. Small But Grand is the exhibit of the work created. Budding artists from Sonoma Valley High School and Adele Harrison Middle School have this wonderful venue to display all sell their work, with all proceeds going directly to the individual students!
This annual exhibition is a great opportunity to see how your contributions to youth art in Sonoma are put into action, and you may discover a piece of art from the next generation to add to your collection!
NEWS FROM THE SCHOOLS
Sassarini Elementary School's Organization of Parents and Teachers are planning a special night on May 11th - a Paint & Sip Night fundraiser for Sassarini's enrichment programs held at the Lodge at Sonoma
The ticket includes all supplies needed to paint Van Gogh's Cypresses with local artist and teacher, Kelly O., light appetizers, local wine and refreshments. Space is limited, so if you've ever wanted to try your hand at painting - get your tickets soon!
Robert Benson * Christine Hansen * Christine Zychowski * Loretta Loy-Adair * Patrica Carter * Sara Radke * Ann Young * Kirk Hinshaw * Susan Schroeder * Maureen Baker * Ann Iverson * Julia Pozsgai * Ellen McBride * Michael Biscoe * Lorraine Buckner * Lynnette Bourne * Carol Marcus * Howard Klee * Jim Rosso * Winifred Crisp-Nemiroff * Will Chubb * David Sheppard * Russ Johnson * Glenna Yee * Kathleen Truax * Terrence Dalton * Paul Goguen * Debbie Tancik * Sarah Stanley * Janeane Sanborn * Sherborn Sanborn * Sally Rosenblatt * Sophie Acheson * Shawn Smith * Patrica Driscoll * Jennifer La Pierre * Renate Kulprian * Pat Meier-Johnson * Becky Rowe * Barbara White-Perry * Keith Wicks
Jurying begins next week to select the artists who will be invited to participate in September 9-14 Sonoma Plein Air Festival, and...
The Sonoma Plein Air Foundation is delighted to announce that our second Valley of Talent art show will be held on Thursday, April 4th from 5-8 pm at the Sonoma Community Center. This is part of the Sonoma Art Walk, and all works will be for sale. Come have a glass of wine and see the art of your talented friends and neighbors! Artists who live or work in the Sonoma Valley (from Sonoma through Oakmont) can apply to show their paintings, drawings, photography, collage and sculpture. The deadline is this Friday, March 8th.Read all the details here.
Art in Action at Sonoma Valley Schools
Elementary school students are learning about artist Paul Klee who was associated with Expressionist, Cubist and Surrealist art. Just like young students, Klee experimented in many different media and often combined them into one work. He used canvas, burlap, muslin, linen, gauze, cardboard, metal foils, fabric, wallpaper, and newsprint. These portrait collages were created by students at Dunbar School.
At Sassarini Elementary School, students practiced shading and color gradients - just in time to make some special Valentine's Day hearts!
Inika is in the 7th grade at Adele Harrison Middle School, where programs and supplies are funded by Sonoma Plein Air.
She says, "Every two weeks we do something different, like paintings, drawings, or clay. I really like it because its fun and there's not a lot of pressure to do it right. You just follow the instructions and create!"
P.S. She's been known to take her sketchbook home over the weekends to keep on creating.
Students from Creekside High School take a field trip to visit SFMOMA.
Would you like to volunteer with the Sonoma Plein Air Foundation? Please e-mail us and let us know of your interests and abilities. We'd love to hear from you!
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.
The Sonoma Plein Air Foundation has distributed the 2018-19 school year grants totaling $147.830. You can read about this years grants here. Since 2002, the generous supporters of Sonoma Plein Air have contributed $1.45 million to provide art education for children in Sonoma Valley. Here's where the money goes:
Without you, art would be missing in the lives of Sonoma Valley students!
A year-end donation can help us provide mini-grants to teachers, mid-school year supply needs and more. If you would like to contribute any amount - we will make sure it gets put to good use! Click here to donate online.
What happens behind the scenes at the Sonoma Plein Air Foundation?
The Sonoma Plein Air Foundation works year-round to ensure that the children of Sonoma Valley receive art education.
Planning for the Sonoma Plein Air Festival begins in January, with a call to artists to apply. The jury meets in early March, and artists are notified of their selection by mid-March.
Our all-volunteer Board of Directors actively engages with the schools and community arts organizations throughout the year. Each board member is a liaison to one or more schools to help understand the specific needs of the school community and to observe the art programs we fund. Our grant committee manages a rigorous process that begins in the spring, ensuring that grant requests are submitted before the school year begins.
We start planning the Festival week in late winter - doing everything from housing for the artists, to building display easels, securing volunteers to work at the art show and sale. A gala committee envisions and plans a spectacular dinner party and art auction for patrons of Sonoma Plein Air. (Hint: 2019 promises to bring a new twist to this time-honored gala tradition!)
During the spring and summer, we promote the artists and the events in social media, this newsletter, through local newspaper and magazine articles and advertising.
Then, we have whirlwind week in September, with artists joining us from all over the country to paint, show and sell their art in Sonoma Plaza.
After the events, we tally up the funds, review the grant requests and distribute the funds to the schools and community arts organizations. And the process begins again!
Would you like to volunteer with the Sonoma Plein Air Foundation? Please e-mail us and let us know of your interests and abilities. We'd love to hear from you!
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.
Commission an 18 x 24 painting by your favorite artist
Choose your favorite artist
Discuss the subject matter with the artist
Hang and enjoy your beautiful painting
Please know:
Price is determined by the artist.
Painting can be vertical or horizontal.
Painting will be unframed.
Painting must be completed within one year.
Buyer pays for shipping.
40% of your purchase is a tax-deductible donation to the Sonoma Plein Air Foundation.
AVAILABLE Saturday, September 15 at the Art Show and Sale on Sonoma Plaza.
ART WITH A MASTER - an intimate painting class with Dennis Ziemienski
Enjoy a rare opportunity to paint alongside and learn from internationally renowned artist and Sonoma icon, Dennis Ziemienski. A limited number of painters will be welcomed to a beautiful home and garden in Sonoma to paint and enjoy fine wine and nibbles.
Experience hands-on, personalized instruction and learn or improve techniques
All levels of painters welcome, from beginner to expert
Bring a piece already in progress to receive guidance or begin your masterpiece on-site
Location: a beautiful private farm in Sonoma, with opportunities to paint landscape and still life. Directions will be sent to participants
Personalized Cooking Class and Dinner
at Williams-Sonoma
An evening for 12 people at Chuck Williams’s landmark location with a unique, hands-on culinary experience.
This is an “after hours” event so your group will have the store for the evening. You will get started with a short tour of this special location and beautiful gardens. A private chef will then lead a custom cooking class featuring a
salad, pasta and dessert showcasing local finds that bring Sonoma Wine Country to life.Enjoy your meal in the outdoor gardens or at the marble cooktop inside the store!
Gather your group and make a bid for this Silent Auction Item (opening bid $2400) AVAILABLE at the Art Show and Sale on the Plaza, Saturday, September 15.
Sonoma Plein Air Raffle
#1 Guys Shop and Lunch: Scott Lydell certificate - $100.00, Lunch at Maya - $50.00, bottle of red wine. Value: $180.00
#2 Gals Shopping Day at the Plaza: I-Elle - $50.00, Bear Moon - $25.00,
Angelique - $50.00, Bossa Nova - $100.00, Artifax - $50.00 Value: $275.00
#3 Sonoma-Loeb Tasting: Bottle of wine, Seated tasting for four in their private area, cheese board.Value: $250.00
#4 Sonoma Plaza Afternoon: Pangloss seated tasting for four, with cheeses and charcuterie - $160.00, Pick up your specialty item from LOVE Sonoma after the tasting. Estimated Value: $235.00
#5 Café Mac: One hour of tech support/ computer instruction Value: $150.00
#6 Hair and Home: Salsa Trading Company, antique blue and white canisters - $125.00, J. James silk scarf, Estella Hair Salon shampoo and blow dry. Estimated Value: $275.00
#7 Art Easel from Fine Line Sonoma
Value: $225.00
#8 Fitness Fun: Pure Barre, one month unlimited membership - $199.00, Anytime Fitness, one month unlimited membership - $59.00
Value: $260.00
Raffle tickets are $5 each or 5 for $20 and will be available for saleon Tuesday, September 11 at Quick Draw and Saturday, September 15 at the Art Show and Sale on the Plaza.
LAST CALL FOR GALA TICKETS!
Join us under the stars at Buena Vista Winery in Sonoma, on Friday, September 14, with an opening reception at 5:30 featuring a silent auction of original works by this year's artists. This is where they bring their best work and vote on the Artists' Choice Award. Enjoy a glorious dinner, dessert and sips in the Bubble Lounge as we raise funds to support art education for the youth of Sonoma Valley!
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.
When we asked Dan Schultz to tell us what he loved about being a plein air painter, he responded, "Plein air painting has been a vital part of my development as an artist. It has helped me simplify my technique and improve my color recognition while teaching me to find inspiration all around me. Also, I’ve learned to duck and cover when the wind suddenly blows my painting umbrella toward my face! I’m thinking about marketing the Plein Air Face Mask…. Seriously though, plein air painting is a joyous response to the wonder of being outside in nature. I find it a privilege to be able to respond to the beauty of God’s creation in this way. "
Welcome Dan to Sonoma Plein Air at the festival on Saturday, September 15. Follow him on Facebook and Instagram and see more on his website.
More Perils of Plein Air, by Richard Boyer
I was with a good friend painting in the small town of “Les Beux de Provence”. We had set up in a nice quiet alleyway and began the morning session with a 12x16. The wind was blowing slightly so I had my nice new black sweater on to keep of the chills away. I had the classic French easel at that time with the pallet set up in front of me, below the painting which makes for a nice short distance from mixing to actually application.
Southern France has what they call the “Mistrals." a strong wind that often blows from inland out to the Mediterranean and sometimes has been known to drive people mad. After an hour or so of painting those winds decided to pick up. Most easels as any artist will tell you tend to act much like a sail on a boat in strong gusts, forcing the would be painter to grabbing the side of it to keep the thing from flying away. Such was the case with us, my hand was going down too often to grab the wooden easel from tipping over. That's when the winds picked up even more and before I could do anything my pallet was airborne and flew up onto my chest. The easel had blown over and I stood there with a wooden pallet stuck to my black sweater. I slowly peeled off the pallet to see all the cadmium yellows, oranges and reds impregnated into the wool. I've had the experience of getting a little dab of cadmium color on clothing and found out the chances of getting it out of the material is basically nill. In my case I had medallion sized globs on my chest. The only recourse was to take off the sweater and throw it in the garbage can. Thus ending the painting session for the day, the winds won the day and the artist lost.
We think Richard will clean up nicely for Sonoma Plein Air! Visit his website to see more of his work, and come see him at the Festival on the Plaza on Saturday, September 15th, 10 am - 4 pm.
Don't miss Sonoma Plein Air Founder Keith Wicks' one-man show at BUMP Wine Cellars, 521 Broadway in Sonoma. It will be exhibited through Sunday September 9, then again September 19-30. During the week of the Plein Air Festival, an array of studio works from the Festival artists will be shown. BUMP is open Thursday-Sunday 12-6 pm.
LAST CHANCE FOR THIS FRIDAY NIGHT'S SHOW!
As a local non-profit partner, we invite you to enjoy a magical evening at Broadway Under the Stars at Jack London State Park. Visit the Transcendence website and order your tickets for Sonoma Plein Air night, Friday, September 7th. Get $7 off each ticket you purchase by using the code SPASEP7 - and $4 will be donated back to Sonoma Plein Air by Transcendence Theatre Company. A win-win for the arts and you!
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.
We are delighted to announce that Sonoma Plein Air Founder Keith Wicks, an internationally recognized artist (and a Sonoma Treasure Artist!), will have a solo show in his hometown in the weeks before and after the Sonoma Plein Air Festival. A masterful painter with the soul of an old master, Keith is renowned for his ability to capture the essence of the moment with clarity and intensity rarely seen in contemporary works today.
Keith paints on location throughout the world, under the vast Sonoma sky and in his Sonoma studio. An award-winning artist, Keith’s work has appeared in galleries and publications throughout the country.
In 2002, Keith founded the Sonoma Plein Air Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to providing funding for art education in Sonoma Valley public schools. A portion of each sale from the LUMINOSITY exhibit will be donated to the Foundation.
You are invited to the Artist's Reception
Saturday, September 1 from 2-5 pm
521 Broadway, Sonoma
The show is open Thursday-Sunday
August 30-September 9 & September 16-30
The Sonoma Plein Air Artists Studio Works show will be exhibited September 11-14
Join us under the stars at Buena Vista Winery in Sonoma, on Friday, September 14, with an opening reception at 5:30 featuring a silent auction of original works by this year's artists. This is where they bring their best work and vote on the Artists' Choice Award. Enjoy a glorious dinner, dessert and sips in the Bubble Lounge as we raise funds to support art education for the youth of Sonoma Valley!
Thank you, Transcendence Theatre Company! Discounted tickets for Sonoma Plein Air fans!
As a local non-profit partner, we invite you to enjoy a magical evening at Broadway Under the Stars at Jack London State Park. Visit the Transcendence website and order your tickets for Sonoma Plein Air night, Friday, September 7th. Get $7 off each ticket you purchase by using the code SPASEP7 - and $4 will be donated back to Sonoma Plein Air by Transcendence Theatre Company. A win-win for the arts and you!
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.
It's back to school for Sonoma Valley, and soon the students will begin their art classes - all thanks to the generous donors, art collectors and artists of Sonoma Plein Air! Without the money raised through our art sales and donations, young students would simply not have the array of supplies, instruction and life-affirming experiences of making art! We hope to see you at the festival, or if you can't join us, consider making a donation to support art education.
The Perils of Plein Air, by 2018 Sonoma Plein Air artist Clark Mitchell
A good painting buddy recently posted on Facebook an oil painting she’d just done of a waterfall. Intrigued, I asked where the stream is and in response received an enthusiastic, “Let’s go!” This was early spring right after several days of hard rain. Accessible or too muddy? Too far to hike? Do I have time today? Of course we decided to go.
Our destination was Cataract Falls, within Mt. Tamalpais watershed in Marin County. Few people had ventured out this alternating cloudy/sunny day so parking was easy. The hike was fairly short, though quite steep up and down numerous tall stone steps, especially while wearing my overloaded backpack and, carrying by hand, my pastel box and easel. I once again vowed to pare down my plein air supplies! Next time!
First we took a number of photos, checked out various painting sites, hiked a bit further up the trail to see if there might be even better vantage points. I saw very little even ground on which to set up an easel, everything being wooded, steeply sloped, rocky and slippery; the rain-swollen cascade was pounding down the canyon at me, the sound deafening with the roar of falling water. Absolutely spectacular and overwhelming!
Once I’d set up my easel in a tight cubby, branches on my shoulder, sanded paper and pastels at the ready, I found myself shaking and dizzy. I was so excited by what was before me and my legs felt like jello from the up and down hike. There was no way I could proceed without doing brief grounding exercises just to calm down enough to steady my hand and start making the myriad decisions necessary.
Blissfully, I was lost in the process in minutes and within an hour or so came up with an almost abstract painting that expresses some of the drama and chaos of the setting.
We are looking forward to seeing what great locations Clark finds during Sonoma Plein Air! In the meantime, take a look at his website.
Join us under the stars at Buena Vista Winery in Sonoma, on Friday, September 14, with an opening reception at 5:30 featuring a silent auction of original works by this year's artists. This is where they bring their best work and vote on the Artists' Choice Award. Enjoy a glorious dinner, dessert and sips in the Bubble Lounge as we raise funds to support art education for the youth of Sonoma Valley!
Thank you, Transcendence Theatre Company! Discounted tickets for Sonoma Plein Air fans!
As a local non-profit partner, we invite you to enjoy a magical evening at Broadway Under the Stars at Jack London State Park. Visit the Transcendence website and order your tickets for Sonoma Plein Air night, Friday, September 7th. Get $7 off each ticket you purchase by using the code SPASEP7 - and $4 will be donated back to Sonoma Plein Air by Transcendence Theatre Company. A win-win for the arts and you!
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.
The artists of Sonoma Plein Air 2018 have a very special opportunity to paint on private lands protected by the Sonoma Land Trust - the Glen Oaks Ranch, the Laufenberg Ranch and Sears Point Ranch. Since 1976, Sonoma Land Trust has protected more than 48,000 acres of beautiful, productive and environmentally significant land in and around Sonoma County.
Dave Koehler, executive director of Sonoma Land Trust, says, “We are so delighted that the Sonoma Plein Air artists will be able to visit and interpret the beauty of our protected lands through their paintings. We look forward to sharing their art with everyone at the Festival!”
Sonoma Land Trust believes land is the foundation of our economy and our community’s health and well-being. Since 1976, Sonoma Land Trust has protected more than 50,000 acres of scenic, natural, agricultural and open land for future generations, and is accredited by the Land Trust Accreditation Commission. For more information, please visit www.sonomalandtrust.org.
Invitations to the 2018 Sonoma Plein Air Gala will be in this week's mail! Join us under the stars at Buena Vista Winery in Sonoma, on Friday, September 14, with an opening reception at 5:30 featuring a silent auction of original works by this year's artists. This is where they bring their best work and vote on the Artists' Choice Award. Enjoy a glorious dinner, dessert and sips in the Bubble Lounge as we raise funds to support art education for the youth of Sonoma Valley!
Thank you, Transcendence Theatre Company! Discounted tickets for Sonoma Plein Air fans!
As a local non-profit partner, we invite you to enjoy a magical evening at Broadway Under the Stars at Jack London State Park. Visit the Transcendence website and order your tickets for Sonoma Plein Air night, Friday, September 7th. Get $7 off each ticket you purchase by using the code SPASEP7 - and $4 will be donated back to Sonoma Plein Air by Transcendence Theatre Company. A win-win for the arts and you!
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.
On Friday of festival week (September 10-15, 2018), every artist selects what they believe is their finest painting of the week, frames it and bring it to the Buena Vista Winery in Sonoma, site of the 2018 Sonoma Plein Air Gala. The Artists' Choice Award is selected by the jury of peers. Then, a bidding war ensues via silent auction among the gala patrons for all the paintings! Here are a few of the previous winners will be joining us in September.
Eric Bowman says, “painting (particularly in California where I grew up) is my greatest passion. Although the California I grew up in is mostly gone now, there are still areas where I can paint that take me back to a place partly real, partly imagined that satisfy my soul…Beautiful Sonoma County is such a place for me and I am extremely honored and happy to be back here for my 9th year at Sonoma Plein Air!” Find him on Facebook, and keep updated on his work via his website.
Sergio Lopez, born in 1983, is a native of Sonoma County. He finds the area ever-inspiring, and never ceases to find a new gorgeous area no matter how often he explores. He enjoys discovering new vistas, setting up his easel, and creating a piece on the spot. He believes there is no better way to discover the truth and essence of a scene than by standing before it and studying it carefully. A graduate of the Academy of Art in San Francisco, Sergio is an exemplary painter in a variety of mediums, as evidenced by the work shown on his website.
Robert Sandidge lives "above the store" in an 165 year-old historic building in downtown Diamond Springs, California. With his wife Jackie, their main intent is to live an artful lifestyle in Gold Rush country with their art galley business and residence in one convenient location. He has participated in the Sonoma Plein Air event since the inception. He says, "Sonoma Plein Air is my favorite plein air event. Keith Wicks has put together a fun-filled week of painting in Sonoma Valley with a great group of artists." See more on his website.
Keith Wicks, founder of Sonoma Plein Air, was the very first Artists' Choice Award winner. He's got a beautiful new website filled with art, and a link to a wonderful story about his paintings of Sonoma's Mike the Bread Baker, whose oven is pictures at left. You'll enjoy reading it!
Want to see more about Artists' Choice Award winners? Look here.
Want to receive an invitation to attend the Sonoma Plein Air Gala? Contact us!
Thank you, Transcendence Theatre Company! Discounted tickets for Sonoma Plein Air fans!
As a local non-profit partner, we invite you to enjoy a magical evening at Broadway Under the Stars at Jack London State Park. Visit the Transcendence website and order your tickets for Sonoma Plein Air night, Friday, September 7th. Get $7 off each ticket you purchase by using the code SPASEP7 - and $4 will be donated back to Sonoma Plein Air by Transcendence Theatre Company. A win-win for the arts and you!
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.
When we asked Susie Hyer to tell us what she loved about being a plein air painter, she responded, "the lifestyle we have is basically traveling around to paint in awesome places, meeting amazing people, experiencing the outdoors and studying nature in all kinds of weather glorious and dramatic. What could be better than that?"
Susie has been drawing and painting since she was a child. “I remember drawing a pair of ceramic flamingos my mother used to keep on her dining room table when I was four years old," she says. “I knew from that moment I would be an artist when I grew up.”
She's come a long way, after attending art programs at Moravian College, The Baum School of Art, and the University of West Florida in the 1970s. Susie continues to study and expand her repertoire and abilities, attending the Art Students League of Denver and participating in workshops whenever she can.
Her work has appeared in numerous galleries and national exhibitions, hangs in many private and corporate collections. She has been published in the celebrated books "Art of the National Parks: Historic Connections, Contemporary Interpretations," and “Landscapes of Colorado.” She has been a featured artist in Southwest Art, Fine Art Connoisseur, Plein Air and Art of the West Magazines.
Susie continues to challenge herself artistically, traveling to paint en plein air, and working from sketches and field studies in the studio. She teaches workshops and is an invited juror for local and national exhibits. Her work is represented by galleries along Colorado's Front Range and the Southwest. Visit her website to see more of her work.
She maintains a home, studio, and multiple gardens in Evergreen, CO where she lives with her husband, sometimes one or two grown children, a dog, two cats and numerous elk, deer, and other wildlife.
We are looking forward to seeing her new work at Sonoma Plein Air in September!
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.
Carolyn Hesse-Low tells us "it would be difficult to imagine going through life without trying to paint the beauty of it. Everywhere I look, there are gorgeous shapes put together into compelling compositions. When the light is just right, and the story unfolds, I can’t help but want to paint the scene. Once, while driving over the Grapevine on the I-5, the light was so amazing on the mountains that I stuck my camera out the window and grabbed a few shots, which I painted later in my studio. It’s best to be a passenger when a gorgeous scene races by at 70 mph!"
Carolyn’s work has appeared on the cover of PleinAir Magazine and has been featured in Southwest Art, American Art Collector, Fine Art Connoisseur and Art of the West magazines. She has been published in several books, including California Light: A Century of Landscapes, and Painting California: Seascapes and Beach Towns. Her work has received numerous awards, including Best of Show at San Luis Obispo Art Museum, the Medal of Honor at the National Arts Club, Best Studio Landscape from Plein AirSalon, Publisher’s Choice Award from PleinAir Magazine, and Award of Excellence at Plein Air Southwest Salon. Her work is represented in national and international collections.
We are delighted to welcome Carolyn back to Sonoma Plein Air. Her landscapes, figures and marine subjects capture the changing mood and rugged beauty of what she sees. Her paintings have been shown in over 80 museum exhibitions and in countless galleries and art institutions. Visit her website, and see her work in person on Sonoma Plaza, on Saturday, September 15.
It's time to mark your calendar:
Tuesday, September 11, 5-7 pm
QUICK DRAW on Sonoma Plaza
Watch the artists paint and acquire your favorites on the spot!
Saturday, September 15, 10 am-4 pm
ART SHOW & SALE on Sonoma Plaza
Artist demonstrations, live music and hands-on art activities for children.
PURCHASE A PAINTING AND SUPPORT ART EDUCATION!
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.
One of our most popular plein air artists dropped out of the Sonoma Plein Air Festival last year. While we missed her, she had a good reason - and we are thrilled to welcome her back.
Aimee Erickson, a previous Artists' Choice Award winner, was all set to participate in our 15th Anniversary Festival when she got the call that presented a once-in-a-lifetime painting opportunity. She was invited to participate in a cultural exchange to teach and paint in a small village is Russia, many hours from Moscow. And, the dates conflicted with Sonoma Plein Air.
All in all, 2017 was a very good year for Portland, Oregon-based Erickson. She won Best in Show at Laguna Plein Air Invitational, Best of Show and Museum Purchase Award at Pacific Northwest Plein Air and Best of Show and Clyde Aspevig Judge's Choice Awards at Olmsted Plein Air. See her work on her website and don't miss her work in September!
It's time to mark your calendar:
Tuesday, September 11, 5-7 pm
QUICK DRAW on Sonoma Plaza
Watch the artists paint and acquire your favorites on the spot!
Saturday, September 15, 10 am-4 pm
ART SHOW & SALE on Sonoma Plaza
Artist demonstrations, live music and hands-on art activities for children.
PURCHASE A PAINTING AND SUPPORT ART EDUCATION!
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.
Self taught with nature as her classroom and the great masters her teachers, Romona Youngquist knew at age four that painting would be her calling. Today you’ll find her paintings as far away as Germany, London and Manhattan. Her works have been published in the premier art magazines including Southwest Art and American Art Collector. We are pleased to welcome her to her first Sonoma Plein Air Festival.
Romona likes to trick the eye, using muted colors and blurred contours painted
as softly as a whisper. But in reality her canvasses are a war zone and her
weapons of choice-sand paper, ends of brushes, rags and anything
unconventional she can employ in battle. She knows the skirmish is over when
the painting has the power to speak directly to the viewer. When an onlooker can not resist stepping into her world full of atmosphere, mystery and a mood that takes you back to days gone by, she knows the battle has been won.
Her studio is tucked away in the lush Red Hills of Dundee, Oregon, overlooking vineyards. Much of her inspiration comes from her surroundings. We look forward to seeing her interpretations of the landscapes of the Bay Area! Have a look at Romona's website for more paintings, and be sure to come to the Sonoma Plein Air Festival September 15th in Sonoma Plaza.
Patron opportunities for the annual Sonoma Plein Air Gala are available on our website. Any remaining tickets will be available this summer.
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.
Alison Menke's journey into landscape painting began in 2011 when a three week solitary trip to Colorado turned into a five-month foray into plein air. She painted every day, camped in national parks, sold studies out of the trunk of her car, and created over 150 paintings. Here's how she tells it:
"In 2010 I graduated with a degree in Art and Art History and after walking off that University of Maryland stage with my diploma I had no real solid idea as to how an artist moves forward in the world. In reflecting upon my art education I remembered back to one of my first painting experiences. It was a plein air workshop I took in high school and one of favorite painting memories. After finishing my studies at Maryland I was determined to start painting outside! So, I asked my Dad if I could take his car out to Denver (mine wasn't going to make the trip) for just three weeks to paint! He hesitated a moment, but let me hit the road with my paints in-tow knowing that I'd be staying with my big brother. My three week stint turned into five months of travelling out west painting everyday. I camped with artists, made good friends, sold paintings out of the trunk of my car, made smart decisions, and learned so much about myself and my love for painting. Since then I've continued with my passion as nearly all my work is done outside. The spontaneity of plein air, the freshness of the loose paint and nature make it all worth it! Needless to say, my Dad was happy to get his car and his daughter back!"
Alison has spent the past three years attending plein air competitions and festivals. Between the plein air seasons of 2016 and 2017 she attended 26 competitions along the eastern seaboard and was honored with 26 awards. Her successes have garnered attention from local newspapers, Plein Air Magazine, and various publications. See her work on her website and welcome this first timer to Sonoma Plein Air!
Patron opportunities for the annual Sonoma Plein Air Gala are available on our website. Any remaining tickets will be available this summer.
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.
Tara Will burst on the Sonoma Plein Air scene last year with her vibrant pastel landscapes, and had us looking at the Sonoma landscape in fresh, new ways.
Tara grew up watching the creative hands of her grandmother, and had a love of creating from a young age. She attended Mount Saint Mary’s University in Maryland double majoring in Art and Philosophy. She started plein air painting about 5 years ago, going to quick draws and hoping one day to be on the “juried side” of these events she loved so much. She has since participated in several national plein air competitions painting from East Coast to West.
Tara enjoys painting quickly, trying to capture the essence of the space using bold colors and strong marks. She predominantly works in pastels, but occasionally ventures into oils. See more of her work on her website.
In 2017, Tara achieved her Master Circle Status with the International Association of Pastel Societies. She is a Signature Member of Maryland Pastel Society and an Associate Member of Pastel Society of America. Tara has been featured in the Pastel Journal’s Magazine Pastel 100 in both 2017 and 2018. Tara recently exhibited work at the Mall Galleries in London for the annual Pastel Society of the UK juried exhibition. She currently resides in Maryland with her husband and four small children.
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.
Kim VanDerHoek has been a popular participant at Sonoma Plein Air for several years. She began painting en Plein Air because it combined her love of being outside and creating art.
"I enjoy the challenges Plein Air painting poses. Dealing with the weather, changing light and other hurdles of outdoor painting has forced me to learn to make decisions quickly, to paint with commitment and above all, to have a plan for each painting."
Kim feels that her Plein Air work has, in turn, strengthened her studio paintings. "It is my hope that when you view my painting from across the room you can easily see what the subject is, then, upon closer inspection, you find yourself lost in the brushwork."
"In the last few years my style of painting has evolved from a traditional plein air approach to a more contemporary style. As a result, creating each piece takes twice as long. The first painting session is just about getting the information on canvas as accurately as possible, the second session is where I get myself into a lot of trouble and make an absolute mess of everything and in the final session I have to bring everything into focus and balance loose brushwork with having a certain amount of accuracy and detail. Good paintings don't just happen, they take a lot of thought and time."
See Kim's new work on her website and be sure to welcome her back to the Sonoma Plein Air Festival, on the plaza Saturday, September 15, 2018.
After graduating with a fine arts degree in illustration from the California College of the Arts, Kim worked as a graphic designer for 11 years. She left the design field to pursue a career as a full-time painter. Kim is an Artist member of the California Art Club (CAC), a member of the American Women Artists and was a signature member of the Laguna Plein Air Painters Association (LPAPA). She is a "Gamblin Workshop Instructor" and a highly sought after painting instructor who teaches weekly classes in Orange County, California.
Become a patron of our annual gala! Information on advance ticket opportunities can be found here.
The gala will be held under the stars at Buena Vista Winery on Friday, September 14th.
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.
Is there a "Eureka!" moment when an artist realizes they have found their path? For artist Camille Przewodek, it was during a trip to Cape Cod, where she met the teacher who would forever change the way she sees.
When Camille Przewodek met Henry Hensche (1899-1992), who had been assistant instructor to famed American Impressionist painter and teacher Charles Hawthorne (1872-1930), she immediately recognized the rare opportunity of studying with a true master. Hensche was the catalyst that made Przewodek learn to see and paint color in a whole new way.
“Ever since studying with him, and after experimenting with his methods all these years, I’m still amazed at how complex, and yet simple, the approach is,” she says. “Its foundation is using color to express form as seen in a particular light key, and not bringing formulas into your work.”
Przewodek’s painting style, which quickly became distinctive for its rich saturated color and luscious oil paint, caught the attention of numerous clients during the decade when she worked as a commercial illustrator.
“I was one of the few illustrators who didn’t look like an illustrator. I painted in a way that sought the beauty of the subject,” she says. When she landed accounts such as Alfa Romeo and Chateau St. Jean, Przewodek knew it was her commitment to directly observing and capturing the light effects of nature that made the difference. “Most illustrators would just go to the site, get their reference photos, and then go back to their studio to do a slick illustration. I would go to the sites and stay for hours or days doing color studies from life, and developing several paintings on location, then deciding with the art director which best served the project.”
That same working method influences the various painting series she continues to do today—the themes that emerge (gardens, wetlands, figures captured in the landscape) all have in common her passion for capturing the beauty of the light. You can see the full range on her website and learn more about her technique on her blog.
She is honored to be a member of a group of Hensche's former students who have reorganized the Cape School of Art as a non-profit organization dedicated to passing on the principles and enduring influence of Hensche, and his mentor Hawthorne, in educating artists and the public in the perception and use of color and light in representational painting.
Przewodek regularly serves as an entry and awards judge for painting competitions and events. She is also a much sought after instructor who annually teaches painting workshops across the country, and offers regular weekly classes on location and in her studio in Petaluma, California. She has been a regularly featured, on-stage demonstrator at Plein Air Magazine’s Annual Plein Air Convention, as well as an invited instructor, lecturer, and panelist on the Hensche-Hawthorne approach to seeing and painting color at American Artist Magazine’s Weekend with the Masters.
Camille Przewodek is a Master Signature Member of American Women Artists, Signature Member of the Laguna Plein Air Painters and Oil Painters of America, and Artist Member of the Salmagundi Club and the California Art Club.
A veteran of Laguna Plein Air and Easton Plein Air, it has been several years since Camille has participated in Sonoma Plein Air and we know festival goers will be delighted to see her work - again or for the first time.
SAVE THE DATE: Saturday, September 15, 2018
Sonoma Plein Air Festival
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.
Preparations are underway for Sonoma Plein Air 2018, with festival and gala committees hard at work to bring you a week to remember in September! In upcoming newsletters we will feature our professional artists, whose talent, coupled with the enthusiasm of art collectors and patrons make our programs possible. Our goal is to bring art experiences to our youth, and we'd like to share what's happening in the programs we support.
We've been spending time with our young artists.
Our all-volunteer organization takes an active role to ensure that Sonoma Valley public schools and community arts organizations are putting their grants to good use. Each board member is a liaison to one or more of our grant recipients, and we are pleased to report that art is alive and well - thanks to our generous donors! Here are some of the wonderful programs happening now.
Students at El Verano School designed and installed a mosaic tile mural that beautifies a planter on campus.
Clay wheel classes for young students at the Sonoma Community Center inspired young potters.
Flowery Elementary School students created block prints while learning about new cultures through the Art in Action curriculum.
Sonoma Valley Seniors Kohana Bowman and Karen Torres created a senior project as a gift of art to alma mater Sassarini Elementary School by creating two murals.
The A.R.T.S. program at Sonoma Valley Museum of Art brought 4th graders in to create book art and mounted an exhibition in the museum.
Our young students are expressing themselves through art - and we invite you to share in the joy by becoming a patron of our annual gala! Information on advance ticket opportunities can be found here.
The gala will be held under the stars at Buena Vista Winery on Friday, September 14th.
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.
We are excited about art of all kinds! Plans are well underway for the 2018 Sonoma Plein Air Festival. The jury has deliberated and several artists will be participating for the first time. Scroll down to see all the artists' names with a link to preview their work.
Our first community art show, A Valley of Talent, was held in mid-April and was a resounding success. The event at the Sonoma Community Center drew crowds all evening to see and buy art from 42 local artists who presented their works in photography, collage, and painting. Abstract and non-representational art, figurative, still life and landscapes were all featured. We plan to hold more community art events in the future, and we welcome ideas from potential participants and volunteers. Send us an email and let us know your thoughts!
SPAF Foundation Board Members have been visiting the elementary schools to see how the 2017 grants are being put into action. Here are young artists from Sassarini Elementary School learning watercolor techniques. Over the next few months, we will share more images and stories from the classrooms of Sonoma Valley schools. The students are inspired, the teachers are inspiring and magic happens because of our generous patrons and art collectors!
The Sonoma Valley High School Art Department invites the local community to their annual art show. See the next generation of Sonoma artists at the reception and awards ceremony, Thursday, May 3, at 6-7 pm, at Sonoma Valley High School, at 20000 Broadway in Sonoma. We are proud to fund art in the high school!
Save the date for the Sonoma Plein Air Gala which will be held under the stars at Buena Vista Winery. To secure your place at the party, consider becoming a patron or sponsor of this year's festival! For more information, please send us an email. Individual tickets to the gala, if available, will be sold in July and August.
The Sonoma Plein Air Foundation facilitates artists, art organizations, public schools and the community to create, appreciate and understand the importance of visual arts. We seek to engage youth through art education, foster artistic excellence, nurture a vibrant local arts community and bring people together for experiences that inspire a creative exchange of ideas.
Simon Addyman
Scott Anderson
Eric Bowman
Richard Boyer
Doug Clarke
Kevin Courter
Aimee Erickson
Mark Farina
Phillipe Gandiol
John Guernsey
Carolyn Hesse-Low
Debra Huse
Susie Hyer
Eric Jacobsen
Mike Kowalski
Paul Kratter
Greg LaRock
Richard Lindenberg
Sergio Lopez
Carolyn Lord
Wayne McKenzie
Alison Menke
Clark Mitchell
Niles Nordquist
Camille Przewodek
Robin Purcell
Robert Sandidge
David Savellano
Dan Schultz
Brian Sindler
Robert Steele
Melanie Thompson
Kim VanderHoek
Keith Wicks
Tara Will
Romona Youngquist
Dennis Ziemienski
The upcoming weekend in Sonoma is filled with art - at the Sonoma Community Center, Arts Guild of Sonoma and the Sonoma Valley Museum of Art - all venues whose programs are supported through generous donations to the Sonoma Plein Air Foundation. Please join us at these special events to celebrate community and artistic expression!
Friday the 13th is a lucky day for art lovers!
We are delighted to announce Sonoma Plein Air's first community art event - A Valley of Talent - featuring original work by local artists in the mediums of drawing, painting, printmaking, photography and collage. Discover the work of 42 artists - from established professionals to talented amateurs. All work is for sale - with 40% of the proceeds going to support youth art education in Sonoma Valley. ONE NIGHT ONLY!
A Valley of Talent
Friday, April 13 5 pm - 8 pm
Exhibit, Art Sale and Wine Reception Sonoma Community Center
276 E. Napa Street, Sonoma
While you are at the Community Center, head upstairs to Gallery 212 and see the "Barbie: Rescued and Reinvented" exhibit of 100 cast off Barbies rescued from local thrift stores dressed in tiny trash couture by local artists. The dolls will be available for sale. Admission $1.
This is a companion exhibit to the Trashion Fashion Show, held Saturday April 14 at Sonoma Veteran's Memorial Hall. Trashion Fashion is a runway show for outrageous, beautiful, theatrical and humorous fashions created by artists, ecologists and dumpster divas from recycled materials. More information and tickets.
Small But Grand!
Friday, April 13 - 5pm - 7pm Reception The Arts Guild of Sonoma
140 E. Napa Street, Sonoma
The A.R.T.S. Student Exhibition, funded by Sonoma Plein Air Foundation, brings 4th and 5th grade students to the Sonoma Valley Museum of Art for visits, studio activities, art instruction and a special exhibit. Be sure to see the exhibit of book art in the A.R.T.S. Student Exhibition.
COMING SOON IN THIS NEWSLETTER!
We will announce the professional artists who have been selected for the
2018 Sonoma Plein Air Festival
The wildfires of October came and lingered, and the after-effects are still with us. Homes were lost, homes were spared. Mountains burned, vineyards provided fire breaks. Rainfall has encouraged blades of green grass to poke through charred ground. The community came together #sonomastrong and continues to demonstrate that "the love in the air is thicker than the smoke."
Should we have a Sonoma Plein Air in 2018? Will the artists come? Will the collectors buy art? Last week, our Board of Directors made that decision.
The 15th anniversary of Sonoma Plein Air was a celebration like no other
Sonoma Plein Air 2017 was our best year ever. The weather was remarkable, the roster of artists was exceptional, our gala event at Buena Vista Winery was a great party, and the Festival in the Plaza was busy with art lovers all day long!
Thanks to the generosity of donors and sponsors, artists and art collectors, we will present $138,650 in grants for the current school year to the public elementary schools, charter schools, middle schools, high schools, special education programs, and four community art organizations in Sonoma Valley.
Sonoma kids need art now more than ever
For years, we've talked about the importance of art in education as a way to open minds, express creativity and innovation and build self-esteem. But the recent fires remind us that art also heals - as students express in images the feelings for which they may not be able to express in words. As Pablo Picasso said, “Art washes from the soul the dust of everyday life.”
Let's work together to make it happen in 2018
On this Thanksgiving, we are grateful beyond measure. We know there will continue to be many ways to contribute to the well-being of Sonoma Valley.
Thank you for donating to organizations offering direct support to those who lost so much in the fires.
Thank you for supporting the local businesses, restaurants, wineries and lodgings that fuel our local economy.
Thank you for supporting Sonoma Plein Air. We are counting on you join us in September 2018 for our 16th year - save the dates for a special Gala event on September 14th and the Festival on the Plaza September 15.
With all our best wishes, The Sonoma Plein Air Foundation
P.S. If you missed this video at our gala - take a few moments to learn about the importance of Sonoma Plein Air directly from the students and teachers.
Juxtaposition, Greg LaRock,
Sonoma Plein Air 2017 Artists' Choice Award Winner
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.
Enjoy this preview of work from the 35 Sonoma Plein Air artists. Please join us Saturday to see the new works and support art education for Sonoma Valley youth.
Eric Bowman
Kevin Courter
Danny Griego
Debra Huse
Eric Jacobsen
Richard Lindenberg
Terry Miura
Mikyoung Osburn
Devin Roberts
Tom Soltesz
Tara Will
Paul Youngman
Pati Bruce
Mark Farina
George Handrahan
Susie Hyer
Paul Kratter
Wayne McKenzie
Niles Nordquist
Anette Power
Robert Sandidge
Robert Steele
Jim Wodark
Dennis Ziemienski
Hiu Lai Chong
Philippe Gandiol
Carolyn Hesse-Low
Peggy Immel
Greg LaRock
Clark Mitchell
Michael Obermeyer
Robin Purcell
David Savellano
Brian Sindler
Keith Wicks
Kim VanDerHoek
LIVE ARTIST DEMONSTRATION SCHEDULE: 11:00 am Mark Farina - Oil Painting
1:30 pm David Savellano - Watercolor Painting
3:00 pm Kim VanDerHoek - Oil Painting
The Farmer's Market in the Plaza is the happening place in Sonoma on Tuesday nights - but tomorrow, it's going to be even better! Many of the artists participating in Sonoma Plein Air Week will be setting up their easels in and around the Plaza and painting against the clock - in QUICK DRAW!
The clock starts at 5 pm and at 6:30 pm all paintings will be put on display for sale - FIRST COME, FIRST SERVED!
Here are some photos from past Quick Draw events. Artists quick studies are often available for a significantly lower price - and 40% of the purchase price is your direct donation to supporting art education for the kids of Sonoma Valley. Be at the southeast quadrant of the Plaza at 6:30 pm - don't miss the chance to bring home an original painting. Cash, checks and credit cards gladly accepted.
New this year on the plaza: BLANK CANVAS
On Saturday, September 16, several of the Plein Air artists will be offering a blank canvas for sale - an opportunity for you to commission an artist to create a 18" x 24"painting - you work together to determine the subject matter. The artist creates it within the year and you arrange for shipping and framing. As with all painting sales at Sonoma Plein Air, 60% of the purchase price going to the artist and 40% as your donation to Sonoma Plein Air. Individual artists determine the pricing. Prices and full details will be posted at the Festival.
Please visit theArtists Page on our website and click their names to visit their website, where you can see a range of their work.
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.
In just one week, Sonoma Plein Air will fill the Sonoma Plaza with beautiful works of art from 35 nationally renowned artists. Over the past few months, we've given you a preview of who they are. If you missed any newsletter, or just want to refresh yourself on the line-up, you can find the information here.
The four California-based artists featured below are returning to Sonoma Plein Air - be sure to welcome them on Saturday, September 16th! Find the full event schedule here.
Jim was born in Denver, Colorado, but grew up near the flatirons. Both of his parents are artistic and he was tremendously influenced by them and the natural beauty of the environment. Cartooning was his first love and he worked in that field for 15 years. In 1990 Jim moved to California and a few years later met his wife, Julie. It was at this time that he began to paint with oils. The birth of their first child, Clint in 1998, focused his desire to paint while being a stay at home dad. In 2000 they had twin girls, Sophia and Gwen. Believe it or not this helped him focus even more! For the last 10 years he has been able to paint everyday and has had great growth and success.
Jim says, “I want to inspire and be inspired through painting. To bring beauty into people’s lives. I have been blessed with a passion to create. I am thankful that people respond to my work and that it makes a difference in their homes and businesses. Everyday I look forward to what I will paint next."
Jim has won numerous awards at the local and national level. He belongs to several painting groups: the California Art Club “Artist Member”, the Laguna Plein Air Painters Association “Signature Member”, and The Oil Painters of America and the American Impressionist Society. See more at his website.
Richard Lindenberg is regularly invited to many plein-air events and participates in annual Northern California shows that raise funds for numerous causes. He is one of the MALT (Marin Agricultural Land Trust) painters and other shows include MarinScapes, Laguna Plein Air Invitational, Zion Plein Air, Napa Valley Art Festival, the San Luis Obispo Plein Air Festival and the Door County Plein Air Festival. Richard is an artist member of the California Art Club and Co-Chairman of the CAC Northern California Chapter.
Richard has had his share of painting adventures. He tells us, "The painting above, titled 'Gem Lake Point' is from a trip I made this August with the Granite Group high up into the Sierra’s. Paul Kratter (another SPAF artist) and Bill Cone invited me along this year because the hike up to our camp at Chickenfoot Lake (10,000 ft) was only a 3 mile climb with modest elevation gain… that made it possible to join the group after my recent extensive hip revision surgery eleven months ago. Although there was some trepidation before the hike… I was able to hop the boulders and ford the streams with everyone. Of course the mules carried the load which made it all posssible. What a thrill to be totally off the grid for 6 days of painting with friends… so much so that even the nasty skeeters were only a minor annoyance. For sure this was a bucket list trip!"
Paul Youngman hails from just over the hill in Napa Valley, and is a longtime participant in Sonoma Plein Air and popular painter of the California Wine Country. He majored in Fine Art and Graphic Art at the University of California in Los Angeles, and became an architectural and free-lance illustrator. After twenty years in the commercial art field, he chose to expand upon his natural ability as a painter. Through numerous one-man shows and invitational exhibits, Paul's paintings have won wide recognition among serious corporate and private collectors and even appeared in the film, “Bottle Shock.," the story how California wines beat French wines in a blind tasting.
Paul is a member of California Art Club and Signature Member of the Oil Painters of America. He has been featured in American Art Collector, Art of the West, Southwest Art Magazines, as well as Art Talk, and the coffee-table book, “Art of the American West."
Kim VanDerHoek graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in illustration from the California College of the Arts in Oakland California,and worked as a graphic designer for 11 years, before leaving the design field to pursue a career as a full-time painter. She learned to paint by painting en Plein Air because it combined her love of being outside and creating art.
Kim says, "I enjoy the challenges Plein Air painting poses. Dealing with the weather, changing light and other hurdles of outdoor painting has forced me to learn to make decisions quickly, to paint with commitment and above all, to have a plan for each painting. It is my hope that when you view my painting from across the room the large shapes make a strong visual statement and you can easily see what the subject is, then, upon closer inspection, you find yourself lost in the brushwork."
A signature member of the Laguna Plein Air Painters Association (LPAPA), a member of the American Impressionist Society (AIS), a member of the Southern California Plein Air Painters Association (SOCALPAPA), and an Artists member of the California Art Club (CAC), Kim is a highly sought after painting instructor who teaches weekly classes in Orange County, California.
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.
The artists are packing up their gear and heading to town - get your first glimpse on Tuesday, September 12 at Quick Draw.
One of the local favorite activities in Sonoma is the Tuesday night Farmer's Market in the Plaza. During Plein Air Week, the artists are invited to set up their easels around the Plaza to capture the activity. Everyone is invited to come and watch, and when the whistle blows - all paintings are popped into frames, put on easels and sold - right on the spot! If you are in town, or close, come by for the fun and immediate satisfaction of bringing home wet paint. Quick Draw starts at 5 pm and ends at 7 pm on the southwest corner of Sonoma Plaza.
"Painting in Sonoma county and beyond is such an inspiration. It has everything from rolling hills with spectacular vineyards, farms with herds of sheep and cows, acres of flowers, rusty trucks & tractors, the town square, dramatic cliffs and ocean and even sweeping vistas to San Francisco Bay. An artists dream location!." says Debra Huse, a a contemporary American Impressionist and long-time participant in Sonoma Plein Air.
Debra uses rich color and bold fluid strokes to capture the light and drama in her plein air and studio paintings. A Signature Member of the American Impressionist Society, the American Society of Marine Artists, Laguna Plein Air Painters & Pastel Society of America, she began formal painting when she was ten even stretching her own canvases in private lessons. At age 11, she was awarded a scholarship and attended college courses at the prestigious John Herron School of Art in Indianapolis, IN. Debra continued her art studies at Indiana University. A full-time painter since 1998, Debra has a studio in Newport Beach, California.
Visit her website to see more of her work, and be sure to say hello to the model for this year's advertisment, which you can see below.
Artist Mikyoung Osburn is making her debut at Sonoma Plein Air. Earlier this year, she came up from her home in Pasadena on a location scouting trip! You can see her work on her website.
Mikyoung was born in South Korea and moved to to the US in 1998. As a child, she excelled at art. She attended college in South Korea and upon graduation worked for the next 10 years as a graphic designer. During this time she began to explore Fine Art, researching every book and reading everything she could. When she arrived in the US , she decided it was time to try to express myself through Fine Art.She began taking classes from well-known Korean Fine Art painter and 3 years later converted her home garage to a studio.
Mikyoung told us, "I love all things that contain their own beauty. From a pile of of deadwood fallen from an old tree on a Hawaiian farm to a field of gently rolling hills each with their own abstract coloring. My love of fine art has taught me to take notice of the extraordinary in the everyday settings of life. And the moment I discover this beauty is such a gift to witness. It is these very treasures I have witnessed that I try to share with others through my art."
Dennis Ziemienski doesn't have to travel far from home - and we are fortunate he's been making the trip from his studio in Glen Ellen for many years to support Sonoma Plein Air's mission of providing art education to Sonoma Valley youth. He and his artist wife Anne (a former SPAF board member) saw firsthand the value of our work when their daughter attended local schools.
A native San Franciscan, Dennis graduated cum laude from the California College of Arts and Crafts. Interest in representational drawing and painting eventually led him to New York and a successful career in illustration. Dennis’ strong and richly colored images borrow much of their inspiration from early 20th century painting and posters. Dennis turned his attention to fine art in 1999. The major influences in his paintings are Maynard Dixon, Frank Brangwyn, Ernest Blumenschein, Edward Hopper and Maurice Logan...ironically, all were illustrators, at one time, during their art careers.His paintings and illustrations have been in many one-man and group exhibitions and have won numerous awards. Dennis was selected as the official artist of the 2006 Kentucky Derby.
Dennis’ work is in the permanent collections of the Tucson Museum of Art, Bakersfield Museum of Art, the Booth Western Art Museum, Western Spirit: Scottsdale’s Museum of the West, and the Buffalo Bill Museum. His work can be seen at Altamira Fine Art in Jackson Hole and Scottsdale, Medicine Man Gallery in Tucson, Manitou Galleries in Santa Fe and on his website.
George Handrahan returns to Sonoma Plein Air after another year of painting adventures. George tells us, "I was out painting with a good friend who just happens to be a great artist. We were painting in the scenic Ogden Valley in Northern Utah. It was a beautiful calm day, birds were singing, the temperature was just right and the light was perfect, We had finished our paintings, all we had left to do was decide where to eat lunch and then clean everything up. Just then, a gust of wind came up and blew his painting high into the air. I ran, leaped and caught it with one hand saving the painting from sure disaster. I didn’t even smear the paint. Amazed, we both looked at each other for a moment and then started laughing uncontrollably. Then, another gust of wind came and blew over my easel, palette, brushes and finished painting all face down into the dirt. Sand stuck to everything! My painting was completely ruined (but the texture was interesting). I told my friend he owes me a painting because I saved his but he didn’t save mine! To this day, we still laugh about our windy excursion."
With over 70 major awards, listings in 7 books on prominent artists, and paintings sold through major auction houses, George has been painting the beauty of Utah, California and New England landscapes for more than forty years. See his website for more beautiful images.
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.
On September 16, you can see their work in Sonoma Plaza. Here's a preview:
Susie Hyer from Evergreen, Colorado is joining us at Sonoma Plein Air this year. You can follow her work on Facebook, Instagram and on her website. We asked her about her plein air painting experiences, and she replied, "I am drawn to plein air painting not only to study nature from life, which I believe is crucial to my understanding of objects in the landscapes that I paint, but really for me its about standing out in nature and being able to experience the scene by not only visually, but all my senses.
It's been my nature to always do outdoor activities from the time I was a small child so it seems totally natural that painting would take me outdoors. Painting where I live in Evergreen is spending time with deer, elk, foxes, squirrels and all manner of wildlife large and small. Painting at a creek and having a heard of elk move past, with my easel at the center of that herd, is an experience not many people get to have. Singing birds, gurgling brooks, the sound of waves moving in and out confer a restful peace on a restless soul. Plein air painting takes me out of my head, (which in my case can be a scary place), and into my heart.
Plein air painting is a good excuse to gather information and materials to make larger studio paintings, but instead of the opening act, it has become the main event. There is a freshness to those paintings I just may not get in the studio. Then there is the camaraderie of painting with other artists outdoors that speaks to my social side, when I have spent enough time introverted and alone in the studio. This ads some kind of balance to what can be a somewhat crazy lifestyle ... my life is a blessed collection of amazing people and places that continue to inspire me."
In the 1970’s, Peggy Immel took a weekly class from Jack Pellew at the Silvermine Art Center School in New Canaan, CT. That workshop was her introduction to plein air painting. Mr. Pellew always started the day with a demonstration. One week it would be in oil and the next week in watercolor. Then, after his demo, the students would paint outside and he would critique their work at the end of the day.
Says Peggy, "My love of plein air painting began with, and has continued since that first class. It was a seminal experience for me. I spend about half of my painting time in the studio and half of it painting on site. That means I’ve probably spent over 30,000 hours plein air painting during the last 40 years since that first wonderful class at Silvermine. Wow! That’s a long time to be standing outside in front of an easel by anybody’s standard. So, why do it? Well, first of all, it’s fun. And it’s addicting! Mountain climbers call it 'feeding the rat.' I start each painting with the belief that it will be better than my last one I like the quote I heard recently about the great cellist, Pablo Casals. When asked why he was still practicing 4 or 5 hours a day at 83 he said, 'Because I think I’m making progress.' So, there you have it, the three main reasons I plein air paint. It’s fun, I think I’m making progress, and I’m feeding the rat."
Peggy hails from Taos, New Mexico. You can preview her work on her website, and follow her on Instagram, and Twitter.
A native of Southern California, Michael Obermeyer has received many accolades for his art, including the Laguna Plein Air Painters Association “Lifetime Achievement Award” in 2015. Visit his website to see his body of work.
“Painting offers me the opportunity to create for myself, to allow others to see how I perceive life around me, and to totally escape from the real world for awhile. I enjoy painting outdoors and working quickly. It keeps my paintings fresh and spontaneous. I especially like to paint as much of the open space that I can, as it seems to be rapidly disappearing.
When painting outdoors, en plein air, I must work quickly due to the changing light. Therefore I have a limited palette of four to seven colors. This orderly layout also enables me to mix clean, fresh color.
I try to find subject matter that fascinates me. Nature provides the perfect balance of shape, value and color - the three elements that I find most important in painting. It can be so satisfying and I feel blessed for that.
The actor Gregory Peck once said, 'I love my God, my wife, my family, and my job. I am the damn luckiest man on earth.' As someone who gets to paint for a living, that pretty much says it all for me."
The 15th Anniversary Sonoma Plein Air Gala Dinner is officially sold out. Thank you to our generous donors and sponsors!
Gala guests can refer to the "Frequently Asked Questions" page on our website for specific details about the evening.
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.
Over 15 years of Sonoma Plein Air, several artists have participated in multiple years. Mark your calendar to see new new work from old favorites! The Festival takes place, Saturday, September 16th, from 10 am-4 pm at Sonoma Plaza.
Mark Farina's very first plein air experience was almost his last. (Lucky for us, he persevered!) He was extremely self-conscience about painting out-of-doors in public.He went out at daybreak, parked along Asilomar Boulevard in Pacific Grove, hid behind his car and started painting. About forty-five minutes later two patrol cars pulled up and two policemen jumped out and asked what he was up to.He stood up with his painting held over my head. They laughed. Apparently the residents across the road called the police suspecting that he was up to some kind of nefarious activity. About two weeks later, he drove by that painting spot and saw that two new NO PARKING signs had been put up.
Says Mark, "In the twenty-five years since I have found that plein air painting has provided me with a foundation and inspiration for my quest to become a competent painter. Painting from life allows more of a connection to the subject and the opportunity to study the subtleties of nature. It has provided me with humorous, frustrating, and spiritual experiences." See more at his website and Facebook.
An award winning Northern California painter, Philippe Gandiol was born and raised in France and moved to California in his early 20’s. He has painted with oils for over 25 years. He pursued an independent program of study taking classes in France, San Francisco and Sacramento and with several renowned West Coast painters. Philippe likes to paint a variety of subjects including 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. He is actively involved with the California artist community, art events and fundraisers. He taught for many years at the Davis Art Center and now teaches privately out of his studio or in Plein Air. See more on his website and Facebook.
Paul Kratter says, "Plein Air painting is physical, not hard, but it can be trying. Outdoor conditions can be quite difficult, especially windy weather ot changing conditions. It's these variables that can add something exciting to the painting process. Trying to capture a moment of time or light speeds up the process and sometimes adds much needed vitality to a painting." Paul returns to Sonoma Plein Air in September, after his annual painting trip to the Sierra. You can find his latest work on Instagram, Facebook and on his website.
Niles Nordquist has developed over his lifetime an eye trained to capture the nuances of nature and the landscape. He searches for the uncommon view of a place, one that is not only new to him, but also that displays the powerful effects of light, that captures the sense of place and time, the essence of the present moment. Visit his website to see more work.
He says, "I enjoy plein air painting and have for more than 50 years. (I must have started when i was two.) The Sonoma Plein Air Festival has been a favorite of mine since its inception. Like many artists here, I began as an illustrator in Los Angeles. Painting from actual subjects is the basis for all my work, including studio creations - there is no substitute. The Sonoma area is ideal for the wide variety of subjects and the high quality of the juried artists. I am looking forward to this year's event."
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.
What a week! New kindergarteners, rising seniors and all grades in between walked into their classrooms in Sonoma Valley public schools. And thanks to the support of people like you - art lovers, artists and believers in a robust arts education - these students will have a wide range of hands-on art instruction and experiences that will inspire them to succeed as they take their next steps.
Meet Anna Stava, 2017 graduate of Sonoma Valley High School and the seventh recipient of Sonoma Plein Air Foundation's Lewis E. Cook III Scholarship. Her love of art started with Photography, and after a junior year Yearbook class, she became passionate about graphic design. Her love for learning led her to concurrent enrollment in a Santa Rosa Junior College Course in Adobe Illustrator and she volunteered her time to make posters for Prestwood Elelmentary School and her Senior Class T-shirt. She starts her college career at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo this month.
In our next newsletter, we'll share more about the fabulous artists coming to town for the Sonoma Plein Air Festival. This week, we are lifting the curtain to share with you what is happening behind the scenes.
The volunteers of Sonoma Plein Air are in "back to school" mode, too. Work happens all year to keep the Foundation fulfilling its mission to provide financial support to our schools and community arts organizations.
Grant applications are now coming in and being carefully evaluated.
Our first ever pre-show "Invitational Exhibition" opened at Adastra Wine & Art, and paintings from our previous Artists' Choice Award Winners are selling - with 40% of proceeds coming to the Foundation.
Volunteer hosts from the community are preparing to house our wonderful artists for plein air week.
Assignments for the big day - the Art Show and Sale on the Plaza - are being coordinated.
In other words, lots of work is being done behind the scenes to make our 15th Anniversary Year the best yet. We hope you will join us!
Would you like to be a volunteer for Sonoma Plein Air? Let us know what you are interested in!
We have opportunities throughout the year, as well as during Festival Week.
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.
Artists work hard to develop artist statements - to give us a quick glimpse into their inspiration and process. When we read their statements, and see their work we "get it" and we think you will, too. We hope you will come and see their work in person - and perhaps start or add to your art collection - at the Sonoma Plein Air Festival, on Saturday, September 15, in the Sonoma Plaza.
Light to the City, by Hiu Lai Chong
"I enjoy using vivid colors and sensitive brush stokes to express mood and feeling in my paintings. I'm often inspired by the people I meet, the history and culture I experience, and the beautiful nature we're surrounded by. My goal as an artist is to try and capture what I see to better understand the world we live in."
Hiu Lai's portrait of the Golden Gate Bridge received vigorous bidding at the 2016 Sonoma Plein Air Gala, and she painted a range of intimate and broad landscapes to show and sell at the Festival. We are excited to see her work this September.
Hiu Lai Chong, who lives in a Maryland suburb of Washington, D.C., received her early art training in Hong Kong and a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Her paintings have won numerous awards, and she is currently featured in an exhibition of contemporary and historic paintings at The Irvine Museum.
Hiu Lai is an artist member of the California Arts Club, Laguna Plein Air Painter Association, Portrait Society of America, Signature Member of the Oil Painters of America, the American Society of Marine Artists and Mid-Atlantic Plein Air Painter Association, and member of the Washington Society of Landscape Painters.
Until the Festival, you can follow her on Facebook.
Sonoma Valley View, by Greg LaRock
"My oil paintings are painted en plein air or based on plein air studies. I believe that capturing the landscape from life is the only way to study light effects, values and color as nature intended. I also believe that with the advent of the camera it is not my job to depict a scene exactly. As an artist I try to create a work of art that uses composition, color, value and focus. Just like a good book or a move, a well-edited painting speaks volumes. As I like to say, my paintings are "based on a true story."
Greg LaRock’s passion is to capture the outdoor landscape and its ever-changing light and beauty. The challenge of depicting the three-dimensional world onto canvas is a difficult pursuit, but when it all comes together, it is an extremely rewarding experience.
Greg is signature member of Laguna Plein Air Painters Association, American Impressionist Society and American Society of Marine Artists and an artist member of the California Art Club. He has won numerous awards for his painting excellence at plein air events across the country, has been juried into four of the Oil Painters of America national shows, awarded a “Jury’s Top 50” at the Greenhouse Gallery’s Salon International twice, was an invited artist nine times to LPAPA’s annual Plein Air Invitational. He has also been profiled in Plein Air Magazine with an article on “Ideas for Better Paintings,”,featured in Southwest Art’s “Artist to Watch” column and included in a Jack Richeson Fine Art Series book “Plein Air New Mexico.”
You can find him on Facebook, Twitter and in September, at Sonoma Plein Air.
Missouri, by Devin Roberts
"Painting out in the landscape is where I find the most joy, wonder and peace in my life. When I create different pieces of art the thing that remains constant every time is the desire I have to convey the sense of mood and mystery that I feel when out in nature and to hopefully take the viewer on a journey that results in a clearer vision of our beautiful planet. If I can help that viewer escape for a few moments from the monotony of their life, if I can take them out of their office or home and put them on the top of a mountain or beside the ocean, I have fulfilled my purpose."
Devin Roberts is making his debut at the 15th Anniversary Sonoma Plein Air Festival. He won First Place in Plein Air Magazine's Salon competition in June/July, and he'll be featured as "An Artist of Note" in the August 2017 issue of Southwest Art magazine. Early collectors, take note!
Devin splits his time between the Midwest States and the Puget Sound of Washington State. Born in the foot hills of the Cascades and raised up and down the west coast as a child, nature has always been an important part of Devin’s life and as a result he has put his primary focus on painting the landscape. His days are spent either in the field studying directly from nature or in the comfort of the studio painting well thought out emotive pieces. He attended the gage Academy of Art in Seattle and workshop study under Jim Lamb, Mitch Albala and Jeffery Watts.
You can find him on Facebook, where he has over 19,000 followers.
It's five weeks to Festival time, but you can see some pretty great plein air art while you are waiting...
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.
The Artists' Choice Invitational Exhibition paintings have arrived! Here's a sneak peek of the unpacking, before the show is hung
at Adastra Wine & Art.
Michael Situ sent us this beautiful Laguna Beach landscape.
We were pretty excited by this knockout nocturne by Aimee Erickson.
See those empty hooks on the wall? Sonoma Plein Air Board member Irene Cook knows someone was trying out this powerful landscape by Eric Jacobsen!
When you are in Sonoma, be sure to see the entire collection of new paintings for sale by our Artists' Choice Winners from the past 15 years, and view a special selection of watercolors from private collections honoring Artists' Choice Award winner and 2016 Sonoma Treasure artist, the late Dick Cole. The Invitational Exhibition is at Adastra Wine & Art, 5 East Napa Street, opposite the Sonoma Plaza, throughout the month of August. Hours are Thursday-Monday from 12-6.
It's a great time to be involved with
Sonoma Plein Air!
For the past 15 years, a steadfast group of volunteers has worked to put on what has become a signature event for Sonoma Valley. Nationally-acclaimed artists put their signatures on paintings for sale, agreeing that 40% of the purchase price will go directly to fund art education for elementary, middle school and high school students. The Sonoma Plein Air Foundation is the major funding source for art education in Sonoma Valley public schools. We need one more signature - yours!
You can put that signature on a check for a Quick Draw painting at the Farmer's Market event on Tuesday, September 12.
You can sign on a credit card authorization to purchase a great painting at the Sonoma Plein Air Festival on Saturday, September 16.
You can sign digitally to make a donation to fund art education
You can sign up to be a volunteer and help continue the Sonoma Plein Air tradition. We are actively seeking community members with financial and marketing expertise to help us fulfill our mission of providing art education to the youth of Sonoma Valley.
Thanks for reading! We'll be sharing more news next week.
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.
Every year, the line-up changes. New artists are juried in and long-time favorites submit their finest new works to be ensured of a coveted spot. The week of September 11 begins with 35 artists heading into the vineyards and fields of Sonoma and Napa, out to the Pacific Coast and down as far as San Francisco. And on Saturday, September 16 they will bring the fruits of their labor to the Sonoma Plaza - to sell their work to raise funds to support art education for youth in the Sonoma Valley.
We've asked artists to share anecdotes about their lives and painting experiences. Here are some interesting tales:
Which Sonoma Plein Air artist has gone supersonic?
Robert Gantt Steele began his education studying architecture. After US Army service, he completed his Master of Architecture at the University of California, Berkeley. He then became a professional architect and worked as a designer in Switzerland. He then won a Fulbright Grant to study design in Vienna, Austria. While there, he realized that painting, not architecture, would be his life’s work.
Returning to the USA, he studied painting at the Art Students League in New York and at the Academy of Art in San Francisco where he has also taught. Since then, his many commissions have included paintings for the musical revival of “Showboat” on Broadway, many illustrated books, murals for a National Park Service National Monument in New York, and paintings done in France for Smithsonian Magazine.
His military service and art have a fascinating connection: since 1983 he has painted in a USAF program in which professional artists are escorted to the many Air Force bases in the world and to their often exotic locations. He's been to Japan, Korea, Okinawa, and the Philippines as guest of the Air Force, painting all the way. A number of years ago, he was asked to fly back seat in an F16 fighter jet from a base near the Florida keys. While he could not actually do a plein sketch while supersonic, he did plenty on the ground. Says Steele, "The mission is to record the life and times of Air Force people and to show our paintings in the Pentagon and elsewhere that acknowledge our debt to them."
Who could it be out there in the night, painting in the neighborhood?
Brian Sindler made his first appearance at Sonoma Plein Air in 2016 and introduced us to his tonalist, comtemporary style, with simplified forms, contrasting tonalities and color harmonies. Like many fine artists, Brian had another career - after earning a bachelor of arts from Columbia College in Columbia, Missouri, he worked as a musician for years, and he did not take up art until he was into his thirties.
Sindler began classes at the American Academy of Art in Chicago in 1996. From 1997 through 2001, he was enrolled at the School of Representational Art, a French-style atelier in Chicago. Since then, he has exhibited widely in individual and group shows. In additional to gallery exhibitions, he has been a regular exhibitor at the Salmagundi Club in New York, the Plein Air Festival in Door County, Wisconsin, and the Cedarburg Plein Air Competition. This year, he was awarded Best in Show at the Milwaukee Museum Mile Plein Air and Best of Show and the Artists' Choice Award at Jefferson Plein Air.
Says Sindler, "Because most of my paintings are nocturnes, I've been asked by fellow artists if I am a vampire or if I ever sleep? The answer is NO, to both questions."
Brian posts his work regularly on Instagram, probably before the sun rises.
It's true. This award winning painting started with ants in her pants.
Robin Purcell is a watercolorist, returning to Sonoma Plein Air for our 15th anniversary. She's also active on Instagram and Facebook where you can get regular glimpses of her work.
The resume of her awards and associations is deep: seven consecutive times in the California Art Club's Gold Medal Exhibition; the California Art Club's On Location in Malibu Exhibit and The American Watercolor Society Exhibition at the Salmagundi Club. Most recently her paintings received the Award of Excellence in Watermedia at the 16th Annual American Impressionists Society Exhibit and the best watercolor award at the Carmel Art Festival. Purcell is an Artist Member of the California Art Club, Signature Member of the American Watercolor Society, The National Watercolor Society, The Laguna Plein Air Painters Association and a Master Signature Member of the California Watercolor Association.
And she's got spunk. Says Purcell, "During the second day of the Carmel Plein Air Event there was a downpour so intense my palette became came a lake of pale colors and the drying time was way too long. As I gathered up my gear, something stung me hard on my leg. I shook out my pants and a large red ant fell out. It had probably climbed up to get out of the rain! The welt was large and painful and growing fast so I took large dose of an antihistamine to stop the reaction and fell asleep. The next morning I was still very drowsy, but it was sunny so I dragged myself out to paint and told myself I'll just stay two hours and see what happens. I was so tired from the antihistamine, I was hanging on to the easel for support. And I simplified the scene as much as I dared. And the painting won Best Watercolor."
See you at the Festival - Saturday June 16th - Sonoma 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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!
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
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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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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
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!
Meet the artists of Sonoma Plein Air:
Paul Kratter, Jim Wodark and Eric Jacobsen
Paul Kratter returns to Sonoma Plein Air after a year away - and with quite a story to tell. Every year, Paul takes a plein air painting pack trip with a group of artist friends. In August 2015, at 9,000 feet elevation in the Eastern Sierra Mountains, Paul slipped on a steep trail coming out of Garnet Lake. Seven miles from the pack station, with a dislocated knee cap, he waited over 4 hours on the side of the trail to be rescued and flown out by helicopter to Mammoth Hospital. After successful surgery, Paul is doing great and is planning this years's trip. His painting, Gold in the Hills, is testament to his love of the mountains. Visit his website to experience more of this dedicated landscape painter's work.
Jim Wodark just returned from the Plein Air Convention (yes - artists have conventions!) where he learned he was the Third Prize winner in the Plein Air Magazine Salon Show - a year-long painting competition with hundreds of excellent artists. No stranger to awards, he's won Best of Show at the Laguna Plein Air Painters Best of Plein Air 2015 and a host of other Best of Show, First, Second, and Third Prize awards in prestigious plein air events. Jim has dedicated himself to art for a quarter-century and continues to challenge himself creatively by approaching each painting as an opportunity to try something new. We are thrilled to have him back at Sonoma Plein Air this year, and look forward to seeing his new work. Until then enjoy Horsepower, below, and see more of his work on his website.
With the painting below, Eric Jacobsen took home the Artist's Choice Award at Sonoma Plein Air last year, with his signature strong composition, bold brushstrokes and powerful color. He says, "It is most important to me that my paintings convey a certain mood. I want them to be felt by the viewer without his or her having to analyze or think about them." Collectors and artists alike think very highly of Eric's paintings - he's won nine Artist Choice awards at various competitions, is represented by numerous galleries and is a popular teacher and workshop instructor. A New Englander who studied fine art at the Lyme Academy of Fine Arts in Old Lyme, Connecticut, Eric now lives in Oregon. Visit his website here.
Plans are underway 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. Would you like to receive an invitation? Let us know through this link.
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.
Damian is a fourth grader at Dunbar School in Glen Ellen, California, and he created this cool robot in the Art at Lunch program, one of the art programs sponsored with Sonoma Plein Air funds. Damian is very proud of his creation...and we are too! Thanks to supporters like you, the Sonoma Plein Air Foundation has raised over $1,000,000 dollars to provide art education in the community and the public schools of Sonoma Valley.
Get to know these 2016 Sonoma Plein Air Artists:
Brian Sindler, Kim VanDerHoek and Greg LaRock
Moonlight, Eagle Harbor is one of several nocturne paintings that Brian Sindler, from Northbrook, Illinois, entered for the Sonoma Plein Air jury's consideration. His biography notes that he is not constrained by any desire to capture nature as it appears to him at any moment in ever-changing lighting and atmospheric conditions. He takes liberties with both forms and colors. It will be exciting for viewers and collectors to see how Brian will capture the Sonoma and surrounding landscapes in his tonalist, contemporary style. Brian is represented in galleries in the Midwest and has participated in several prestigious art competitions. He is a first-time artist at the Sonoma Plein Air Festival, and you can see more of his work on his website.
Kim VanDerHoek returns to Sonoma Plein Air for her fifth year in 2016. Earlier this year, Kim was featured in Southwest Art Magazine as an "artist to watch." Kim has a favorite location in Sonoma County that she finds her way back to each year - with rolling hills, cows and a farmer that welcomes her one year and shoos her away the next. So far, she's created 9 paintings at her "sweet spot" along the road. Every year she wonders if, as an artist, she has any more to say in this location and every year she leaves with several more painting ideas in her head that she could have done there. Be sure to ask her about it when you visit her at the Festival! Until then, visit her website, find her on Facebook, and follow her on Instagram and Twitter.
Greg LaRock is a veteran plein air painter - this year alone he'll be "warming up" at six or seven events before arriving at the Sonoma Plein Air Festival. Greg's passion is to capture the outdoor landscape and its ever-changing light and beauty. Last month, he won Best in Show in the Bold Brush Painting competition. Highly sought after as both painter and teacher, he believes the challenge of depicting the three-dimensional world onto canvas is a difficult pursuit, but when it all comes together, it is an extremely rewarding experience. Hailing from Newport Beach, California, Greg is a Signature Member of the American Impressionist Society and Laguna Plein-Air Painters Association. Find out more about this modern master on the web, Facebook and Twitter.
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.
38 acclaimed artists will join us in September for Sonoma Plein Air Festival - including new names, long-time favorites, and others who re-join us after a hiatus. The jurors are excited about the line-up and we think you will be, too. You'll find the full list at the bottom of this email.
Between now and the Festival, we will introduce you to the artists in this twice-monthly newsletter. Meet 2016 Sonoma Plein Air artists Sergio Lopez, Eric Bowman and Chuck Kovacic.
Sergio Lopez is a Sonoma County native, and at his first Sonoma Plein Air event in 2013, he won the Artist's Choice Award with this painting at Bodega Bay. You can read about his experience here. He finds Sonoma ever-inspiring, and never ceases to find a new gorgeous area no matter how often he explores. The co-founder of the North Bay Plein Air Painters group, Sergio especially enjoys discovering new vistas, setting up his easel, and creating a piece on the spot. He believes there is no better way to discover the truth and essence of a scene than by standing before it and studying it carefully. In addition to plein air, Sergio is an accomplished studio artist of both landscapes and figurative paintings, which you can find on Facebook and his website.
Essentially a self-taught artist, Eric Bowman had a knack for drawing as far back as he can remember, always the class artist throughout his elementary and high school years. His various art-related jobs - such as silk screen T-shirt printer and surfboard airbrush technician - led him to a lengthy and successful career as a commercial artist. He eventually transitioned to fine art painting, and has garnered many awards in juried competitions. Eric is a Signature Member of both the American Impressionist Society and the Laguna Plein Air Painters Association. A Southern California native, Eric resides in northwest Oregon. He'll be making a return visit to Sonoma this year, but until then you can find him on Facebook, and keep updated on his work via his website.
Chuck Kovacic relocated from the Midwest to Southern California after a career in graphic design and art direction. Although he had pursued painting as his minor at the Cleveland Institute of Art, he only resumed painting many years later. He works in the traditional plein air style of the Impressionists, and his painting investigates a diversity of subject matter, though the differences of light and foliage are subtleties which continue to intrigue him. Chuck is an Artist member of the California Art Club and his work is currently part of their prestigious annual Gold Medal Show. Be sure to have a look at his website and mark your calendar to get a closer look at his very popular works during the Sonoma Plein Air Festival Plaza Sale on Saturday, September 10.
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.
The dates have been selected, the artists have submitted their portfolios to the jury, and the scores of volunteers are mobilized for Sonoma Plein Air 2016!
We want to make sure you are getting all the news you need about the participating artists, the events, and the valuable art education programs that are supported by the proceeds from Sonoma Plein Air.
Please take a moment to confirm or update your contact preferences by clicking this link: update your preferences.
Thank you, and we'll be in touch!
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 the Sonoma Valley.