New Smyrna Beach Paint Out
Mark your calendars for October 15-19, 2024 as we celebrate the New Smyrna Beach Paint Out!
What is the New Smyrna Beach Plein Air Paint Out? This fabulous five-day event invites you to Discover Nature Through Art and celebrates everything that makes our seaside community unique. With a goal of raising valuable funds for two local nonprofits, the NSB Paint Out brings to light the important work of Marine Discovery Center and Artists’ Workshop of New Smyrna Beach.
Artist participation is by invitation only. If you would like to be considered for our 2025 event or have any questions, please email Cheryl Faber at cherylfaber@gmail.com
What is Plein Air Painting?
En plein air is a French expression meaning “in the open air,” and refers to the act of painting outdoors with the artist’s subject in full view. Plein air artists capture the spirit and essence of a landscape or subject by incorporating natural light, color, and movement into their works.
Artists have long painted outdoors, but in the mid-1800s painting landscapes and other scenes on location finally became practical due to two important inventions: paints in tubes and the box easel.
The high point of plein air art came with the emergence of Impressionism. Artists of that period included Monet, Renoir, Pissarro, Cezanne and Van Gogh. Interest in outdoor painting has remained constant since the 20th century. Today’s artists carry on the traditions of these past masters by capturing the light and movement in landscapes that can only come from seeing the subject outdoors in its natural form.
The last 20 years has seen a resurgence of interest in plein air painting in the United States. During this time, groups of plein air artists began gathering together to paint at single locations or within certain geographic boundaries. These “Paint Outs” give artists a chance to share their talents and creativity with the public and with one another.
