Winter Park April 2010 : Page 18

2009 Paint Out, is approaching this year’s event – April 24-May 1 – from a community- oriented perspective: He plans to include more people in his paintings this time. “It’s not just the structures,” he says. “It’s the people walking around.” Now on staff at the Polasek, Ortega adds, “Working here has given me a different perspective on the Polasek.” Ortega’s return to the Winter Park area about nine months ago was a “logical choice,” he says, and presented the “best opportunity. Being with the other artists as much as I am is a treat.” ART A alfresco FOR THE SECOND YEAR, THE PUBLIC IS INVITED TO WATCH AS ‘PLEIN-AIR’ ARTISTS OF THE WINTER PARK PAINT OUT ROAM THE CITY, CAPTURING ITS BEAUTY AND CHARM BY DIXIE TATE brief move to Roanoke, Va., following last year’s Winter Park Paint Out, Berto Ortega’s back in town. That means that if you’re strolling among the artists set up on the grounds of the Albin Polasek Museum & Sculpture Gardens at the end of April, you may just wind up in one of his paintings. Ortega, one of the 24 artists at the inaugural b 18 APRIL 2010 | WINTER PARK MAGAZINE That’s part of what makes the Winter Park Paint Out an attractive draw for artists: a week spent in the company of fellow artists, interpreting the beauty of Winter Park on canvas – or, in the case of one artist, on smooth-as-glass wood. For the public, it means the opportunity to rub elbows with some of Florida’s most in-demand professional artists. “They are a great bunch of folks, very giving of their talent and time,” says FEATURE

Pretty as a Picture

Dixie Tate

FOR THE SECOND YEAR, THE PUBLIC IS INVITED TO WATCH AS ‘PLEIN-AIR’ ARTISTS OF THE WINTER PARK PAINT OUT ROAM THE CITY, CAPTURING ITS BEAUTY AND CHARM After a brief move to Roanoke, Va., following last year’s Winter Park Paint out, Berto Ortega’s back in town. That means that if you’re strolling among the artists set up on the grounds of the Albin Polasek Museum & Sculpture Gardens at the end of April, you may just wind up in one of his paintings. Ortega, one of the 24 artists at the inaugural 2009 Paint Out, is approaching this year’s event – April 24-May 1 – from a communityoriented perspective: He plans to include more people in his paintings this time. “It’s not just the structures,” he says. “It’s the people walking around.” Now on staff at the Polasek, Ortega adds, “Working here has given me a different perspective on the Polasek.” Ortega’s return to the Winter Park area about nine months ago was a “logical choice,” he says, and presented the “best opportunity. Being with the other artists as much as I am is a treat.” That’s part of what makes the Winter Park Paint Out an attractive draw for artists: a week spent in the company of fellow artists, interpreting the beauty of Winter Park on canvas – or, in the case of one artist, on smooth-as-glass wood. For the public, it means the opportunity to rub elbows with some of Florida’s most in-demand professional artists. “They are a great bunch of folks, very giving of their talent and time,” says Hal Stringer, who is co-chairing the Paint Out with Gary Hollingsworth for a second year. “You can talk to them about their work as they paint, get to know them as people, and learn what inspires them creatively.” A ‘PLEIN-AIR’ PARADISE While plein air – French for “open air” – painting may have gained momentum in California during the past couple of decades or so, Polasek Executive Director Debbie Komanski explains that Florida is considered the home of the plein air renaissance. She said the state “is now becoming known as probably the premier center for plein air painting in the U.S. today,” due, in large part, to a large artistic community, the weather and strong support from the artists’ constituency and people in the region. And, Komanski says, “There’s no other locale where it is done that allows such a diverse range of subjects. Winter Park is one of the most beautiful towns and offers the artists such myriad opportunities” – lakes and parks, a wide variety of architecture and a combination of the two. From her offi ce overlooking the Polasek’s sculpture-dotted and well-sculpted grounds snug on the shores of Lake Osceola, Komanski says in an almost reverential tone, “I so believe in it.” BUILDING ON SUCCESS Planning began for the 2010 Paint Out as soon as the lights went out on last year’s event, which was considered a huge success by everyone involved. Every artist sold work during the 2009 Paint Out, and 64 of the 100 scenes captured on canvas sold. “I think the most important thing for 2010 is that this is our second year,” says Stringer, who, as the organizer of seven paint outs in fi ve years, is considered by some to be Mr. Paint Out. “I know that sounds funny, but for a paint out, it’s really important. One of the toughest things about this type of event is educating the public about its purpose, scope, how they can participate, and what a paint out is really all about. Usually that takes years to do. Last year I think we managed to inform and educate folks really well. Given that we have an audience that knows more about the event, we can build on that.” While last year will be hard to top, Stringer says “there’s always room for improvement.” changes this year include: Expanding the event to eight days from fi ve. New gallery layout and lighting to improve traffi c fl ow and artwork display. New patrons program for art lovers and collectors. New Web site fully integrated with the museumfs Web site. A plan to photograph and post all artwork on the Web as soon as it is turned in. Making last yearfs informal Sunset Paint In at Houstonfs restaurant on Lake Killarney a scheduled event. LOOK FOR 2 NEW ARTISTS Two new artists will join the ranks of the original 24. They are Stacy Barter and Matthew Cornell. Barter, who graduated from the University of Central Florida with a journalism degree, has been painting fulltime since 1996. For her stunning fl orals and still lifes she uses oils, as she loves the gfl uid, juicy, wet-in-wet painting.h In anticipation of the Paint Out, Barter has been gfaithfully painting outside every day.h There is, she says, gso much excitement and intensity to working from life.h Paint outs also offer the gexcitement of having all these fresh, wet canvases and people coming through to see how the artists have interpreted their community.h Watching art in progress is ghow I got interested in being an artist,h Barter says. Barter fi nds the camaraderie of a paint out appealing. It is inspiring to be around other artists, she says. She expects to also fi nd inspiration in the fl ower beds at the Polasek and in street scenes along Park Avenue. Her plan is to start two different paintings a day, making use of the morning and afternoon light. Cornell, who came to Winter Park four years ago from Louisville, Ky., has been working as an artist for 15 to 20 years. He did a glittleh . Meaning probably fi ve paintings, he says . Plein air painting after graduating from college in California before he moved into studio work. His involvement in the Paint Out brings him full circle, Cornell says, and, as he was reminded recently when working on his poster-competition entry at the Polasek, it is much different from studio work. Starting and fi nishing a painting outside requires “simply trying to get down what I see in front of me – and very quickly. The translation is purer. There is editing going on, but it is very different from studio work.” Inside, Cornell points out, the artist has a “bit more control.” Outside, he says, “I can be looking at a tree and 20 minutes later it’s in the shade and it’s not coming back until tomorrow.” Having grown up “partially” in Kansas, Cornell understandably is drawn to extremes of weather. “The Weather Channel is always on at home,” he says. His favorite subjects: storms and tornadoes. For the Paint Out, he’s considering painting at the museum but also fi nds the courtyard at Barnie’s coffeeshop on Park Avenue intriguing, as well as the views by the railroad tracks. “I may just end up down by the side of a lake,” Cornell says. It is obvious from Cornell’s paintings, which are oil on wood, that water is another favorite subject. One photographic image of the sparkling Santee River in South Carolina, for example, has provided the inspiration for 20 to 25 large and small paintings of sunlight dancing on burnt sienna waves. A WINNING STRATEGY The strategy that proved a winning one in this year’s poster competition was Kathleen Chenet’s approach: “When we started painting, I tried to think poster.” Her painting of Albin Polasek’s Forest Idyl sculpture in front of City Hall captured the judges’ eye. “I chose it because I thought it was such a really sweet statue,” she says. She, too, already has in mind several scenes she’d like to paint, including a house on Palmer Avenue that she hopes to capture in late-afternoon light. A late bloomer of sorts – she started painting when she was 50 – and a veteran of several paint outs, Chenet says, “You learn to paint what catches your eye immediately instead of looking for the perfect scene.” What does she do to prepare? “I practice because I still get scared. I just paint like a maniac every second that I can.” HAPPY ART LOVERS Between the workshops and the parties, art lovers can look forward to being on the receiving end of many months’ worth of creative energy just waiting to be uncorked as the second Winter Park Paint Out gets under way. Sure to be among those taking in the scenery will be satisfi ed customers from last year’s event. Winter Park resident Leslie Poole is one of those. Poole bought a small lakescape painted by M.J. Gandee. “Seeing an artist at work in a certain setting – even better a place familiar to me – and then seeing it captured on canvas is wonderful,” Poole said. “It is also fun to see the many different impressions of Winter Park expressed by different artists. I was drawn to the small lakescape that we bought because we have seen that place many times – a glowing sunset sky over water with tall trees in view. That’s Winter Park to me.” And that, says Komanski, is exactly what a paint out is all about. “Come here, have fun, look at the art – and hopefully go home with some – get to know the artists and learn about plein air.”

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