“ART adds to a community, attracts a core of people who are intelligent, creative and bring new ideas. They have a lot of energy, which is a really wonderful thing for a community to have.”
Landscape painters will invade Serenity Park in Castries in September. Some of the area’s most talented outdoor painters will bring their paint boxes and easels to Serenity Park, well known for its vistas of Castries Harbour and the Castries Fisheries, historically significant buildings and other items of local interest.
This remarkable 13th annual event, “Paint Castries”, is happening with the support of International Plein Air Painters and The Artist Circle. Artists are expected from Castries, Laborie, Vieux Fort and all towns in-between, to converge on Sans Soucis all day on Saturday and Sunday, September 10 and 11, to paint outdoors throughout the area.
Plein air artists seek the quality of natural light and atmosphere outdoors. Their art work is in direct response to the beauty they find in nature. They use a variety of media, from oils, through watercolours and pastels.
The public will be able to join in the fun by watching individual artists work and moving from painter to painter 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. throughout the day.
On Sunday afternoon, there will be a display of the day’s work at Serenity Park from 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. The public is invited to come and view the art and meet the artists. Alcina Nolley and Ken Lawrence of the Artist Circle are the event’s organizers, and say there is a joy about paintings outdoors and this is a chance for people to see professional artists at work, developing their paintings in response to the beauty of St. Lucia.
Plein air painting developed in France in the mid-19th century and is becoming increasingly popular.
Last year’s event drew artists from all over the Globe. Many new plein air painting groups were formed directly from this event.
International Plein Air Painters, which has members who reside throughout the world, is the blanket organization for individual plein air groups and was created for the sole purpose of advancing the execution and enjoyment of plein air painting without limitations of borders or regions.
IPAP’s members are the quiet activists in the ongoing environmental struggle. They call attention to the threatened urban scene and the vanishing farmland for history. Its members share inspiration and encouragement both on the Internet and at “paint outs”. They encourage other artists to get out and do it, to paint with other artists and share ideas.
This event is happening simultaneously in international locations and St. Lucia is part of this 14th WORLDWIDE group event hosted by International Plein Air Painters. You can join or show your support for IPAP or learn more about the group and see some of the many events happening posted on the website www.i-p-a-p.com
2016 marks the 14th Anniversary of International Plein Air Painters. IPAP makes the Paint Out a yearly event.