Artists of every painting medium and every skill level are invited to create plein air works at our Summer Plein Air Paint Day & Art Sale on Saturday, August 1, 2020, from 9am-4:00pm at Kinstone. We are pleased to announce that participating artists may exhibit and sell any works produced during this event between 4pm and 6pm on Saturday and again on Sunday between 10am and 6pm on the Porch of the Kinstone Education Building. Weekends are our busiest times and we hope that extending the sale to Sunday during our regular open hours will increase exposure and sales for everyone! For this event, Kinstone will retain 15% of all artist’s sales. Artists must remove their artwork by 6:30pm on Sunday, August 2.
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“Summer set lip to earth’s bosom bare,
And left the flushed print in a poppy there.”
~Francis Thompson
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The cost to participate is $5/person (i.e. equal to and included in the price of admission to Kinstone!) No pre-registration is required. Registration is from 7:30-8:30am onsite. Artists must sign a liability waiver upon Registration. Artists should bring along their own food, snacks and beverages.
In case of rain there are several shelters artists may opt to work in including inside the Dolmen, the yurt, straw-clay cabin, Dragon’s Keep pavilion, Chapel of Creation, the classroom, and the Porch on the Education Center.
Kinstone will maintain its normal open hours (10am to 6pm) to the public throughout this event. Anyone visiting Kinstone (admission is $5/person) on this day is invited to watch, interact with, enjoy and perhaps even purchase the resulting work of the participating artists!
Date: Saturday, August 1, 2020
Time:
- Artist Registration: 7:30am – 8:30am
- Artist Painting: 9:00am – 4:00pm (Artists wishing to exhibit their work should finish painting by 3:30pm or in time to get their completed works to the exhibit area and ready for sale by 4pm.)
- Art Exhibition/Sale: 4:00pm – 6:00pm Saturday (Note: The exhibition and sale will continue on Sunday from 10am to 6pm during our normal open hours. Artists must remove their artworks by 6:30pm Sunday.)
Location: Kinstone Megalithic Garden, S3439 Cole Bluff Lane, Fountain City, WI
What to bring:
- All your own art supplies, chair and any other set up you require.
- Dress for the weather and wear sturdy walking shoes.
- An umbrella, if you wish, for shade or in case of rain!
- Your own water bottle / travel mug. We encourage you to bring your own water bottle/travel mug to drink from. This is a sustainable practice we promote for all events at Kinstone. If you forget yours, don’t worry, we’ve got you covered!
- Pack your own lunch, snacks, and water!
SUMMER at Kinstone is lush and lovely. Gardens are proliferating and the prairie is in full bloom, awash with color and abuzz with pollinators of all kinds. The standing stones are sun-kissed; warm to the touch and welcoming to the spirit. The pond is the center of a constant dance of dragonflies and swallows. Tall grasses wave you on to paths that rise and fall, keeping the next wonder hidden until you step forward just a little further. Find your way to the amphitheater of the labyrinth, the cool shelter of the dolmen, and the quiet seclusion of the Circle of Mystery or many other wonders to be encountered. Curvilinear rows of arborvitae and spruce hug the land and shelter you as you immerse yourself in color, light, and movement. It is magical!
This is our second plein air event and we are very excited to welcome artists from near and far, those who have been here before and those for whom this is the first time! Do you love painting outdoors? Are you inspired by the beauty of Nature? Do the standing stones and sacred, intentional spaces of Kinstone intrigue you? Join us! Note that we also have an Autumn Plein Air paint day coming up later this season, it has slightly different details, so please check out that event and plan to participate then, too!
Kinstone is a contemplative, park-like place with spectacular views, intriguing stonework, and natural buildings. This stunning 30-acre bluff-top property has a fabulous view of the Mississippi River as well as over 100 standing stones including three stone circles, megalithic dolmen, classic 7-circuit labyrinth, thatched, cordwood chapel, dry-stack stone sculpture, natural buildings, food forest gardens, raised bed gardens, 2-acre prairie, pond, woodlands, fields and more.
Our mission states: “Kinstone blends conscious care of the Earth with art to form sacred spaces that invite and inspire people to connect with and experience the creative power of the land to transform, energize and revive the body, mind and spirit.” To further this mission, we are offering three Plein Air Paint Days in 2020 to connect artists and the sacred beauty of the land: Spring, Summer, and Autumn – each one with slightly different details. We are excited about all the possibilities and creative wonder that will manifest from this connection.
So, What is Plein Air Painting?
En Plein Air is a French expression meaning “in the open air” and it describes the practice of artists painting outdoors with the subject directly in view rather than in a studio. Plein air artists work to capture the spirit and essence of a landscape or subject by incorporating natural light, color and movement into their art.
According to Wikipedia, in the mid-19th century, working in natural light became particularly important to various artists and schools of art (e.g. the Barbizon school, Hudson River School, and Impressionists). Wikipedia goes on to say French impressionist painters such as Monet, Pissarro, Cezanne, Van Gogh and Renoir advocated plein air painting and much of their work was done outdoors.
There has been a recent revival of interest in plein air painting in the United States. Groups of plein air artists have begun gathering together to paint at single locations or within certain geographic boundaries giving them a chance to share their talents and creativity with the public and with one another.
Find out more about plein air painting and related events by visiting any of the following websites:
Wisconsin Plein Air Painters Association (WIPAPA)
