Paint the Town this weekend with a Cranford "Plein Air" event

If you've ever dreamed of strolling the streets of Europe while watching artists create their beautiful paintings, you need to go no further than your own home town.

More than 30 artists, from Vermont to Kansas to Germany, are visiting Cranford this week to "Paint the Town."

These extraordinary talents will be creating their masterpieces right before your eyes, on Cranford's sidewalks, parks, private gardens and riverbanks.

Brought to you by Jersey Central Art Studios along with the Cranford Chamber of Commerce and the Downtown Management Corporation, this 'Plein Air' event will allow artists to use Cranford's unique architecture and natural beauty as inspiration.

Now through Sunday, you can peek over the shoulder of these nationally known painters as they bring scenes to life.

The term "Plein Air' is French for "painting in the open air." Each artist uses the natural light at a particular time of day to capture the feeling at the time they put brush to canvas.

Headquarters for this event will be Joanie's Café right in the heart of downtown. You can pick up a map of daily updates of the artists locations

While the 'Plein Air' event continues through Sunday June 13, there will be a special competition for all artists, including amateur, on Saturday June 12. The Quick-Draw contest will allow each artist a two-hour time period to create their original outdoor painting, with all competitors confined to a four-block area of downtown Cranford. Winners will receive awards after judging, and all art will be on display downtown where the art will be put up for sale.

Sunday is the Grand Finale Show and Sale, which will take place from 1-5 p.m. All competition paintings that were created during the four-day event will be displayed, judged and offered for sale to the public.

A schedule of events can be found at jcas.org.