The Joys, Rewards of Painting Outdoors

If you see a group of artists painting a beautiful scene, say, at Middletown's Bayshore Waterfront Park on a Monday morning, then there is a good chance they are members of the Plein Air Painters of the Jersey Coast (PAPJC).

The members of PAPJC spend almost every Monday morning painting in various locations around the county.

Their lush and dreamy paintings are on display once again at the Middletown Arts Center in an exhibition called A Breath of Plein Air. On display through the end of November are more than 100 paintings by members of the group who paint outdoors in order to capture the beauty of coastal and central New Jersey.

The Plein Air Painters paint outside of the studio throughout all seasons and all types of weather. Artists can be spotted at their easels by waterways, parks and piers along the coast as well as inland.

Working in the open air allows these artists try to duplicate the unique colors and light effects that can only be seen when the artist paints under an open sky. PAPJC artists work in a variety of media including oil, watercolor and pastel.

Candace Petersen, Neptune, works in pastel, but she was not always an artist. In 2005, after 30 years as a software systems analyst, Petersen left the world of charts and diagrams behind to focus on painting the outside world.

“My favorite subjects are those where light and dimensionality play leading roles," Petersen said. "Being 'bi-coastal' with residences in coastal New Jersey and the north shore of Lake Huron in Michigan, I often draw inspiration from dunes, farms, and forests. But the play of light against man-made structures also provides alluring subject matter, particularly when I travel.”

She began painting with the Plein Air Painters four years ago and last may Petersen became the group's president. She said when she paints outdoors, she feels that she is in the moment and that state imbues her paintings with atmosphere, texture and feeling.

“Once I get into the rhythm of a plein air painting, everything extraneous falls away," Petersen said. "After painting outside on location for a couple of hours, I can return to the studio and, still feeling the weather and hearing the birdsong, be transported back to the vision that moved me.”

For the first time, the annual show of PAPJC members was juried. The juror was Jane McGraw-Teubner, an award winning plein air artist and signature member in the Pastel Society of America.  

This main show focuses on small works with larger works displayed in the North Hall of the Middletown Arts Center. The paintings are for sale and 30 percent of each purchase will go to the Arts Center to benefit arts-related projects for the community.

In conjunction with their juried art show, The PAPJC members will demonstrate the process of plein air painting at the during November. There is no charge but pre-registration is required because of space limitations.

The following is the schedule for the remainder of the month’s demonstrations:

• Friday, Nov. 18, 4 to 5 p.m. — Marge Levine, demo for middle schoolers

• Monday, Nov. 21, 7 to 8 p.m. — Judy Stach, demo for families, all ages

Petersen said that one of the greatest pleasures of painting outdoors is the reaction of children, a group for which the PAPJC focuses on demonstrating. "They seem universally delighted with the bright colors of my pastels and the fact that we are out there, in a swirl of people and weather, trying to capture a feeling on paper," she said. "Their feelings become part of the scene being captured."

To further capture the imaginations of children in grades 5-8, the demos will be presented in step-by-step fashion that will include precisely what is involved when artists go outside to paint.

The artist conducting the demonstration will arrive in full outdoor painting gear and explain the reasons for the specific garments and accessories. While setting up an easel, preparing painting palette and readying other equipment, the artist will explain the purpose and need for each item.

Following the set-up, the artist will take the audience through the key stages of planning and executing an on-site painting, illustrating each step in an abbreviated fashion.

The stages to be covered include: set-up, identifying what to paint, simplifying the composition to its essentials, choosing values and colors, illustrating how to paint a scene quickly, and overcoming common challenges when painting outdoors.

Admission is free. The MAC Gallery is open to the public Monday and Thursday 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday by appointment. Please call 732-706-4100 or visit www.middletownarts.org for more information.

The MAC is located at 36 Church Street in Middletown (next to the Middletown train station).

For more information on this show or its artists, check the PAPJC Web site at www.thepapjc.com.

There will be a wine and cheese reception for this show on Nov. 19 from 7 to 9 p.m.