Laguna Plein Air Invitational final recap

The Gala Event and following show days...

(Sorry for the odd formatting, not sure why Blogger won't flush left.)

So it's Friday and the pressure to produce is off, making for a very low key day followed by the big artist's Gala. What does an artist do when they have time to burn? They paint some more! I headed out to Laguna's Main Beach and I spotted the iconic lifeguard tower and set up my gear, then along came participating artist Michael Obermeyer and then Jennifer showed up to paint too. It was a spontaneous, chatty time, with good laughs and sunshine

.

Painting the Life Guard stand of the Main Beach
with Michael Obermeyer and Jennifer Diehl.

"Day Watch" 11x14" Pastel  (sold) ©Brenda Boylan

After a great time painting, we headed out for some lunch and then home to shower up for the Gala. We had to be there an hour early so we could chill and see the work prior the guests.

My piece "Intersection on 1", 16x16" Pastel (sold)
Honored the Edward H. Boseker Award.

What an honor! Caught off guard by the big ribbon.

The Artist's Library:  artists' extra pieces painted from the week

 s well as from their studios.

Celebrating artists Lt to Rt: Brenda Boylan, Paul Kratter, Hiu Lai Chong, Aimee Erickson, 

Mark Fehlman, and Suzie Baker

My two favorite flirts, Jean Stern and Albert Handell.

The second day of the showing, the artists had to attend the event from 9-6:00 pm, so what do artists do when there is a lull in the day? They get out their painting gear and have a impromptu paint out.

Jennifer Diehl and Colin Page painting a portrait of a willing model.

Jim McVicker and Ned Mueller painting Alber Handell's portrait

A willing subject, sunflower still life from the surrounding table tops.

"Sun Day Bouquet" 12x9" Pastel

available at Attic Gallery.

The event ended on Sunday, Oct 24th around 3 and then all the artists and organizers said their final goodbyes. What a wonderful week! I had very little time to gather my remaining art from the walls, get something to eat, share a piece of art with my gracious hosts as a "thank you" for their kind hospitality, and then pack up to catch my flight.  Whew, what a day! What a week!

Thanks for following along. I'm hoping you imagined yourself in this special place called Laguna Beach. Perhaps I will fortunate enough to be invited back to paint again next year.

Thanks for sticking with me!
~B

Laguna Day 6 Recap - Turn in work

These 3 pieces were my entries for the judging in the main gallery. We were also allowed up to 6 additional pieces for display in the artists library.

"Intersection on 1" 16x16" Pastel (sold)

"Pelican Point" 16x20" Pastel  (sold)

"The Backway" 14x11"  Pastel

Here are two very tired, yet very happy artists Jennifer Diehl and Greg LaRock

turning in their finished pieces,

It's Thursday morning and it was time to turn in all our work from 8-10:00 am.  

What has to happen prior submission of art is where the rubber hits the road. Dealing with fatigue and last minute decisions, making sure the inventory is picture perfect, paperwork matches the inventory titles, and stickers affixed with the pricing on the back of each piece is the crazy part that always gets me in a tizzy. It can be both exciting and frustrating. Then somehow miraculously, I have to figure out how to fit all that work into my tiny rental car without denting a frame or smearing a painting. It may seem easy, but this is where the plein air competitor earns his or her income, and a can be the tie breaker if not dealt with humor and stress releasing cussing. 

While checking in my work, I observed happy artists grinning to have wrapped up a week of wonderful non-stop painting. The treat when turning in work is being able to see all the other's work firsthand prior curating.  Some stunning artwork indeed. Unfortunately when I came around to my work, I saw condensation forming behind the glazing of 2 of my competition pieces. This will happen when a glazed piece is placed in hot, direct sunlight. Now you'd probably expect me to blow a gasket by now, but luckily I had my framing tool kit and was able to remove the backing off of my pieces to allow some air flow. All was all resolved.

The Gala wasn't until Friday night, so all the artists had over 32 hours to relax and do what artists do when in Laguna Beach;  gallery hop! So a few of us headed out to the Irvine Museum to view the current exhibition "Independent Visions- Women Artists of California, 1880-1940", followed by lunch and a few other fine galleries on the PCH.

Laguna Day 5 Recap

Wednesday morning and this is our last day of painting for the show so Jennifer and I returned back to Crystal Cove to paint the beautiful cliffs of Pelican Point. She wanted to finish her big piece, and well, I loved the place so much that I came along to paint a similar, yet smaller piece. There we were, painting away and what should propel across our view? A blimp of all things. Only in So. Cal I guess. By now I had everything I needed for the show and I was getting more excited for the Gala as well as feeling the rush to wrap the work up.   

Painting always makes me hungry.

Completed piece on the easel


"The Cliffs of Pelican Point" 8x10" Pastel ©Brenda Boylan (sold)

We packed it up and then we went to my host's house to do a little touch-up, photographing of the work, and signature signing before we had to head out to Randy Higbee's frame shop by 6:30.  But first, let me back up a bit to explain the one of the best parts about painting in Laguna.  Prior leaving for any trip like this, you have to arrange for your frames either by assembling and shipping them ahead of time at huge cost, or packaging them up and bringing them on the plane as extra luggage, all peppered with a little frustration and sweat. However, this time, I had the convenience of pre- ordering from Randy Higbee's King of Frames. The best part is that Randy Higbee has a "framing party" at his frame shop on the night before turn-in that eliminates all the stress of getting work framed for the show. The only hard part is deciding what frame style and size of painting you plan on framing a few weeks prior the event. You bring all your artwork to his team to assemble....all while being treated to a buffet meal and wine. How easy is that?  Super easy when you are dealing with pastels and glazing.

Laguna Day 4 Recap

It's Tuesday and I was beginning to feel more comfortable with the light of the day, the warmth of the sun, and the pace of the event, but definitely feeling pretty fatigued by now.  I headed out with Jennifer Diehl around 10:00 to a place highly recommended by Thomas Kitts. I'm so glad I got to see the beach, as I had been painting pretty much urban by this time and it was a welcomed relief to paint something organic. Thomas showed us a place called China Cove that had this wild looking rock formation with a cave like hole in it. The passing shadows moved quickly, so it was a tricky one to paint. We set up on the stairs and just painted away to the calming sound of crashing waves.  I brought a larger 16x20" for this one and I'm glad I did because it nearly painted itself!

Going large on location, this 16x20" 

The day was coming to an end, but not yet, because there was still time to paint a sundown painting.  We headed out to Heisler Park once again to paint and watch the sunset on the southern California coast.  I brought my Sennelier Plein Air Seaside set that has the perfect colors for wet and dry sand, ocean water and sandstone cliffs.  And well, I have to do a little shameless self promotion here.... my piece "Point Lobos Jetty" is blazed upon the box front...yes, I'm a Wheaties gal!

For dinner, all of the artists were treated with a buffet dinner at one of LPAPA's best supporter's.  I won't mention who they are for privacy reasons, but it certainly is a beautiful home filled with masterworks And I mean FILLED! One should even find good reason to visit the bathroom indeed. Recognized works from artist's like Quang Ho, Richard Schmid, Romel Delatorre, were displayed salon style, and gosh, I couldn't count how many beauties were enjoyed by the collectors. They had wonderful stories to share about each piece and how they acquired them that perhaps could be book bound.