Autumn Plein Air Pleasures - Part 1: Niagara

Hard to believe it is almost the end of September! I have been away for most of it, painting of course. It's good to be home at last, knee deep in new work to be catalogued!

First I headed to Niagara Falls for International Plein Air Painters' World Wide Paint Out.


(All Your Cares... (2006) plein air watercolour by Brandy Kitten Gale)

I must remark on the variety of weather we worked in, the skies on Saturday morning were particularly exciting to render. During the timed "Quick Draw" portion, I was painting alongside a row of others under the bus shelter in the drizzle. As the sun coyly hid and reappeared, some cheered, others booed, for their light was lost! Great fun and camaraderie.

At the lovely reception and awards on Saturday evening at Edgewater we were fortunate that John Stuart Pryce brought along his fabulous sketchbook from his Arctic Quest foray, full of gems. How I would love to work up there someday.

To my delight, I was given the honour and privilege of announcing the recipients of three of the evening's awards; here are IPAP Founder J. Baldini and I, with IPAP newcomer Garin Baker, and the two Founder's Awards winners, whose work I admire greatly - L. Diane Johnson and John Stuart Pryce:



photos by Charles Vanderslys

I was also invited to introduce Niagara Falls Canada Major Ted Salci, however he was called away at the last minute and was not able to MC the event. Niagara Falls New York Mayor Vincent Anello was in attendance for the first time, giving the Paint Out even more International cachet.


Thanks goes to Jacqueline Baldini and crew for another amazing World Wide Paint Out.
Looking forward to next year!

I stayed in Niagara Falls for a couple more days to paint, and raced home to prepare for going out West. On Sunday, by serendipitous chance in the Botanical Gardens, our group ran into Robert Amirault and Sam Paonessa, who also had also decided to stay on. Seems Niagara is addictive!


(Sam at work in Niagara's Botanical Gardens and Horticulture School. Photo by Brandy Gale)


PART 2 coming up. British Columbia, and then Lake Louise!