BAYarts Artistic by Nature Annual Plein Air Paint Out and Sale

Mallory Regata, watercolor by plein air instructor and judge Jeff Suntala. Images courtesy of BAYarts.

En plein air is a French expression meaning “in the open air” and refers to the act of painting outdoors with the artist’s subject in full view. Plein air artists capture the spirit and essence of a landscape or subject by incorporating natural light, color, and movement into their works.

BAYarts is nestled in the beautiful Huntington Reservation of the Cleveland Metroparks in Bay Village. For many years we have been planning to host an annual BAYarts plein air event, inviting local artists to our campus for a weekend of painting in Nature. The plan was tabled for a few years as COVID restrictions delayed our ability to have an event this size. This year we will make it a reality and present the Artistic by Nature Annual Plein Air Paint Out and Sale, September 23 to 26.

Kinkel Avenue, watercolor by plein air instructor and judge Jeff Suntala.

To pull off this event, we invited Jeff Suntala, a plein air painting expert who has honed his skills all over our region—painting scenes depicting the variety of our Northeast Ohio landscapes from the cities to the shores of Lake Erie. Suntala is a watercolor artist and an art educator who belongs to many organized painting groups, such as the Urban Sketchers and The Pretentious Cleveland Portrait Artists. His work has been awarded and displayed throughout our region. Suntala will be on premises for a workshop on Saturday, September 17, where he will demonstrate his technique and advise students of all levels on the art of plein air and how to compose a successful plein air painting. The painting weekend will conclude with a judging by Suntala, followed by an awards ceremony and reception. Examples of Jeff Suntala’s plein air work can be found at suntalawatercolors.com/plein-air/.

Registration for the Artistic by Nature Annual Plein Air Paint Out and Sale will be available at bayarts.net on Monday, August 15. We will provide a detailed overview of the weekend’s painting activities, as well as the September 17 workshop held prior to the event.

BAYARTS
28795 Lake RoadBay Village, Ohio 44140BAYarts.net440.871.6543