More than 30 artists painted “plein air” or outdoors around Ashcroft on May 31 and June 1, as part of the seventh annual Plein Air Paint-out.
The artists, who were either from Ashcroft, as far as Metchosin or places in between, created a total of about 150 paintings based on the landscape and buildings in and around town.
Some of the paintings were put on display on June 2, at the Wet Show and Sale at St. Alban’s Hall.
Julie Cutting, who moved to Ashcroft from the B.C. coast, won the people’s choice award for her first-ever submission to Plein Air, a painting titled The Guardians.
| Ashcroft resident Julie Cutting won the people's choice award at the Wet Show and Sale at St. Alban's Hall on June 2 for her first-ever submission to Plein Art, titled The Guardians. Karissa Gall photo |
Inspired by a photo she saw on Facebook of Mount Rushmore before presidents’ faces were carved into the rock, Cutting said she painted the naturally-occurring faces she saw in hoodoos.
“I drive down past the hoodoos every day because I work at Koppers,” she said. “Those hoodoos look like they’re guarding the river.”
| Ashcroft resident Julie Cutting said she was inspired to paint faces on the hoodoos for Plein Air after seeing a Facebook photo of Mount Rushmore before the presidents' faces were carved into the rock. Submitted photo |
Cutting said she completed her painting on June 1, which also happened to be her birthday.
“This is a great way to get involved in the community up here even if you don’t paint that much,” she said.
| Plein Air organizing committee member and WRAPS president Jessica Clement (left) presented the people's choice award to winner Julie Cutting on June 2 at St. Alban's Hall. Karissa Gall photo |
Debbie Lively, an artist from Kamloops who was participating for the third time, won the artists’ choice award.
Lively’s painting, titled B.C. Express, featured the B.C. Express Building at 6th Street and Railway Avenue, across from Heritage Place Park.
| Kamloops artist Debbie Lively (left) won the Plein Air artist's choice award on June 2 at St. Alban's Hall for her painting, B.C. Express. Karissa Gall photo |
The building, a heritage site, was constructed in 1911 as the headquarters of the B.C. Express Company that handled the freight going north to the gold fields, as well as other cargo.
“I drove by the purple door and I had to paint it,” she said, adding that she is drawn to bright colours. “It was like a magnet.”
| Kamloops artist Debbie Lively said she was inspired to paint the Ashcroft heritage building at 6th Street and Railway Avenue for the seventh annual Plein Air because she was drawn to the colourful purple door. Karissa Gall photo |
READ MORE: Plein Air artists find inspiration in and around Ashcroft
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