A newly popular term, Plein Air refers to a painting done outside rather than in a studio, from the French term en plein air meaning 'in the open air'. The Getty Museum describes Plein Air as an art movement begun in France that included painting subjects outside and creating seemingly unarranged images of nature. Plein Air was made possible with the introduction of portable metal tubes that could replace pig bladders for holding pigments. The Impressionists were particularly interested in the influence of changing light outdoors on color. The Italian word for plein air painting is alfresco.

Plein air art enthusiasts are invited to come participate in this year's competition. The Escalante Canyons Art Festival will be Saturday, September 17-Thursday, September 22, 2011 with cash prizes totaling $8000.00. Awards will be given in two categories: Oil/Acrylics and Watercolor/Mixed-media. Artists can paint from September 17-22, and can sign-in and have their canvases stamped as early as Saturday, September 17. Entries must be submitted on Thursday, September 22 from the late afternoon to the early evening followed by the “Artists Reception”. The “Paint Out” will be on Wednesday, Location to be announced. The schedule makes it convenient for painters to have an artist/vendor booth at the festival in addition to competing in the plein air competition. Since entries must be turned in on Thursday evening, there is ample time to set up and work your booth on Friday and Saturday. We certainly encourage our artists to have a booth. A downloadable version of the application is on the “Artisan and Vendors” tab.

As we did last year, we are providing scholarship money to the Fine Arts Program of Southern Utah University in Cedar City Utah.

We are excited about a new idea we call the “Artist’s in Residence” program. We plan to match up artists who need a place to stay while attending the festival with “Locals” who have an extra room or camping spot available. In return, we hope the artists will give the host a sketch or small painting as a token of appreciation. If you need a place to stay, let us know in well advance of the festival and we will work something out for you.

This year we will be providing a student award in cooperation with the Red Canyon Visitor Center. Red Canyon Visitor Center is providing a gallery area with excellent light and security to display the works of one award winning student artist’s work. The exhibit will be from April to June the year after the award is given.

Plein Air Competition Prizes:

“Purchase Award” Oil/Acrylic category: $1500
“Purchase Award” Watercolor/Mixed Media category: $1500
Two Awards of Merit Oil/Acrylic category: $500
Two Awards of Merit Watercolor/Mixed Media category: $500
Five Honorable Mentions Merit Oil/Acrylic category: $200
Five Honorable Mentions Watercolor/Mixed Media category: $200
One People’s Choice Award (voted by the public): $250
One Artist Choice Award (voted by the participating artists): $250
New Prize – Exhibit at Red Canyon Visitors Center
New Prize: Wednesday “Paint Out” (voted by the participating artists): $250

Please note that the Escalante Canyons Art Festival organization will collect a 25% sales commission on all paintings entered into and auctioned during the Plein Air competition, or sold in conjunction with the competition.

Scotty Mitchell, the 2010 winner in watercolor/mixed media.

“From the very first visit I was so captivated by southern Utah that after a few summer trips I moved here after 20 years on the island of Crete to the town of Boulder, Utah in 1997. The landscape, which offers different marvels in each direction, has been my subject matter for pastel drawings since then. The incredible variety of form and color and the immense scale which Utah offers have been a joyous inspiration.

These works are a celebration of visual delights, all of which have been drawn on site. To me, working on site provides that edge of immediacy which breathes vitality into the work. There is a bonding of the artist to the subject which I hope will bring these landscapes alive to the viewer.” ~Scotty Mitchell

Scotty Mitchell previously won an Award of Merit at Escalante Canyons Art Festival in 2007. Scotty was selected by the Bureau of Land Management to make the commemorative poster for the opening of the Escalante Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument. She also was chosen to make a drawing for the mural at the GSENM Cannonville Visitors’ Center, in Cannonville Utah. In 2006, Louise Steinman staff writer at the Los Angeles times wrote “A Hunter of Landscapes, The pastels of Scotty Mitchell”. In December 1992 Louise Steinman of The Washington Post wrote an article titled: “On the Island of Crete, Sharing an Artist’s Vision”. Scotty exhibits her work at galleries in Southern Utah as well as in Greece where she paints when she is on sabbatical from Southern Utah.