‘En plein air’

Artists visit Bella Vista’s Cooper Chapel

An informal group of artists from all over the region has been meeting for almost 20 years at some of the prettiest locations in Northwest Arkansas. Last week, they visited the Mildred B. Cooper Memorial Chapel in Bella Vista.

Roz Ramey was acting host for the recent meeting of Plein Air Painters of the Ozarks. The host, she explained, chooses the location and makes sure it has restrooms available. The painters usually eat lunch together, and it’s often a picnic, she said, but this time those who wanted to dined at a restaurant.

The group has no officers, but one member collects annual dues, and another is in charge of weekly emails. There are about 50 members on the email list, but usually about 20 come out to paint on any given Wednesday, member Victor Parkerson said.

“En plein air” is a French term that means open air. The group meets outside from April through November most years. They meet in December for a Christmas party, and then a March luncheon begins the new season, Ramey said. Earlier this year, they

visited War Eagle Mill, the Peel Mansion, the Botanical Gardens of the Ozarks and several other locations.

The dues pay for an occasional flower delivery for a member who is ill, and some go to help fund an art show. There’s no show this year, so leftover dues will be donated to a charity, she said.

Nadie Kranz belonged to a similar group in Idaho, and she misses the chance to show her work. Some coffee shops in the area may be able to help, she said.

It was Monet and the French Impressionists who started plein air painting, Kranz said. It only became possible when oil paints were available in tubes. Before

that, artists mixed their own colors in their studio, and the process was too difficult to take outside.

Members of the local group were using different mediums to capture an overcast day at the Cooper Chapel. Some used oil paints, but there also watercolors and pencil sketches taking place. The chapel staff asked the group not to use any paints inside the chapel, but the building was open for them.

Each artist brought his or her own setup to work. Some had chairs, others had easels to stand behind. A paintbox, called a pochade, can be attached to a tripod for standing, Kranz explained.

Although each artist works individually, the group offers camaraderie and a chance to sharpen skills, Kranz said.

The group has a website, nwarkansaspapo.wordpress.com, but most of their new members learn about it from friends or neighbors. Ramay found the group when she was trying to buy paintbrushes at an estate sale and found another artist reaching for the same brushes.

She offered her email address for those desiring more information: rozramey@gmail.com.

(NWA Democrat-Gazette/Lynn Atkins) Nadine Kranz painted with another plein air group in Idaho. While members work on their own, there’s still a sense of camaraderie when the group gets together, she said.