Sonoma Plein Air 2015 Recap - Plein Air Festival - Art Show Event - Bodega Bay Painting - Beach House Art

"Quiet Shores" | 16" x 20" | Oil on panel
Available at KimVanDerHoek.com

This year marked my 5th year as a participating artist in the Sonoma Plein Air Festival.

This year the weather was unpredictable with rain, wind and sun, sometimes all happening in one single day. It was challenging to paint and I ended up loosing half a day to rain in the middle of the week (fortunately, I kept busy photographing and framing the pieces I'd already completed).

The painting you see in this post was painted one morning when the weather report said it would be sunny all day. Apparently that report didn't apply to the coast. I managed to finish an hour before a fog bank rolled in a completely hid my view. A couple other artists on the bluff next to mine weren't so lucky and I watched as they stepped away from their easels and began packing up their gear. (I found out later they both had enough information on the canvas to be able to finish.)

During the course of the week I spent a fair amount of time painting with other artists and getting to know artists I hadn't met before or only knew a little online. Painting is a solitary endeavor usually and hanging out with other artists, talking shop and facing the same challenges throughout the week is one of the reasons I keep applying to events like Sonoma Plein Air. The friendships I've made through plein air competitions have taught me a lot about painting, the business of being an artist and have become part of an important part of my support system in this crazy art business. I'll keep going back as long as they will have me.


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