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Thursday, March 28, 2024

Wrightsville Beach settings inspire museum’s ‘plein air’ artists

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By Alexandra Golder

Contributing Writer

Twenty-two local artists displayed their latest paintings at the Third Annual Plein Air Wet Paint Sale Event, held at the Wrightsville Beach Museum Saturday afternoon, offering attendees an opportunity to take home many of the scenic views of the town.

“Any vantage point on Wrightsville Beach is beautiful,” said Wilmington painter Nancy Noel May.

Guidelines for the event required artists to paint “en plein air,” meaning in the open air. Artists were given 48 hours to complete original pieces within the confines of the island. With pieces priced upwards of $400, thirty percent of proceeds went to the museum, with the other seventy percent going to the artist.

“You are first given a canvas stamped by the museum to prove that you painted it this weekend,” said Ann Lees, a Wilmington painter.

With numerous iconic spots on the island to choose from, each painter went about their creative process differently.

Lee featured The Trolley Stop and Causeway Café in her paintings. “They’re well-known, fun hang-outs,” she said. “Choosing local establishments was a nice change of pace from beach scenes.”

May chose a more shady location. “Plein air is done best in the shade,” she said. “Direct sunlight on the canvas makes the paint appear dull once inside.”

Along with five other painters, May set up in the gazebo area of the Hanover Seaside Club.

“There is a two and a half hour window until shadows will change at a location,” May said.

This requires painters to either complete a piece within this timeframe, as Lee did, or to come back the next day at the same time.

Although given the same whereabouts, the assortment of paintings displayed at the event exhibited the various methods artists use to portray their work. An art education major in college, May begins each of her oil paintings by covering the canvas with shades of red and orange.

“Blue and orange compliment each other on the color wheel,” she said, “just as green and red do. Since my paintings are predominantly blue and green, having the red base makes the colors pop.”

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