This year's Red Brick Center for the Arts Plein Air Festival comes to a close Sunday. “Plein Air” is a French term, meaning “in full or open air”. That’s the attraction for the nearly two dozen participants, including Peter Campbell, of Durango.
Campbell won first prize in the event last year, but it isn’t a competition for him. His subject, the White House Tavern, is right in his wheelhouse. Why? The color white.
“It’s never really white,” said Campbell. “It’s some other color. The architecture is a challenge — getting all of the angles in the right places.”
As he painted the building, Campbell worked with three colors: white, yellow and blue. He explained that shadows are comprised of yellow and blue mostly, depending on how the light is hitting your subject.
There are many appeals of plein air painting. There is the journey to your painting destination and being outdoors. Of course, there are challenges as well. It began to rain as Campbell painted the restaurant.
Later in the week, Aspenite Lee Shapiro was painting flowers outside of the Red Brick Building.
“The patterns that they make are really exciting,” Shapiro said.
It’s Shapiro’s first time participating in the event. Shapiro is a painter, but said he’s been too busy with his other hobbies.
The Plein Air Festival exhibition and sale closes out the event Sunday at the Limelight Hotel, where Shapiro’s and Campbell’s paintings will be on display.
EDITOR'S NOTE: This story originally stated the incorrect end date of the festival. It has been changed to reflect the correct date.
