Serving the Big Horn Basin for over 100 years
Serving the Big Horn Basin for over 100 years
THERMOPOLIS — This Saturday more than 20 artists from around the Big Horn Basin will be painting at Hot Springs State Park in Thermopolis, providing an opportunity for the public to watch them work.
This all-day event will begin at 9 a.m. and end with a free public reception from 2-3 p.m. where the artists will be available to discuss their work and sell pieces painted that day, plus other art from their studios.
Complimentary refreshments including wine and food will be served during this public reception. The public is also welcome to tour the park and watch the artists during the day as they paint its picturesque landmarks.
Plein Air Thermopolis is sponsored by Smoking Waters Art Guild. (Plein air is the phrase for painting outside/on location in contrast to work done in the studio).
Worland artist and guild member Sherry Stottler said Stottler, who teaches a class at the senior center, said she has always been interested in plein air art and has taken her class to the Duck Swamp northwest of Worland a few times.
She and another guild member were talking about plein air and thought hosting one in Thermopolis would be a good idea. The idea grew from there into this Saturday’s event. She said they attended the plein air event in Driggs, Idaho, to get an idea on how exactly one is organized.
“It’s a totally different experience from painting from a picture indoors. You have everything all around you,” Stottler said. She added that it is hard to focus in on one thing. Some artists will take a picture of what they are standing in front of, while others will set up matting to frame the area they want to paint and others will use a view finder to help them focus on an area.
Stottler said plein air events are becoming a “movement” with more than 150 plein air events around the country, including five in Wyoming. There will be a plein air event at Sinks Canyon in Lander at the end of the month, Stottler said. Other events have been in Jackson, Cody and Yellowstone National Park.
Some events are “invitational” or “juried” (where artists send in digital examples) and others are like the Thermopolis event and are open to anyone.
Stottler said they have 23 artists signed up, nine from Worland, many from Thermopolis and the Big Horn Basin and one from Colorado. Other Worland artists, in addition to Stottler are, Victoria Bales, Carolyn Wostenberg, Brenda Trippel, Darlene Hill, Kellie Propp, Berta Mills and Debbie Johnson.
She said the artists can do pastels, watercolors, oils or acrylics.
Headquarters for the event is at the Kiwanis Shelter in Hot Springs State Park, the main pavilion near the Tepee Pools. Artists can register on Saturday before 9 a.m. Entry fee is $15 and will pay for morning snacks and lunch.
In addition to the piece they paint Saturday, artists can bring up to three pieces for sale.
The artwork painted Saturday will be judged during the afternoon reception, with prizes for first, second and third place, Stottler said.