by Allison Malafronte

Mike Francis offered a demonstration at last year's Paint Alexandria event. Photo: Erica Fortwengler.

The main purpose of most plein air invitational and juried-competition events is to provide an environment for artists to compete for national recognition and monetary awards while fostering regional awareness and a sense of local community. Paint Alexandria—an annual all-media plein air event organized by The Art League of Alexandria, Virginia—is unique in that its main goal is to educate both participating artists and the attending public. Held along the Old Town waterfront, the two-day event is filled with on-site demonstrations and instructional sessions from top artist-instructor members of the league, including Rob Liberace, Ross Merrill, Frederick Markham, Kurt Schwarz, and others. For a registration fee of $40, artists of any skill level can attend an unlimited number of workshops, ranging from oil-painting demonstrations and photographic walking tours to sketching and drawing sessions. The event is open to the public, who may watch demonstrations, listen to lectures, and observe artist-participants free of charge.

A participant in the 2007 Paint Alexandria event painted along the Potomac River. Photo: Erica Fortwengler

Located five miles outside Washington, DC, on the banks of the Potomac River, Old Town, Alexandria, is a pleasant and picturesque environment to host a plein air event. “Alexandria is one of the oldest settlements and colonial seaports on the East Coast,” says Rose O’Donnell, the director of The Art League Gallery and this year’s Paint Alexandria organizer. “It has more than 4,200 historic 18th- and 19th-century buildings as well as numerous contemporary shops, restaurants, and galleries. Painters can walk cobblestone pathways, depict the lively street scenes, or paint the historic buildings and monuments of Washington, DC, from across the Potomac.” The parks and boardwalks lining the river also allow artists to more freely interact with nature while the ferry dock at the foot of the main street provides painters with more nautical subject matter. For easier exploration of the area, there are information kiosks up and down King Street stocked with walking maps, and a free trolley will transport attendees from the main part of town to the waterfront.

A photograph of two historic buildings taken by Jim Steele during last year's event.

Paint Alexandria is now in its third year, and attendance has doubled every year since its inception. Several of the instructors who are scheduled to teach this year have been teaching at the event since 2005, and many count Paint Alexandria as one of their favorite environments in which to teach. “We always have a great turnout, and the artists who participate are highly motivated,” says Jim Steele, who will be teaching a photographic walking tour this year. “Old Town is quite beautiful and historic, and it’s a natural environment to integrate a photographic and learning experience. I usually end up having as much fun as the participants.” Steele’s two-hour workshop will take place on Sunday, May 18, from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m., during which he will explore the historic sections of town from the waterfront to Christ Church. Throughout the walk Steele will talk to participants about photographic opportunities, answer technical questions, and speak about some of the history of the area.

Frederick Markham painted this demonstration  during a 2007 Paint Alexandria  workshop.

Frederick Markham, who has also been an instructor at Paint Alexandria for the last three years and who has taught as The Art League for the last four, is equally enthusiastic about the opportunity to teach. “Paint Alexandria is a wonderful event that allows artists to exercise their interest and ability in plein air painting,” he says. “I demonstrate right on the waterfront, the weather is usually gorgeous, and it is incredibly invigorating to be surrounded by people with such eager and inquisitive minds.” Markham will be teaching Modern Landscape Painting in Oil or Acrylic from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, May 17, and describes his teaching and painting style as direct and bold, using a lot of paint and working wet-in-wet. “I think it’s important for those attending to see how a plein air painting is constructed,” says the artist speaking of the numerous demonstration sessions being offered. “When you watch someone paint on-site, you learn what is required to accurately capture a particular moment of the day before the light and conditions change.”

Kurt Schwarz offered a demonstration on the waterfront during last year's event. Photo: Erica Fortwengler.

Markham suggests participants bring a notepad for taking notes, a lawn chair, and a camera. “I try to pack a lot of information into my demonstrations, and I speak a lot about color and developing harmonious color relationships,” he explains. “I like to answer questions, so participants usually find a notebook handy for writing down information. A camera is useful, too, for documenting the process in stages.” Those items will most likely be needed for any of the 12 sessions artists may participate in (see the full schedule below) or for the public who want to explore the surrounding town. In addition to the obvious attractions, attendees should make a point of visiting the historic Torpedo Factory Art Center, which houses the 80 artist studios and five galleries that define The Art League’s continuing commitment to art education and the exhibition of quality fine art. The three-floor Art League and Art Gallery space is open to the public, and original artwork from the league’s instructors and members will be on display and available for purchase.

Jim Steele took this picture during last year's photographic walking tour.

Whether participating in this educational weekend as an artist or a general attendee, Paint Alexandria is sure to be an enlightening and entertaining experience for all involved. And if this year’s event is anything like those in the past, artists, instructors, and the surrounding community alike will delight in observing and capturing the historic beauty of Alexandria while enjoying the infectious artistic energy that permeates this scenic waterfront community. Says O’Donnell of the upcoming event, “With the exciting additions and changes happening throughout the Old Town area, we’re looking forward to the best Paint Alexandria yet.”

To register online for Paint Alexandria, visit www.theartleague.org/school. For questions related to the event or registration, call (703) 683-2323.

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PAINT ALEXANDRIA 2008 SCHEDULE

SATURDAY, MAY 17:

10 a.m. to 12 p.m.:
Arlene Weinstock: Loose Colored Pencil Drawing
Libby Cullen: Architectural Photography

12:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.:
Steve Fleming: Composing a Loose Watercolor
Kurt Schwarz: Atmospheric Landscape Painting in Oil

3 p.m. to 5 p.m.:
Mike Francis: Demonstrating the Creation of Vibrant Cityscapes
Fred Markham: Modern Landscape Painting in Oil or Acrylic

SUNDAY, MAY 18:

10 a.m. to 12 p.m.:
Avis Fleming: Sketchbook Drawing in Pen, Ink, and Watercolor
Jim Steele: Photographic Walking Tour of Historic Old Town

12:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.:
Marsha Staiger: Capturing the Colors of Nature Abstractly in Acrylic
Rob Liberace: Renderings of Alexandria in Oil

3 p.m. to 5 p.m.:
Gwen Bragg: Lively Watercolors of Old Town
Ross Merrill: Demonstrating Masterful Landscape Techniques in Oil and/or Alkyd