Taos Plein Air Painters capture the outdoors one stroke at a time

APPROXIMATELY 10 YEARS ago a couple of friends who share a love of painting outdoors started meeting once a week to paint and enjoy the experience together. Each week an additional plein air enthusiast joined. Within a short amount of time, the Taos Plein Air Painters were born and the informal group committed to a weekly painting session. They’ve only grown from there.

Today, Taos Plein Air Painters is comprised of 36 members who meet every Thursday morning from early spring to late fall to paint their individual interpretations of their surroundings in a collective setting. The members bring a variety of experience and a diverse array of mediums, yet at their core all share one essential common denominator: they love painting en plein air.

The group, which includes local gallery owners Lois Fernandez and Patience Hey, enjoys the camaraderie that comes with reveling in the light, landscapes and flora and fauna that have drawn artists to Northern New Mexico for more than a century. The group has supported one another as they have developed their talents and skills over the years, and together discovered new places to capture on canvas.

Many of the members have art on display in area galleries, and local restaurants often host the Taos Plein Air Painters artwork. In early August, the group will be celebrating the current open phase of the pandemic with a show featuring 18 of their members.

The ‘Post-COVID Emergence’ is scheduled for the Stables Gallery on Paseo del Pueblo Norte, Monday through Wednesday (Aug. 2-8), from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Each artist, all who live in Taos or the surrounding area, will have three to five pieces in the show. It is not always common for artists to seek out communal painting experiences. Many artists thrive on solitude and honing-in on nature’s voice as they bring their personalized experience to the canvas.

The wind’s quiet outcry through the trees, across the mesa, or even in one’s hair can inspire a brush stroke or the pressure applied and many painters prefer to capture those sensations. Yet, there are also benefits to the group experience.

A shared identity can lead to trying new approaches and the confidence to step outside familiar boundaries and inside new territory.

“We’ve shared so many painting experiences and we’ve watched as each of us has cultivated new skills and improved certain aspects of our workl,” explained Diane Bender, an originating member of the plein air group. “All of us paint on our own too, but this group experience has brought a unique nuance to our work.”

The artwork to be included in PostCOVID Emergence will showcase the varieties of locations and times of year when the group paints. In addition to areas around town, the group’s favorite locations include the Fechin House, the High Road to Taos, and areas along the Río Grande. They also travel to Abiquiú, Ghost Ranch, and points beyond – all of which may be on display at the Stables Gallery. In keeping with the group’s diversity, paintings will be presented in acrylic’s, oils and watercolors in a range of sizes.

The Taos Plein Art Painters is excited to open their collective doors to showcase work that has not yet been seen by the public.

“We are looking forward to seeing familiar faces again and also welcoming new people so we can show others the talents we have in the group,” noted Binder. One can expect the camaraderie of the group to also be on display as their love of painting and enthusiasm for the outdoors has a palpable energy.

As the group has evolved over the years, the members bring their lunches and after painting concludes for the day, lunch commences. “I think our lunches together have helped us become better painters, laughed Binder, “I’ve learned a lot from those conversations.”

In addition to the show, the artists will host an opening welcome reception with refreshments Friday (Aug. 6), from 5-7 p.m. The Plein Art Painters are also scheduled for a show at the Farmhouse Café in February 2021.