Community Connection Exhibition, Plein Air Showcase & Free Workshops

Ringwood Art Society is hosting their major exhibition for 2024, opening August 1st with a theme Community Connection. Members have the unique opportunity to illustrate, in their medium of choice what community means to them and possibly collect a prize or sale for their efforts. The art show judge is Ben Whisperer, who also teaches at Ringwood Art Society along with myself (from term 3).

There will be an additional prize and section for work created en pein air at Millers Homestead. It is great news to see the value of plein air painting being acknowledged in Australia and encouraged through prizes. A representative from Millers homestead will be judging that section.

As an artist and art teacher I would love to see the practice and experience of plein air encouraged more. In the United States plein air painting is a huge attraction. As a result the artists grow fast from painting from life, connect with other artists on deeper level and bring a freshness to the art world only plein air can offer. In art competitions it almost seems unfair to pit plein air works against art where a subject is stationary, cooperative and the artist under much less time or exterior limitations. Storm clouds and mingie bites come to mind! Those tiny sand flies are the worst! Anyhow, we have both options at this exhibition so worth the visit.