Plein Air ‘Meet the Artists Party’ and More by Steve Parks

Among the 58 artists competing in the 20th anniversary Plein Air Easton festival, one who planted his easel along a water view from the sumptuous greens of Wye Heights Plantation, was John Brandon Sills of Cockeysville, making his 17th appearance in one of the leading events of its kind in the United States.

Of the three he’s missed, one was the COVID-restricted event that amounted only to a show and sale of art by local plein-air painters at what was once the News Center space in Talbottown. As grand prize winner of the 10th anniversary PAE in 2014, the award was increased for the occasion to $10,000. “So this year,” Sills said as he added brushstrokes to his water-meets-sky oil of the scene before him, “I asked if they were raising the grand prize to $20,000.”

No dice. It will be $5,000 as usual.

While water views were still well-represented among the paintings presented for sale under the Meet the Artists tent Saturday evening, there were so many other views to capture within the myriad gardens and the sloping greensward from the Wye Heights Plantation mansion where dozens of black sheep grazed oblivious to the guests and artists ambling around their space.

Nancy Tankersley, one of the co-founders of Plein Air Easton and judge of this year’s competition, made the rounds to reconnect with many of the local and far-flung painters she has known from her own tours of the plein-air circuit that inspired her to help bring one to Easton.

It has been a great and unexpectedly successful event. And one of the keys to that success, besides the beautiful land-and-seascapes that provide painterly inspiration, is one word I’ve heard repeatedly from artists who come back year after year, or others from transcontinental distances who return occasionally to a place they fondly remember. The word is hospitality.

Many of the painters we encountered at Meet the Artists congregated in the various gardens on the grand estate, owned by Lisa and Tim Wyman, including one that encompasses a pub rebuilt to 17th-century specifications but which provided air-conditioned relief from the sweltering midafternoon heat otherwise leavened only by shade or a breeze off the water. Fairley Lewis of Springfield, Missouri, making his Plein Air Easton debut, said he made the trip because “this is a famous event that everybody who does plein air knows about.”

We asked Christopher Leeper or Confield, Ohio, making his second trip to Plein Air Easton – his first since 2019 – if he had chosen his spot along Skipton Creek for its shade. He smiled and said, “Mostly I just liked the view.”

Abby Ober of St. Michaels, who has competed in a dozen other festivals from Florida to Pennsylvania, was making her Plein Air Easton debut. She was painting a landscape perspective of the estuary and trees on the opposite shore.

Far across the gardens and an open expanse, one painter stood alone, capturing the view where Skipton Creek and Wye River funnel into each other – with a portion of Wye Island in a corner of her canvas. Olena Babak was making her ninth pilgrimage to Plein Air Easton. What brings her back so many times from Maine? “I love the beautiful scenery here. But I also appreciate that they do the best job in treating the artists – always making you feel special.” Babak cites as evidence a time when her car broke down after the long drive from Maine and a volunteer said, “Just hand me the keys and go paint. And it got fixed” – while Olena painted.

As we settled with cool drinks into comfortable outdoor sofas for two, watching the sheep grazing their way from one side of the lawn to the other, we watched the artists, one by one bringing their paintings to the tent where they would be displayed briefly, just before a buyer takes one home with them. Among those that sold early that evening was one by Plein Air Easton first-time Lewis. It fetched his price of $1,200. That was the same price as PAE regular Jill Basham of Trappe got for her “Wye Riverview.” In just his second PAE appearance, Leeper of Ohio sold his “River View with Oak” for $1,600.

One of the true veterans of the festival out-of-towners, Sills was among the last to mount his painting under the tent. He priced his “Across the River” at $2,200. Before it was marked “sold,” we left to pick up our bright orange bag filled with gourmet entrees, sides, dessert and wine.

Besides taking care of the festival artists, the Avalon Foundation also takes care of its guests.

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Former winners of Plein Air Easton first, second and third place awards, along with artist choice winners and other featured alumni painters, have been invited to paint during this 20th anniversary PAE. Their works will be exhibited for sale at the Eastern Shore Land Conservatory at 114 S. Washington St., Suite 101. The show opens Wednesday, July 17, 6-8 p.m., and remains up through July 19.

Other happenings this week include the “Paint Tilghman” exhibit and sale, Monday, July 15; “Happy Hour Paint-In” featuring costumed actors from The Factory, Tuesday, July 16; “Local Color” demos by PAE artists Tim Beall and Charles Newman, Thursday, July 18; Collectors Preview Party, Friday, July 19; Quick Draw and Next Generation Painting competitions, Saturday, July 20; competition judge Nancy Tankersley’s discussion of her winning selections for Plein Air Easton 2024, pleinaireaston.com/calendar.