The Connecticut Plein Air Painters are pleased to present their 2016 Annual Members Exhibit at

The Empty Spaces Project,
114 Main St., Putnam, CT 06260.

The Opening Reception will be on Saturday, February 6, from 2:00-5:00pm.

Refreshments will be served, and there will be musical entertainment by a solo guitarist.

French artists, such as Claude Monet and Camile Pissaro, first popularized Plein Air painting in the mid 19th century. During that time, the idea of exclusive studio painting was challenged by these and other artists who chose to paint directly from observation outdoors, in an attempt to depict the fleeting light and atmosphere that they saw. The term “impressionism” was coined to describe their sometimes loose and speckled approach to painting, and it translates to “in the open air.” The painter’s challenge is to create an impression of the scene in the immediacy of the moment. The early impressionists were rejected from the rigid and stuffy salon exhibitions in Paris, and they banded together to exhibit their work independently of the elitist shows. Through the years impressionism has been regarded as the purest form of landscape painting, and it has enjoyed a Renaissance over the last few decades. Now Plein Air artists’ organizations are active all over the country, and there are numerous and very prestigious Plein Air Competitions taking place nationwide.

There are also a number of publications dedicated to plein air painting, as well as an annual convention, which draws over a thousand participants. The Connecticut Plein Air Painters Society was founded in 1995 by Jane Zisk, and has grown from a small group of friends painting together to a membership of over 125 professional and emerging artists dedicated to plein air painting.

The Annual Member’s Exhibit is a juried show of the member’s finest recent paintings. There will be awards presented at 4:00 pm in excess of $2300.00. All of the artwork is available for sale.

The Empty Spaces Project will be hosting for the 2nd year in a row the Chocolate Sculpting Contest, to co–inside with the Fire and Ice Festival in downtown Putnam, CT. on Feb. 13th from 10:00am – 10:00pm.S pecial guest Taylor Warwinsky Playing your favorite songs on the horn.

Part of this event will be filmed for a documentary on the Gallery and Putnam by Erica Chick. To be released for this Summers Film Festival.

Empty Spaces Project would Like to thank, The PBA, WINY RADIO, Town of Putnam, Paul Toussaint 914-620-5144 for more info.

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