Floyd County is hosting 30 artists this week who are spending the week outside, painting scenes during the Floyd Plein Air Biennial.
Sean Hatter stands by Rakes Mill Pond, bathing in nature as he tries to capture just how the light reflects off the water, and the wooded ridges beyond.
"I do a lot of studio painting, and when you're out in nature, painting from life, hearing the sounds — yesterday I was painting by the river and you could hear the fish flopping in the river, you could hear the insects trilling, the birds singing, and it was so peaceful," Hatter says. "You can look at each and every plein air painting you've done, and all that, the senses come back to you, the smells you’re smelling, the sounds. Just studio painting, you just smell turpentine, pretty much everywhere."
Hatter is one of 30 artists who were selected in the 5th Floyd Plein Air Biennial. The painters travel here from ten states— but Hatter is from right here in Floyd County. They're taking the week and spending it around the county, as part of a six-day event that puts them in a variety of settings. Today, it's the Blue Ridge Parkway. This week, the artists will create more than one hundred paintings. There are awards, and the opportunity to buy and sell paintings. But for Hatter, it's not about all that.
"For me, and I think a lot of the artists here would agree — being a creative-type person, the everyday humdrum of life takes something out of you, and the opportunity to sit here to absorb nature," Hatter says. "Sometimes this is even secondary. I mean, it's nice and I enjoy doing it, I love it. But it's the whole process, taking it in. Of learning to see color. How do I mix that color. How do I capture that color. And then there's some colors, you realize I'm never going to get close to that, and leave it alone. Just the chase of it, it feeds your soul. It feeds my soul."
Joli Ayn Wood launched Floyd Plein Air in 2015, when she invited a small group of friends to join her for a long-week of open air painting at the Chateau Morrisette winery. The Floyd Center for the Arts picked it up and expanded the event in 2017, and although Wood has moved to Massachusetts, she returns every two years to organize, curate and participate.
"This has been a very close-to-my-heart project for the last ten years," she says. "I've enjoyed coming back here. This is our fifth installation of the event. We're really happy it has teeth, and it is very much supporting the community and the artists."
David Dorrell traveled from New Jersey. He applied a couple of years ago, but didn't get in. He was accepted this year, and made a trip down to Floyd County to scout for locations.
"I think Floyd County's beautiful. It's just a great place to paint," Dorrell says. "It's exactly like I like to paint, with rolling hills, layered hills, beautiful countryside."
He's working a landscape in the Rocky Knob area. Layers of mountains pop out from his painting, accentuated by unexpected spots of pink.
"I use a lot of colors in my work," Dorrell says. "What they call 'nonlocal color.' Nonlocal colors are colors you won't necessarily see when you look out, but by spacing them throughout the paining, it bounces your eye around the scene."
Christine Raymond traveled from Manassas. She's already painted a sunset, and is on her way to Mabry Mill — a favorite gathering spot for these painters.
"I love the landscape, love nature, love the landscape," Raymond says. "There's nothing like looking out at a vista or over a marsh. It's a breath of fresh air. So to bring that into my house. I was decorating my house with it."
Raymond heard about the event from friends, and was struck by the concept: "I was like, 'Oh that looks cool!'"
And while the landscapes can be engrossing, this biennial is also about connecting with other artists. Raymond and Wood quickly fall into a conversation about their artistic growth.
"Ok, what's emerging, and not being comfortable but being comfortable not being comfortable," Raymond says.
"Don't forget fear plays a big role," says Wood.
"Yes it does."
"To me you have to keep it in the back seat all the time, but not let it drive."
Nearby, Elbert Shubert is just applying fresh paint to a canvas, looking out from in front of the Rocky Knob visitors center.
"I like the silhouette of the big tree with the mountains behind it," Shubert says. "The blue as the mountains get further away, lighter and bluer, just really nice, and the dark tree in front of it."
Shubert's from Pilot Mountain, North Carolina, and this is his third plein air biennial in Floyd. This canvas, is in some ways, just a warmup for later. And it's about the moment— the air on his skin, the way the light falls.
"It's the spontaneity of it, and capturing a moment," Shubert says. "I can look at painting I've done years ago and remember where I was that day. It's like you're capturing a memory on a canvas."
The Floyd Plein Air Biennial continues throughout the week, leading up to a quick-draw event at the Friday Night Jamboree before the gala and celebration on Saturday.
