Opening Reception! SPAF 2019 at Sedona Arts Center Saturday, October 12, 7pm
Meet the 2019 Artists!
The 15th Annual Sedona Plein Air Festival begins with an opening exhibition of finished studio and plein air works that the 24 selected artists have been invited to bring along with them. Hors d’oeuvres and wine served. Free and open to the public!
15th Annual Sedona Plein Air Festival October 12–19, 2019
Come see artists painting in the Shangri-La of the Southwest! Sedona is a sublime environment with stunning beauty and the Sedona Arts Center has roots going back 60 years to the founding of Sedona’s identity as an ‘art colony’. The Sedona Plein Air Festival takes place during the best weather period of the year at the height of tourist season and is supported by a group of very experienced and enthusiastic staff, volunteers and sponsors. Our community of art lovers open their doors to host – twenty-five artists from around the country have been selected to participate.
Gamblin Artists Colors Free Talk Sunday, October 13, 10–11:30amAnn Fox Ryan of Gamblin Artist’s Colors presents a free talk, Understanding Contemporary Oil Painting Materials, an in-depth history of color space and the evolution of artists’ materials. Includes the development and use of various palettes as well as an overview of mediums and varnishes. Some samples available.
Plein Air Afternoon with Anna Fox Ryan
Sunday, October 13, 1–4pm Join artist and Gamblin Color Expert, Anna Fox Ryan, for an afternoon of plein air painting on the Sedona Arts Center Campus. Paint and painting panels are generously provided by Gamblin Artist’s Colors and Ampersand Art Supply. A chance to take a risk and have fun. $50 | Registration required
Painting Demonstrations Paula Swain Monday, October 14, 10am to noon
Artist Demonstration with Paula Swain at Sedona Arts Center. Learn a process from start to finish in various media from festival artists. Free and open to the public!Patty Voje Tuesday, October 15, 10am to noon
Artist Demonstration with Patty Voje at Sedona Arts Center. Learn a process from start to finish in various media from festival artists. Free and open to the public!
Gamblin Artist’s Colors is a major sponsor of the Sedona Plein Air Festival. Learn more about their colors in this free article:
Modern Tints
Each of the Radiant Colors are tints of modern organic pigments. The one exception is Radiant Blue, which is a tint of Ultramarine. Modern organic pigments retain their intensity in tints in mixtures, which is the reason the Radiant Colors maintain such a high chroma at their light values. It’s also worth noting that these modern organic pigments are transparent in nature, yet the Radiant Colors are all opaque, due to the addition of titanium white in their formulas.
Radiant White: the brightest of whites
Gamblin Radiant White is pure titanium dioxide bound in safflower oil. Simply put, Radiant White is the brightest white oil color we make. Safflower is paler than linseed oil which means that Radiant White is not only brighter, but it is more neutral in temperature compared to linseed oil-bound whites. With its high load of titanium dioxide, Radiant White reflects back 97% of the light that falls on it.
Without modification, Radiant White is our most brushable white – meaning it has the least amount of resistance under the brush or painting knife. Radiant White is also slower drying than other whites, making it useful for painters who wish to work wet into wet or otherwise desire more open time.
Techniques for Painting with Radiant Colors
by Lori Putnam
Colored whites
Radiant Turquoise, Radiant Violet, and Radiant Blue have become my first “go-to” colors for lightening values when cooler colors are needed. Rather than heading straight for my Titanium White, these colors serve me better because all three are cool, very light, and intense and they help with neutralizing colors. For example, if I am trying to neutralize Napthol Red and do not want a dark, warmer color (as I would get if mixed with its complement, Green), I add Radiant Turquoise. The result is a rich, cooler, mid-value color.
Napthol Red mixed with Radiant Turquoise:
Similarly, I can get a more natural violet by mixing Radiant Blue with my Napthol.
Napthol Red mixed with Radiant Blue:
Mixing with Radiant Turquoise vs. Titanium White:
By lightening Quinacridone Violet with Radiant Turquoise instead of Titanium White, I will get more nuanced color mixing. The mixture of Quinacridone Violet and Radiant Turquoise passes through the blue section of the color wheel, yielding beautifully subtle mid-value blues. When Quinacridone Violet is mixed with straight white, the corresponding tints remain in violet hue family.
Here I use mixtures of Quinacridone Violet and Radiant Turquoise in this painting of snow on a sunny day:
Lori Putnam, Blurred Lines, oil on linen, 28″ x 36″
Warm and cool Radiant mixtures
Try this: mix Cadmium Orange with Radiant Turquoise in one pile and with Radiant Violet in another. These two greys will be the same value, but one will appear cooler and the other warmer. When placed next to one another in the distant landscape, the beauty of a late afternoon mountain comes to life.
Sedona Arts Center is one of Northern Arizona’s most well-established cultural organizations and serves as the creative heart of Sedona. Founded in 1958, the nonprofit organization is based at the Art Barn in Uptown and offers year-round classes, exhibitions, festivals, and cultural events that enhance the creative life of the Verde Valley. The Center’s Fine Art Gallery, open daily from 10am to 5pm, promotes the original works of over 100 local artists and regularly offers special assistance for collectors and art buyers, offers private studio visits, and fosters hundreds of arts education opportunities each year. For more information, call the Gallery at 928-282-3865, the Administrative offices at 928-282-3809 or visit us online at SedonaArtsCenter.org.
Radiant White: the brightest of whites
