Saint George Island Paint Out going online

Saint George Island Paint Out going online
Local Craig Reynolds is among 12 artists selected
Gulf Shores resident Craig Reynolds will participate in the tweaked Saint George Island Paint Out, the popular May celebration on of plein air painting and workshops on the beautiful Florida Panhandle Island near Apalachicola. In light of ongoing public health concerns relating to COVID-19, this year’s “Paint In” will feature Reynolds and 11 other artists painting scenes from their stay-in-place locations. Videos of the artists at work, and voting and sales wil all be conducted online.
“By Painting In, we can continue to bring great art to our beautiful and pristine coastal area, all while continuing to highlight the hospitality and businesses who continue their generous support,” said Bunnie B. Ison, the celebration’s founder. “Both artists and art lovers told us they want this year’s show to go on; the Paint In approach is going to be safe, fun, and unique.”
Artists will submit two paintings of indoor or outdoor scenes. Videos of the artists at their locations will be viewable on Facebook and Instagram May 3-5. The resulting 24 paintings will then be uploaded to the St. George Island Paint Out social media platforms
Artists will compete for Artists’ Choice and People’s Choice” awards. Voting will be online at Facebook May 6-7. Winners will be announced on Facebook and Instagram at 5 pm, Friday, May 8. All paintings then will be offered for sale online.
Next year, SGI Paint Out hopes to return to its traditional live and in-person mode, scheduled for May 1-7, 2021. Planned events include: Home and garden painting session and gallery reception; restaurant and gallery meet-and-greets; artist workshops; student activities; and a concluding reception and art show hosted annually at the Saint George Island Plantation Clubhouse.
Reynolds was taught by his father to draw and paint while growing up in Gadsden. As a young man, he learned a deep appreciation for the outdoors, old farms, and barnacle laden harbors. His father taught him to record these memories with paint and canvas. Reynolds travels extensively, participating in plein air competitions, paint outs, and painting excursions across the US and abroad. Along with a local mentoring program in Gulf Shores, Reynolds travels the south teaching plein air and studio workshops.
Painting on location, experiencing the sounds, the temperature, the light, and the ambiance of the scene is very important to adding its DNA to the painting, according to Reynolds. He considers his work to be representational impressionism, leaning toward expressionism at times. He has been published by Plein-Air Magazine and his oil paintings hang in many private collections in the US and abroad. Event info: sgipaintout.com.
Pictured: Gulf Shores based artist Craig Reynolds along with copies of his work (craigreynoldsstudio.com).