Plein Air and Award Winners at Roberts Field

The paintings are framed, the jury process complete and the artwork has been hung at the Redmond Municipal Airport/Roberts Field as the Smith Rock Paint Out transitions from plein-air painting to exhibition. Twenty-five original plein-air paintings created during the 3^rd annual Smith Rock Paint Out are on exhibit and available for purchase June 23 through August 23.

Award winners from left to right: Joanne Kollman, Kathleen Keliher, Denise Rich, Kim Smith, and Tracy Leagjeld. Eric Jacobsen not pictured. 

 The artists arrived at Smith Rock State Park at eight in the morning and had only five hours to create an original work of art. Beginning with blank canvases the artists spread out over the park finding just the right vantage point and began creating. Working in oils, pastels, watercolor and acrylics the artists worked as park visitors looked on and asked questions. By the one-o’clock deadline the artists had completed their work including framing and submitted for the jury process. A jury of five High Desert Art League members selected twenty-five pieces of work from all submissions to be exhibited in the exhibition. From those twenty-five works of art, five were singled out for awards. Tracy Leagjeld of Portland, Oregon was awarded Best of Show for her oil painting titled Hot Rocks. Eric Jacobsen of Prineville, Oregon took home second-place for his work in oil titled Morning Light at Smith Rock. Kim Smith’s watercolor titled Rocks earned third-place in the competition. Awards of achievement were presented to Central Oregon’s Kathleen Keliher for Hot Rocks, Joanne Kollman for Majestic Morning and Denise Rich for Among the Rocks.

The Smith Rock Paint Out Exhibition runs June 23 through August 23 in the Roberts Field (flyRDM.com) terminal, which is located at 2522 SE Jesse Butler Circle in Redmond, Oregon. The artwork is available for purchase by visiting the administration office in the terminal near the main entrance. Created by Smith Rock State Park and the High Desert Art League as a way to introduce new people to the park and the arts, the plein-air paint out is an annual event. The organizers would like to thank this years sponsors and ask you so support them; Roberts Field/Redmond Municipal Airport, Cascade A&E, PleinAir Magazine, Deschutes Brewery, Sage Custom Picture Framing, Pacific Art and Framing, Red Point Climbers Supply and the Redmond Committee for Art in Public Places.

Visit http://www.smithrockpaintout.com for more information on the Smith Rock Paint Out and news on next year’s event. Be sure to visit Smith Rock State Park every chance you get, one of Oregon’s Seven Wonders! For more photos of the event please visit our Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/SmithRockPaintOut.