NATURE AS A MUSE: Linda Greaves paints her surroundings during last year’s Plein Air Paint Out event.

THOMASVILLE- It’s autumn, and that means the annual High Cotton Plein Air Paint Out is fast approaching. The five-day event kicks off Tuesday, Oct. 3, and culminates on the weekend with a First Friday and Saturday Art Exhibition at the Covey Nest.

Pines & Palms is proud to bring eight well-known professional landscape artists from as far away as Louisiana and Alabama to host the event. These Plein Air Paint Out artists will gather outdoors with emerging artists to paint red clay roads, moss-covered oaks, cotton fields and the historic streets of downtown Thomasville.

“Since the first year of planning a small paint-out for regional artists, High Cotton has attracted wonderful, nationally known artists because of the welcoming community and spectacular landscapes,” explained one of the artists, Mary O. Smith. “Thomasville is a great Southern area with live oaks with hanging moss to fields of cotton. There is inspiration for me everywhere in the area.”

The seventh year in a row for the event, this is a chance to meet renowned artists and make new friends.

Tuesday, Oct. 3, Artist Workshops will include Pastels in Plein Air with Orit Reuben; Luminous Landscapes with Antwan Ramar; Plein-Air with Color with Joe Palmerio; Plein Air Painting Demonstration of Cityscape/Architectural Elements with Phil Sandusky; Tonalism with Craig Reynolds; Keep it Simple with Randy Pitts and Watercolor with Mary O. Smith.

Those interested can see the artists live and purchase their work.

On Wednesday, Oct. 4, guests can buy a Quick Draw of the Big Oak, on the corner of Monroe and Crawford, in the morning and Thomasville’s historic shopping streets in the afternoon.

The following day, after painting cotton fields on private property, the artists will be painting on Main Street in Boston, and their wet paintings will be for sale at the Silo restaurant, 104 W. Pear St.

On First Friday, Oct 6, from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m., Pines & Palms will have an art sale at Covey Nest at 215 W. Jackson St. The winning paintings will be announced.

On Oct. 7, from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., Covey Nest will open again so everyone can see and buy the art for sale. There will be a closing Quick Draw with shoppers on the street outside the Covey Nest from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Registration is still open for participation in the event. New this year is the opportunity to volunteer and receive special pricing. Pines & Palms is non-profit organization that provides private and shared studio space in Thomasville’s historic 1893 Cuban cigar factory on the Vashti campus and shows the work of well-known and emerging artists.

More information is available on the Pines & Palms website at https://pinesandpalms.org/events-and-classes/#high-cotton.