Craig Reynolds, a professional landscape painter from Gulf Shores, Alabama, is coming to Thomasville to do a three-day plein air workshop from August 23-26 at the new Cigar Factory ArtSpace on the Vashti campus as a painter’s warm-up for the annual Pines & Palms plein air paint out in October. 

This year the paint out has been renamed The Pines & Palms High Cotton Paint Out. The dates of the anticipated four-day event is Oct 17-20. Pines & Palms expects even more artists to participate, with many painters returning for their third year of fun and camaraderie.  

Reynolds wowed the more than 40 artists when he showed up at the event last year unannounced and painted jaw-dropping work. Before he left, the organizers had him promise to return and share his gift with others. 

A follower plein air traditional painters, Reynolds says, “I am influenced by the work of Andrew Wyeth, Emile Gruppe, Richard Schmid, Roger Dale Brown, John Singer Sargent, and Jason Sanders not only for the history and stories their paintings tell, but also for the gentle value shifts, color theory, mood and skill set. The old leaning barns, porches with chipped paint, patina on a well-used farm tool, dilapidated harbors and old barnacle laden boats all tell a story…Every scar filed scene calls out to me.” 

You can read more on his website craigreynoldsstudio.com.

Students are coming as far away as Knoxville, Tennessee to attend. One of the reasons maybe that Vashti now has spaces for RVs to park, which is a plus for roaming artists who go to plein air events around the country as their summer vacation. 

“Working with Vashti has been wonderful. They see the value to their residents and the local community in having a vibrant art studio and classes on their grounds,” said founder Sandi Shaw.

The October event organizers are proud to announce the three faculty members who will be teaching and mentoring during the paint out; all are master artists. New this year are Steven Walker (stevenwalkerstudio.com.) and Lydia Ellis (shastour.com) and coming back is one of the beloved founders of the event, Joe Palmerio (joepalmerioart.com) who paints in this area as often as he can. 

For those who have never picked up a brush, but love the idea of painting outdoors, can you sign up to the High Cotton Paint Out and come with pencil and sketch pad and draw with the painters, soaking up all you can from the experience which includes an Italian dinner, a movie night, wonderful fellow students and the beautiful scenes that will inspire you to sketch. If the experience is something you want to continue, then Pines & Palms can help you take some basic courses in drawing and painting so you will be ready to paint next year.  

To become a member, sign up for classes, or ask a question, go to Pines&Palms.org.