For costume designer and visual artist Ben Argenta Kress (MFA ’24), plein air painting is “almost like meditation.”
Kress is one of 16 artists who participated in Evanston Made’s second annual Mother’s Day Paint Out, which took place during the day Sunday. The event invited painters to capture the Evanston History Center’s Charles Gates Dawes House, according to Evanston Made founder and co-Director Lisa Degliantoni.
“There’s something about sitting with something, noticing different parts of it, reframing the way you see it, that’s interesting to me,” Kress said.
Painting “en plein air” requires artists to paint outside, relying on direct observation rather than reference photographs. Given time constraints, unpredictable weather and constant shifts in lighting, Degliantoni said this can be an especially difficult method of painting.
The participating artists could set up anywhere on the Dawes House’s grounds, Degliantoni said. Some artists focused their attention on the building’s architecture, while others painted the surrounding foliage.
“When you do plein air painting, you can’t tell the artist exactly what to paint,” Degliantoni said. “It attracts a very diverse group of painters. At three o’clock, when we look at all the paintings, everything is very, very different.”
The event culminated with an awards ceremony at 4 p.m., judged by the Evanston History Center team. Artist Jinsheng Song won the competition with an oil painting of the Dawes House entitled “Echo from the Haven,” and earned a hundred-dollar gift certificate to Blick Art Materials.
Participant Athena Lin said the plein air painting method allowed her to capture details in the landscape better than she could with a photograph, even given the risk of changes in lighting and weather.
“If you’ve ever taken a picture of a beautiful view, you’re always like ‘Why can’t I capture it?’” Lin said. “When you (paint) on-site, you’re getting the best of both worlds. You’re being very present in the moment and you’re trying to capture that feeling, not just what your phone camera would capture.”
Lin also said she plans to participate in Evanston Made’s fifth annual Evanston Plein Air Festival in July. The festival will involve plein air art events and competitions in neighborhoods across the city, according to the organization’s website.
As people spent time outside for Mother’s Day, Degliantoni said she hopes the Dawes House plein air event drums up curiosity for both the July festival and the art form as a whole.
As a mom, Degliantoni added, spending the day by the lakefront with these artists has become one of her favorite things to do on Mother’s Day.
“I get to spend an entire day watching artists create on canvas,” Degliantoni said. “I love watching what they see, and I love watching what they create.”
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