click on image to enlargeNIAGARA FALLS -- They came to the falls. They saw the falls. They painted the falls. And then they painted some more.
It was another successful Plein Air Paint Out staged on the brink of the city's glorious, world-famous cataract.
More than two dozen plein air painters set up their easels in Queen Victoria Park and around the area Sept. 7-8. It was the fifth time the Paint Out took place in Niagara Falls while International Plein Air Painters staged other Paint Outs across the globe this weekend.
Kath Schifano, from Grand Island, N.Y., has been to the Paint Out in Niagara Falls before, but still found a fresh way to paint things like the falls and the Niagara Falls, N.Y. skyline, subjects she has painted before.
"The coolest part is you really get to know the falls and its parts and bumps and shiny parts," said Schifano, who has also painted Niagara Falls from the American side.
Sam Paonessa, who grew up in Niagara Falls but now lives in Scarborough, agreed there are more than enough ways for artists to look at the falls. It all depends on angles and how the light falls on the water and the escarpment.
"It will take a while before I get tired of painting the falls," said Paonessa, a plein air veteran of 20 years. "It's the beauty and the power. Its got such a force you want to be able to capture."
Manuel Jomok, from Red Bank, N.J., plans to retire this year, pack up an RV and tour the United States to paint everything he sees. His goal is to get to Alaska by 2009.
"It's different landscapes, different people, different culture," he said of the joy of painting outside. "It's all part of the experience.
Painters had a beautiful day to paint outside Saturday, but had to deal with windy conditions Friday -- something they say is worse than painting in the rain because everything is moving: subject, canvas, paint.
"I don't know if you call that fun," Jomok joked. "It's part of plein air.
"It's exciting to be outside instead of in a studio."
It was another successful Plein Air Paint Out staged on the brink of the city's glorious, world-famous cataract.
More than two dozen plein air painters set up their easels in Queen Victoria Park and around the area Sept. 7-8. It was the fifth time the Paint Out took place in Niagara Falls while International Plein Air Painters staged other Paint Outs across the globe this weekend.
Kath Schifano, from Grand Island, N.Y., has been to the Paint Out in Niagara Falls before, but still found a fresh way to paint things like the falls and the Niagara Falls, N.Y. skyline, subjects she has painted before.
"The coolest part is you really get to know the falls and its parts and bumps and shiny parts," said Schifano, who has also painted Niagara Falls from the American side.
Sam Paonessa, who grew up in Niagara Falls but now lives in Scarborough, agreed there are more than enough ways for artists to look at the falls. It all depends on angles and how the light falls on the water and the escarpment.
"It will take a while before I get tired of painting the falls," said Paonessa, a plein air veteran of 20 years. "It's the beauty and the power. Its got such a force you want to be able to capture."
Manuel Jomok, from Red Bank, N.J., plans to retire this year, pack up an RV and tour the United States to paint everything he sees. His goal is to get to Alaska by 2009.
"It's different landscapes, different people, different culture," he said of the joy of painting outside. "It's all part of the experience.
Painters had a beautiful day to paint outside Saturday, but had to deal with windy conditions Friday -- something they say is worse than painting in the rain because everything is moving: subject, canvas, paint.
"I don't know if you call that fun," Jomok joked. "It's part of plein air.
"It's exciting to be outside instead of in a studio."
Plein air painters do their work outside, in good weather and in bad and often with people gawking over their shoulders. But that's part of the experience, artist Manuel Jomok says. From New Jersey, Jomok was one of more than two dozen artists taking part in the fifth annual Plein Air Paint Out in Niagara Falls last weekend.
Jomok spent the weekend trying to capture the force of the water of Niagara Falls, something he said he could only truly do by painting the world-famous cataract from only a few steps away and not from a picture in a studio. Jomok plans to retire soon and will pack up an RV to tour the U.S. with the goal of getting to Alaska by 2009 and painting everything along the way.
Artists completed as many paintings as they could over the two days and submitted two each to be judged. Two winners will be named, each receiving a $500 purchase award. One winning painting is to added to the city's art collection while the other was given to Niagara Falls, N.Y.
Jomok spent the weekend trying to capture the force of the water of Niagara Falls, something he said he could only truly do by painting the world-famous cataract from only a few steps away and not from a picture in a studio. Jomok plans to retire soon and will pack up an RV to tour the U.S. with the goal of getting to Alaska by 2009 and painting everything along the way.
Artists completed as many paintings as they could over the two days and submitted two each to be judged. Two winners will be named, each receiving a $500 purchase award. One winning painting is to added to the city's art collection while the other was given to Niagara Falls, N.Y.
International Plein Air Painters
J. R. Baldini, Director and founder
