Winter Park Paint Out 2015

Brushes, paints, canvas, easels, and 25 of the finest Plein Air artists in the nation. The Winter Park Paint Out is back for the seventh year in a row as artists paint scenes in Winter Park and Orlando, capturing moments in time with the splash of oils, watercolors and pastels, from April 19-25.

The Albin Polasek Museum & Sculpture Gardens, a gem in Central Florida’s Winter Park, will host the seventh Annual Winter Park Paint Out. Stop by the museum and gardens from April 19-25 to see both artists’ works in progress and recently completed works, watch artists painting in the gardens, and attend free painting demonstrations. Plein air, a French term meaning “in the open air,” describes artworks painted outdoors with the subject directly in view, rather than being created in a studio. Plein air artists capture the spirit and essence of a landscape or subject by incorporating natural light, color and movement into their works. Artwork produced during the Paint Out will be for sale, with a portion of the proceeds going to support the preservation, maintenance and operation of the museum and gardens.

The Paint Out culminates with a special not to be missed evening event - The Paint Out Garden Party, which takes place Saturday April 25, from 6 to 9 p.m. All artists will be present, and guests are able to discuss and purchase their works. Tickets for The Paint Out Garden Party are available through the Polasek Museum. They are priced at $50 in advance, or $80 at the door (if available). Space is limited, and the event has sold out each year. Be sure to purchase your tickets soon and save the date.

Call the museum at (407) 647-6294 for additional information or visit the Paint Out web site at www.winterparkpaintout.org for a complete schedule of events. A rewards program is also available for patrons and sponsors. Please visit the website for more information on how to participate as well as for details on how to follow the event on Facebook and Twitter.


Winter Park Paint Out 2015 Schedule of Events

Gallery and Gardens Open Daily
  • Open House – FREE to the Public All Week
  • Sunday April 19 through Saturday April 25
  • Sunday, April 19: 1:00 to 4:00 p.m.
  • Monday, April 21: through Friday, April 25 10:00 a.m.to 6:00 p.m.
  • Tuesday, April 22: 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
  • Saturday, April 26: 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon
Artists paint in the Polasek’s sculpture gardens and at other locations throughout Winter Park and Orlando. Works will be on display and for sale as soon as they are completed and dropped off at the museum’s “wet room.” Stop by to see and purchase works produced during this year’s Winter Park Paint Out! All artwork may also be viewed virtually in “real time” online as they are created at www.winterparkpaintout.org.

Free Painting Demonstrations:

Sunday, April 19: Noon - 3 p.m.
“Lyrical Painting” and live Music at the Casa

Oil Painting Demonstration with Hai-Ou Hou at Casa Feliz, 12:30 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.
The Albin Polasek Museum joins forces with Casa Feliz Historic Home Museum to welcome the public to this extraordinary, one-of-a-kind event, part of The Seventh Annual Winter Park Paint Out. 

 Join us at the beautiful Casa Feliz as Winter Park Paint Out artist Hai-Ou Hou captures the essence of live music with plein air style. Enjoy the regularly scheduled “Music at the Casa” event from Noon to 3 p m. and listen to the glorious sounds of Harpist Catherine Way. Her melodies, along with the superb gardens and architecture at Casa Feliz, will inspire the artist’s painting right before your eyes! Settle in and bring your friends and family during the afternoon and watch a lyrical painting take shape. Our nationally recognized plein air artist from Maryland, Hai-Ou Hou, will give a formal oil painting demonstration in the courtyard at 12:30 p.m.

Everyone is welcome to attend this public event that is in conjunction with the free week-long Winter Park Paint Out festival hosted by The Albin Polasek Museum & Sculpture Gardens. Artwork created will be available for sale in the Polasek Museum’s “wet room” gallery the following day.

Casa Feliz is located at 656 North Park Avenue, Winter Park, FL 32789


Sunday, April 19: 1 - 4 p.m.
“Plein Air 101” and free Museum Open-House
Oil Painting Demonstration with Christophe Cardot, 2 p.m. – 4 p.m.

Join us at the Polasek Museum for the official start of the week-long Winter Park Paint Out Festival! This is the perfect day to bring the whole family and discover what this event is all about. Artists will be onsite painting the picturesque sculpture gardens. Watch them create paintings live and see their “kick-off paintings” showcased in the “wet room” gallery. Curator Rachel Frisby, will be in the gardens for complementary watercolor activities appropriate for all ages and skill levels. Event sponsor Art Systems of Winter Park will be on hand to show aspiring painters exactly what supplies they need to get started. A formal oil painting demonstration will begin at 2 p.m. in the garden with Paint Out artist, Christophe Cardot. He’ll teach you how to begin painting and answer “What is plein air?” Ask him your questions and learn basic techniques and tricks.

The demonstration will be held onsite in the Polasek Museum’s Lakeview Garden.


Monday, April 20: 10 a.m. - Noon
“From Start to Finish”
Watercolor Painting Demonstration with Catherine Hillis

Having trouble getting started and laying down those first initial brush strokes on your blank canvas? Then this demonstration is for you! Watch as Paint Out watercolor artist Catherine Hillis describes how she begins her onsite work with confidence, providing painters with ideas on how to quell the fear of the “white paper.” The artist will demonstrate some plein air tools and ideas on ‘how to start.’ Topics will include simplifying a subject, preliminary sketching and building the landscape with values and color mixing. Mrs. Hillis is a watercolor painter, but her topic will appeal to painters in all mediums.

The demonstration will be held onsite in the Polasek Museum’s Lakeview Garden.

Tuesday, April 21: 10 a.m. - Noon
“A Plein Air Portrait”
Oil Painting Demonstration with Natalia Andreeva

Hone your figure painting skills with this portrait demonstration taught by Natalia Andreeva. Learn how to simplify portrait elements and focus on capturing the essence of the sitter -- a true character study. Discover how a studio portrait differs from one created in an outdoor environment. The changing natural light results in a portrait full of color and brush strokes, reminiscent of French Impressionists who popularized the plein air genre.

The demonstration will be held onsite in the Polasek Museum’s Lakeview Garden.

Interested in having your portrait or a loved one’s likeness immortalized? Contact Museum curator, Rachel Frisby at rfrisby@polasek.org or (407) 647-6294 to schedule a portrait sitting session during the week of Paint Out, April 19-25. We’d be delighted to arrange for one of our talented Paint Out artists to paint a one-of-a-kind portrait for you!

Tuesday, April 21: 6 - 8 p.m.
“The Positive Impact of Negative Shapes”
Oil Painting Demonstration with Cory Wright at The Alfond Inn

The Albin Polasek Museum is pleased to collaborate with The Alfond Inn at Rollins College for this public, after-business-hours event, part of The Seventh Annual Winter Park Paint Out. Join us as Winter Park Paint Out artist Cory Wright captures the majesty and unique architectural elements found in the outdoor courtyard of The Alfond. This is a free public event open to everyone, so kick back and unwind after work with a cocktail from the bar at The Alfond Lounge while you watch the free demo unfold before your eyes, or dine-in at Hamilton's Kitchen after the scheduled demo. Outdoor seating is limited; do come early to snag a primo spot. The artwork created will be available for sale in the Polasek Museum’s “wet room” gallery the following day.

Demo Topic: “The Positive Impact of Negative Shapes”
Negative shapes -- the space around and behind an object -- can be just as important as the object itself in a painting, sometimes even more so! Successful paintings tend to have both a unity and variety of shapes within them, some large and some small, but all related. Learning how to navigate negative space well can be an invaluable way of creating good design and interesting positive shapes when painting a given subject. In this demonstration you will learn how accurately proportioned and placed shapes and color notes aid artists in their endeavor to create realistic images of common (yet often daunting!) subjects in plein air painting, such as architecture, trees and sky.
The Alfond Inn at Rollins College is located at 300 East New England Ave, Winter Park, FL 32789.


Wednesday, April 22: 10- a.m. - Noon
“Painting on Altered Ground”

Oil Painting Demonstration with Irina Kovnacka Ashcraft
Spice up a traditional still life painting with some texture and an infusion of color! Watch as Paint Out artist and professional teacher Irina Kovnacka Ashcraft demonstrates how to paint on top of “altered surfaces” such as pre-textured and pre-toned backgrounds. In this workshop, you will learn various surface altering techniques and will view a demonstration of a plein air painting of a still life on a pre-textured surface.
The demonstration will be held onsite in the Polasek Museum’s Lakeview Garden.

Wednesday, April 22: 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.
Winter Park Paint Out Second-Annual Student Day!

The Polasek is committed to introducing the world of plein air to students in the Winter Park and Orlando communities. We believe that plein air is for everyone! Howard MiddleSchool will be our participating school at this year’s event and will be onsite participating in hands-on class painting project with Museum Curator Rachel Frisby. Students will be treated to a special demonstration with Paint Out artist Irina Kovnacka Ashcraft, and each will receive one-on-one attention. Their artwork will be inspired by the gardens and the quick-painting, spontaneous nature of plein air. The public is welcome to watch the student project unfold, although only Howard students will be allowed to paint. Nominate your favorite community school to participate in 2016 Paint Out!
The demonstration will be held onsite in the Polasek Museum’s Lakeview Garden.

Thursday, April 23: 10 a.m. - Noon
“Transparency in Watercolor”
Watercolor Demonstration with Vladislav Yeliseyev

Let the light and the white shine through your painting! Learn how to achieve a transparent effect through working with values. Vladislav Yeliseyev will show you first-hand how to plan out your composition to best achieve transparency, what colors to layer and how to make the most of white highlights from your paper. When applied thoughtfully, colors visually appear to glow on the paper, while others deposit rich sediment into the hills and valleys of your paper. The nature of watercolor is so special and unlike any other medium that you could say its beauty lies within its transparent properties.
The demonstration will be held onsite in the Polasek Museum’s Lakeview Garden.

Friday, April 24: 10 a.m. - Noon
“Painting Flowers and Gardens”
Oil Painting Demonstration with Steve Andrews

Join our 2015 Winter Park Paint Out Poster Winner, Steve Andrews, as he shares his insights on how to successfully compose a painting when flowers are your subject matter. Andrews’s intention is not to create a biological study of a certain specimen, but rather to use color, line and edge to design an interesting, colorful painting that captures the essence of the flower. This is all about simplicity and highlighting the beauty of the flowers.
The demonstration will be held onsite in the Polasek Museum’s Lakeview Garden.

Friday, April 24: 3 - 5 p.m.
“Dappled Light” and Polasek Happy Hour
Oil Painting Demonstration with Morgan Samuel Price

Knock off work a bit early on Friday and get a good seat for a demonstration by nationally acclaimed artist Morgan Samuel Price. Set in the late afternoon to catch the shifting patterns of sunlight through the leaves, Morgan Samuel Price will show you how she masterfully captures the light. The essence of plein air painting is the art of capturing the light - now sit back with a glass of wine and learn the art of designing patterns playing with the light. A cash bar will be available in the garden for this Paint Out Happy Hour Demo. Cheers to fine art! The demonstration will be held onsite in the Polasek Museum’s Lakeview Garden.
Other Spe­cial Events

Paint Out Welcome Reception (Artists, Hosts, Patrons, Spon­sors)
Mon­day, April 20: 5:30 to 8 p.m.

Help us wel­come this year’s artists dur­ing a pri­vate, catered event at the Polasek Museum. This is a great oppor­tu­nity to meet and talk to artists about their work and their plans for the upcom­ing event. Please con­tact the Polasek Museum at (407) 647‑6294 for more infor­ma­tion about becom­ing a Paint Out Patron or Spon­sor.


Sunset “Paint In”
Wednes­day, April 22: 6 to 9 p.m.

The Albin Polasek Museum & Sculpture Gardens welcomes the public to attend our highly anticipated “Sunset Paint In” event, part of The Winter Park Paint Out. Set on beautiful Lake Maitland; join us at the Winter Park Racquet Club as our twenty-five acclaimed artists capture the evening’s changing dramatic colors. Settle in with your friends and family as dusk draws near and watch the magical unfold across their canvasses. Enjoy delicious cuisine and cocktails in the Club House where a buffet ($15 cash, cc will also be accepted) and bar will be provided curtsey of the Racquet Club. If you’ve ever wanted to visit the exclusive Winter Park Racquet Club this is the perfect opportunity for members and non-members alike to invite guests and check out this one-of-a-kind event. Artists will paint along the shoreline as well as throughout the lush and festive grounds. Grab a drink and come share the vista with us and watch as these out­stand­ing artists cre­ate a vivid sun­set mem­ory on can­vas. Artwork will be available for sale the night of and you may also see the evenings completed artwork in the Polasek’s “wet room” gallery the following day. The Winter Park Racquet Club is located at 2111 Via Tuscany, Winter Park, Florida 32789. This is a public event, everyone is welcome!

Artists and Patrons Private Reception
Thurs­day, April 23: 5:30 to 8:00 p.m.

The Polasek Board of Trustees hosts a (private event) causal and fun evening meal for Sponsors, Patrons, Hosts, and Artists. Join us at the historic Woman's Club of Winter Park for this mid-week repast and a unique oppor­tu­nity to talk to our artists about their work. Directly following the event, artists are welcome to step outside the Club House and onto vibrant Park Ave at night for informal nocturne painting. You just might want to stay up late to watch! Please con­tact the Polasek Museum at (407) 647‑6294 for more infor­ma­tion about becom­ing a Paint Out Patron or Spon­sor. The Woman’s Club is conveniently located at 419 S Interlachen Ave, Winter Park, FL 32789, just two blocks from Park Avenue’s nighttime atmosphere.

Paint Out Garden Party
Saturday, April 25: 6:00 to 9:00 p.m.

Join us for a special night “en plein air” at The Polasek Museum and the enchanting gardens at twilight. We’ll be celebrating the masterful works of our Paint Out artists as we bring the 2014 Winter Park Paint Out to a close. Meet the artists from this year’s event and see the entire exhibition of over 400 works of art, while enjoying great food and company. A shuttle will usher guests to and from, providing free event parking. Tickets are $50 in advance or $80 if available at the door. VIP Reception exclusive preview begins at 5 p.m. for Sponsors and Patrons. Tickets will be available online www.polasek.org, or call the Museum at (407) 647-6294.

2015 Winter Park Paint Out Participating Artists

  • · Natalia Andreeva, Tallahassee, FL
  • · Steve Andrews, Tallahassee, FL
  • · Linda Apriletti, Miami Springs, FL
  • · Stephen Bach, Orlando, FL
  • · Stacy Barter, Winter Park, FL
  • · Christophe Cardot, Edgewater, FL
  • · Matthew Cornell, Orlando, FL
  • · Kathleen Denis, Tavernier, FL
  • · Charles Dickinson, St. Augustine, FL
  • · Bill Farnsworth, Venice, FL
  • · Robert Frank, Tripp City, OH
  • · Catherine Hillis, Round Hill, VA
  • · Hai-Ou Hou, Stevensville, MD
  • · Irina Kovnacka Ashcraft, Winter Springs, FL
  • · Richard Lundgren, Jacksonville, FL
  • · Tim Malles, Gainesville, FL
  • · Jeff Ripple, Micanopy, FL
  • · Robert Ross, Altamonte Springs, FL
  • · Gary Rupp, Winter Park, FL
  • · Morgan Samuel Price, Orlando, FL
  • · Mary O. Smith, Woodbine, GA
  • · Don Sondag, Maitland, FL
  • · Kent Sullivan, Orlando, FL
  • · Vladislav Yeliseyev, Sarasota, FL
  • · Cory Wright, Apollo Beach, FL