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Fog/Mist Mixing nature, art in outdoor painting course
Painting outdoors has long been considered one of the highest forms of art, from the grand landscapes of the Hudson River School artists to the Impressionist depictions of the European countryside. Now a program developed by Graham Nickson, dean of the New York Studio School of Drawing, Painting & Sculpture, offers artists of all skill levels the chance to learn to paint with him at the historic Old Westbury Gardens.
The course is a two-week “marathon” beginning on Monday. Known as “Arbor Vitae Revisited,” it has been taught every year since 1987 by Nickson. It’s called a painting marathon because of its intensity and time commitment.
Over two weeks, participants will visit Old Westbury Gardens and paint, effectively non-stop, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Erin Hinz, the communications and outreach manager for the Studio School, explained that while the duration of the course can sound daunting, it gives participants a chance to discover themselves as artists and explore with various styles and themes.
“The idea is sort of to give students essentially a whole toolbox of different sorts of approaches to the medium, ways of thinking, and kind of stretch the possibilities of what these ways of working can do for you as an artist,” Hinz said. “This marathon kind of takes it to the next level, because students are able to work en plein air.”
“En plein air” is a French artistic term which refers to the process of painting an entire picture outdoors. Popularized by French artists of the early 1800’s, this style has been lauded for allowing painters to capture active scenes in nature.
In a setting as beautiful as Old Westbury Gardens, it’s easy to see the benefits of outdoor painting. The former property of American financier John Shaffer Phipps, the property was built in 1906 and features 200 acres of formal gardens, landscaped grounds, woodlands, ponds and lakes.
Caroline Gerry, a Locust Valley resident and artist who participated in the marathon roughly a decade ago, described Old Westbury Gardens as the perfect location to paint en plein air and to develop oneself as an artist. Gerry added that the marathon was an amazing experience as an artist and getting to work with Nickson helped expand her style and skill.
“The pastoral beauty of Old Westbury Gardens, with its majestic trees, intimate flower gardens, meadows and ponds captures the best of what the North Shore of Long Island’s bucolic landscape has to offer,” Gerry explained. “The Studio School provides an idyllic outdoor classroom for learning the tenets of drawing and painting under the astute guidance of a virtuoso in his field, while the sheer beauty of Old Westbury Gardens is a constant source of inspiration and discovery to all nature lovers and aspiring artists.”
Nickson, who has been dean of the Studio School since 1988, said that when he first developed the idea it was really about pushing his students, and himself, to see if the intensity of the program would yield dividends in their artwork.
While the Arbor Vitae Revisited marathon costs $2,300, he says that the setting, the artists and the intensity make it one of his favorite courses to teach. As someone who loves to paint nature, particularly skies, Nickson said there are few better settings for aspiring artists and recommended the course for anyone interested in pushing themselves artistically.
“Old Westbury Gardens is a wonderful place to learn how to see; a lot of people look, but very few people truly see and comprehend the world around them,” Nickson explained. “It’s the arcadian sense of quiet and tranquility, being surrounded by nature, that encourages our students to do very daring paintings.”
To sign up, visit nyss.org/course/, and apply for the Arbor Vitae Revisited while spots are still open. The deadline is before Monday.
