Every year for ten years, hardy painters from Minnesota, Wisconsin, South Dakota and Ontario have gathered at YMCA Camp Menogyn to paint the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness in the heart of winter. This year was our coldest ever, with daytime temperatures as low as -34F. But the good company, good food, warm cabins and spectacular scenery more than compensated for extreme-cold painting conditions. We're already excited for next year.

Photo credit and thanks to Christopher LaForge, Poetry and Photography

We had spectacular weather for the Quick Paint this year. We also added an Open Class of participants who competed for the "Art on the Rocks" award, with votes cast at the traditional display of finished paintings on the rocks along East Bay and artists' photo op. Professional photographer Dennis Chick took some wonderful photos during the 2-hour timed competition and we're grateful for his permission to post them. To contact him for prints or copies, please email him at dchickphoto@gmail.com. Visit his web site at www.dennischick.com.

It doesn't get any better than this:  Bright sun, cool breeze, and all the brilliant colors we associate with Plein Air Grand Marais in September.  Jack Dant won today's vote for daily finalist in the Artists' Choice competition. Tonight might be our best chance of seeing (and painting?) the Northern Lights.

It was a typical September day in Grand Marais for painters during Plein Air Grand Marais: a little rain, sun, wind, and rainbows. Carl Bretzke is today's finalist for the Artists' Choice award. Tonight is our Night Painting event downtown. Stay tuned for pictures, and maybe a glimpse of the Northern Lights.

It was another perfect day in Grand Marais. Artists have practically taken over the town, and it's a thrill to see a painter in every direction!

Today was a close call. Lisa Stauffer was our daily Finalist for Artists' Choice award by one vote. We expect the competition to get stiffer as more painters arrive and finish more paintings to submit. Bring in your painting between 11am and 12pm; voting is between 12-1pm from Saturday to Wednesday of Competition week.

Lisa Stauffer's winning pastel painting of the lighthouse and harbor in Grand Marais.

It's a fine week of weather forecast in Grand Marais for OPM's first year as organizing sponsor of Plein Air Grand Marais. We had our first day of voting on a finalist for the Birnie Quick Artists' Choice award: Congratulations to Matt Kania for his winning painting, "Artist's Point." Stay tuned for photos and updates this week from the North Shore of Lake Superior.

It's hard for some people to understand why a bunch of painters would go once let alone every year for almost a decade to haul our gear a half mile across a frozen lake in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness to paint outdoors for a week in sometimes sub-zero temperatures.  This fine article in OutdoorPainter.com does a great job of explaining the attraction.  

www.outdoorpainter.com/why-30-degrees-below-zero-doesnt-stop-these-outdoor-painters/

We've scheduled next year's 10 year anniversary retreat at YMCA Camp Menogyn and reception & exhibit at Johnson Heritage Post, 115 Wisconsin St. in Grand Marais, MN.  Save the dates and don't miss Winter Plein Air at Menoyn 2019! Cost is $225 per person, including 5 nights' lodging and all meals. Open to all hardy outdoor painters, subject to lodging capacity and winter-travel related potential limitations.  Contact Allison Eklund for details (info @outdoorpaintersofminnesota.org).

Retreat:  Sunday, January 27 to Friday, February 1, 2019
Reception:  5-8pm Friday, February 1, 2019
Exhibit:  February 1–24, 2019*

*Our 2019 extended exhibit includes a 10 year retrospective of past participants' paintings of Menogyn and BWCAW. 

OPM member Deb Zeller is hosting a Spring Salon exhibit of members' plein air paintings, which will hang through May 31, 2017.  We had a wonderful opening reception the evening of April 6.  Be sure to stop by and see the show.  This could be the start of an annual tradition!

We had a fantastic first workshop of the year today at the Bloomington visitor center of the Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge.  Richard Abraham gave a presentation about his background in classical painting and drawing techniques and an early professional career in graphic design and digital media arts.   He then gave a painting demonstration.  After lunch he offered critiques of paintings exhibited or brought for advice by participants.

The Wildlife Refuge is an ideal partner and a perfect venue.  We'll be back again for a similar event on April 1, 2017.