Plein Air artists share love of Central City Above, left; A string quartet joined Jennifer DeDominici to perform Jake Heggie’s song cycle celebrating Camille Claudel’s life. Above, right; Ted Garica won the Best Quick Draw award for his painting of flowers in the Opera Garden. Plein Air Judge Sheila Marie and event coordinator Emily Murdock look on. PHOTOS BY RON ENGELS[/caption]

They came from Idaho, from Maryland and Texas, in a pickup traveling around the country, and from Longmont, Denver and Idaho Springs. “They” are the ten artists who saw and painted the magic of Central City for five days starting last Wednesday as part of Central City Opera’s Annual Plein Air Festival.

The event has been a favorite of artists since its inception in 2018. The invited artists find locations in and around Central City, putting on canvas whatever catches their eye. They saw a truck and travel trailer parked in the back corner of the Big T Lot, the Odd Fellows Cemetery shrouded in fog, Main Street and Pine Street, Washington Hall with its belltower, a rusted out ore cart along the road to Russell Gulch, and of course, The Opera House.

Saturday afternoon’s “Quick Draw” was the highlight of the event for many. Artists had two hours to complete a picture of anything they could see from a vantage point on Eureka Street. During the whole of the two hours, event attendees were encouraged to watch the painting come together and to interact with the artists as they worked. At the end of the two hours, the paintings were judged, and with the paint still wet, put on sale.

Sunday brought an end to the event with a VIP pre-sale, a concert at the Martin Foundry, and sales to the public from 4 to 6 p.m.

The concert included a song cycle based on the life and work of French sculptor Camile Claudel, composed by Jake Heggie, and sung by mezzo-soprano Jennifer DeDominici. The concert ended with a performance of Modest Mussorgsky’s “Pictures at an Exhibition,” arranged for two pianos.

The Best in Show award went to Jeff Markowsky for an oil painting that captured an overlook of Central painted on Wednesday when the city was socked in with fog and rain. Markowsky also took the Artists Choice award for his Quick Draw painting of another of the artists painting a scene in the Opera Gardens. The Best Opera House award went to Idaho Springs watercolor artist Carol Newsom.

Music and art, oh my Top, left; The Williams Stables comes together under the brush strokes of participating artist Hai-Ou Hou. Above, right; Jeff Markowski won Best in Show with his painting looking down into Central City during the fog and rain last Wednesday. Bottom, right; Idaho Springs artist Carol Newsom focuses on a detail of the Opera House during the Quick Draw competition. Bottom, left; JenniferDeDominici: Mezzo-soprano Jennnifer DeDominici wowed the audience with her performance of Camille Claudel in Jake Heggie’s song cycle celebrating Claudel’s life. PHOTOS BY RON ENGELS[/caption]

The works not sold during the event are on display and still available for purchase at the Gilpin Arts Association gallery in Washington Hall in Central City.