For gardeners and outdoor enthusiasts, the upcoming ‘spring’ season puts one in their step. For many area painters it’s ‘Plein Aire Spring Training’ time. That’s how renowned local artist Fen Rascoe describes the Plein Aire brush up workshop he recently conducted at the Chowan Arts Council.  

Rascoe’s artistic prominence crosses state lines and the sessions drew artists from Virginia and other neighboring communities to have the opportunity to paint and polish techniques with Rascoe.  

Possibly following in the brush strokes of Winston Churchill, Dwight D. Eisenhower, Jimmy Carter and George W. Bush, each a politician with an artistic flair, Chowan County Commissioner Larry McLaughlin and Edenton Mayor Hackney High attended the workshop, brushing up their Plein Air views.

“The week long class was designed to loosen up and to get in shape for the upcoming outdoor ‘plein aire’ season,” shared Rascoe. “Plein Air is French for painting outside from life where the subject matter is painted Alla Prima which is “wet on wet”.  

Students are guided in the alla prima process completing an oil painting in a single session.  The steps include applying fresh, wet paint over previous, still-wet layers. In Italian, "at first attempt" focuses on spontaneity, capturing immediate impressions, and bold, expressive brushwork.  

Thanks to mother nature, the sessions were wet on wet as rain didn’t cooperate for a few of the days, so the course was simulated with outdoor scenes on a flat screen painting alla prima.

These workshops have brought out of town students to Edenton  from Georgia, Maryland, Virginia  to capture the area on canvas. McLaughlin regularly displays his work at the Chowan Gallery.  

The next workshop will be in October titled “3rd Annual Fall Harvest Workshop” capturing the defoliated cotton, peanut bales and rusty cypress in Chowan and Bertie counties. For more information go to https://www.fenrascoe.com