Painting outside in Ligonier on a 28-degree February day, under a light drizzle, is “not for the faint of heart,” said Jan Pini of Venetia, Washington County.
Nevertheless, she worked with pastels en plein air Friday morning at the Loyalhanna Watershed Association grounds, just west of the borough.
Pini and two friends are among about 20 artists participating in the inaugural Winter Paint-Out hosted by the Southern Alleghenies Museum of Art-Ligonier Valley. Participants started Thursday and are working through Saturday, with their completed works being offered at a wet show and sale from 1-4 p.m. Sunday at the museum.
The museum also hosts a popular Paint-Out in September, and a mid-winter event “lets them explore different aspects of our beautiful valley,” site coordinator Kristin Miller said.
“I love the winter scenes, and so do many of our artists. They were so excited, they just couldn’t wait for it,” Miller said. “We haven’t had real winter weather for ages, so this turned out beautifully. There’s beautiful, white, fluffy snow on every branch.”
Most participating artists are from Westmoreland County, with others from across the region and even from Maryland. They include well-known artists such as Doreen Currie and Rita Haldeman, along with “new up-and-comers,” Miller said.
“‘Plein air’ means ‘open air,’ so they really have to be working out in it,” she said. “They can sit in the car for a few minutes to take a picture or do a sketch, but 80% has to be out in it. That’s the challenge.”
Pini’s friend, Patricia Young of Fox Chapel, stayed out of the Friday morning mist under a camping shower tent she bought for the occasion.
“Pastels can’t get wet,” she said.
The third member of the party, Nan Hought of Bradford Woods, wore a pair of men’s ski pants she bought at Goodwill for $5 and protected her tray of pastels with a towel.
“I’m envious of Patricia,” she joked.
Artists could set up anywhere within the boundaries of Ligonier Valley School District. Miller provided a list of popular public spaces such as the Ligonier Diamond area, Linn Run State Park and Laurel Mountain Ski Resort, along with a list of private properties where they have permission to work.
“A lot of them come in advance and scope out their own locations,” Miller said. “If they see a location they like, they can stop and knock on the door and ask for permission. They’re required to wear badges we give them to identify themselves.
“It’s really amazing what they can accomplish in such a short time,” she said. “Some of them come back with multiple pieces.”
