Meg West is an accomplished Plein Air Painter. She loves the immersion and challenges that come with it – bugs, rain, wind, and clouds. Living in Virginia and all the beauty in the area compels her to paint the views she sees and loves. Come meet her at the gallery during the Historic Downtown Mall’s First Friday celebration on November 1, from 5-8pm.
West, who earned a BFA from Philadelphia College of Art, believes that artists see things differently than others do. She sees the world through eyes that want to re-create and express her sense of beauty. “The artist must see the finished painting in her head but start at the beginning. The fun of plein air painting is selecting, arranging, and studying the view in front of you, simplifying and making decisions constantly, like a dance of what to leave in, and what to ignore. The painting is not like a photograph, it is your impression of what you see that day, the light and mood of the moment.”
To prepare for this show, Meg, having lived in Crozet for the past 38 years, decided to concentrate on plein air paintings of a dozen local vineyards, mostly in the western part of Albemarle. “There is nothing that makes me happier than to set up my canvas, palette and easel and start a painting. There were many vineyards I didn’t get time to visit, it was such a hot summer. Some paintings are large, some are small, but I want to go back to all of the vineyards to paint!”
Some of the paintings included are from: King Family Vineyards, Veritas, Afton Mountain, Grace Estates, Chiswell, Septenary Vineyards, Stinton, Flying Fox, and Knight’s Gambit.
To learn more about Meg West’s work, visit her online at megwestoilpainting.net
or on Instagram @west.meg. In addition to her display at C’ville Arts, you can see more of
her paintings at the Crozet Artisan Depot in Crozet, VA.
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