The October 2007 Plein Air Painting Festival was a rousing success. Top, nationally ranked artists selected for the San Luis Obispo Plein Air Painting Festival were charmed by eminently paintable landscapes, warm hospitality and eager art collectors. In its sixth year, this event has earned a place among the top plein air painting festivals in the country.

During the week of the festival, 51 painters from across the United States were seen capturing San Luis Obispo County's great outdoors. A large crowd of admirers filled Mission Plaza to watch the artists paint during a "Quick Draw" on Saturday morning. When the stop-all painting whistle blew, easels were lined up on the Plaza, paintings were framed on the spot, and put on view, followed by the crowd of collectors bidding on the still wet paintings.

In the nearby Art Center, there were 153 paintings created during Festival Week on public view. A new Collectors' Party on Friday night and the always popular Gala Exhibition and Silent Auction on Saturday night brought collectors, art lovers, and gallery owners from throughout the country for the first opportunity to purchase the exhibition paintings.

Best of Show was awarded to Niles Nordquist for "Morning at Pelican Point". Other awards presented were: Artist's Choice Terry Miura for "Stop" and People's Choice Ken Christensen for "Yellow House."

Proceeds from this annual fundraiser benefit both the artists and the Art Center's exhibition and educational programming.

We would like to thank the sponsors of the 2007
San Luis Obispo Plein Air Painting Festival

Best of Show 2007
Niles Nordquist

Artist's Choice 2007
Terry Miura

People's Choice 2007
Ken Christensen

Photos by David Garth