I’ve been enjoying plein air painting (literally, “open air” painting– popularized by the Impressionists to capture the light at a particular time and place) lately, and so I signed up to be part of the plein air painting competition at the Florida State Fair. I wasn’t sure what to expect (would I be painting a ferris wheel? Fried twinkies?), but I discovered a lovely “living history” village within the state fair, composed of historic homes, a post office, black smith shop, and other structures that had been collected over time for educational purposes. I fell in love with the view of Carlton House, which was the governor’s mansion in the 1800s, tucked under some enormous oak trees, and so I set up shop there!
I was really happy with how the painting turned out, and honored to win second place in the judging!
I’ve got my eye on a few other plein air competitions– it was exciting, and great to meet other artists. And in the meantime, I’ll keep exploring and painting outdoors!
Katie Broussard 
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