Artists paint Holly Springs plein

Armed with paintbrushes, pastels, and a ticking clock, artists from across the region scattered throughout Marshall County on Saturday, June 6, to capture the historic charm of the local landscape for the fourth annual Plein Air Holly Springs.

The day-long event, hosted by the Kate Freeman Clark Art Gallery, challenged participants to paint entirely outdoors before presenting their fresh work to a crowd of eager local collectors.

For participating artist Heather Coble of Oxford, the event provided an opportunity to bypass the artificiality of modern technology. Coble, who entered an oil painting into the competition and worked on a secondary pastel piece of the courthouse roof, noted that painting outdoors forces a different perspective compared to digital photography.

“Photographs nowadays, they’ve got so much AI built into the camera off your phone that it distorts color, it distorts tone and texture,” Coble said, adding that working live allows her to see everything for what it really is. Coble also noted the event helped her overcome the self-consciousness of working in public, a milestone she credited to her mentor, Carol Roark, who served as the event’s judge.

The annual gathering has quickly grown into a premier regional draw, according to gallery trustee Bea Green, who reported that organizers actually had to turn artists away this year due to the event’s surging popularity.

Green estimated participants traveled from about five different states to test their skills in Holly Springs. She noted that the gathering serves as a significant economic boost for the municipality, drawing tourists who shop locally before packing the gallery reception.

“They paint together a lot. They go to plein airs everywhere... so they know each other, and they’re all friends,” Green said.

Green also emphasized the deep historical connection between the event and the gallery’s namesake. Kate Freeman Clark practiced plein air painting while studying under the legendary William Merritt Chase in the Shinnecock Hills of New York. Green noted that a yellow umbrella was placed on the gallery’s back patio as a historical nod to Chase, who famously used a yellow umbrella on the beach so his scattered outdoor students could find their way back to the group when they finished painting.

Judging the diverse array of finished pieces fell to Roark, who praised the exceptional quality of the “wet paint” showing. Roark contrasts outdoor observation with studio work, noting that cameras often fail to capture accurate dimensions of light and shadow, which can train artists to paint shadows too dark.

“You can tell a story without telling everything, and that’s really what we want to do,” Roark said. “I have a friend that’s an artist, and he says paint the poetry, not the crime report.”

Roark praised the simplified design and top-notch value structure of the secondplace piece by David Taylor. In awarding the top prize to Paige Turner for her depiction of the local courthouse, Roark highlighted the intentional use of light, brushwork, and edge control that immediately commanded attention across the room.

“The light caught me,” said Roark. “The story is there because it’s taking you exactly where she wants you to go. Everything about it is lovely.”

Following Roark’s deliberation, the final prize placements were finalized. Turner, of Alamo, Tennessee, claimed first place. Taylor, of Greenwood, won second place, and Rhonda Gramer of Tupelo secured third place. Honorable mention was awarded to Sherry Carlson of Saucier.

The evening concluded with a bustling reception, where community members and gallery patrons took advantage of the opportunity to meet the artists and purchase the freshly completed representations of Holly Springs. During last year’s event, gallery patrons purchased 100 percent of the paintings on display.