Artists will take it outside at 20th Laguna plein air painting festival

The Laguna Beach Plein Air Painting Invitational is marking its 20th annual run Saturday through Oct. 14.

The celebration of creating art en plein air, or outdoors, will be headquartered at the Festival of Arts grounds at 650 Laguna Canyon Road. Fifty artists are expected to participate in this year’s festival.

Here are event highlights:

Saturday: Painting demonstration: Artists in the competition will gather from 2 to 5 p.m. at Treasure Island Park in front of the Montage Laguna Beach resort at 30801 S. Coast Hwy. for a public warm-up paint-out. Admission is free.

Sunday: Quick draw and sale: All 50 artists will gather from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. at Heisler Park at 375 Cliff Drive for a quick draw painting competition, which the public is invited to observe. Artists will gather at the Festival of Arts grounds afterward for a reception and sale of their just-created works. Admission is free.

Monday: Kids Paint Out: In partnership with professional artists, about 50 children in grades 4 to 12 will do their own painting in Heisler Park from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. The pieces will be displayed at the Festival of Arts grounds and sold, with all proceeds benefiting participating schools.

Monday: Artists Plein Talk: Artists in the Plein Air Painting Invitational will talk about their artistic journeys and painting tips from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at the Festival of Arts’ Forum Theater. A wine and cheese reception will start the evening at 6:30. Tickets are $15 for general admission and $10 for Laguna Plein Air Painters Assn. members at conta.cc/2QsARws.

Tuesday: Nocturne Paint Out: All 50 artists in the competition will take their kits outside for an evening session on and around Forest Avenue and the rest of downtown Laguna Beach. The event starts at 6 p.m. and the public is invited to observe. Admission is free.

Wednesday: Next Generation Paint Out: College students will create in Heisler Park from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Their paintings will be judged for scholarship awards.

Wednesday: “The Art of Looking at Art: Developing a Critical Eye for Fine Art”: Jean Stern, director of the Irvine Museum Collection at the UC Irvine Institute and Museum for California Art, will give an illustrated lecture that aims to familiarize guests with the basic tenets of representational art, such as composition, perspective, line and color. Also, the Laguna Plein Air Painters Assn. will hold a signing for its new book, “Best in Show: The Laguna Beach Plein Air Painting Invitational, 1999-2018” and will exhibit for sale the original artwork to be included in this year’s collectible 2018 Invitational Art Catalog. The events are from 5:45 to 8:30 p.m. at the Festival of Arts’ Forum Theater. Tickets are $20 for general admission and $15 for association members at conta.cc/2Nsr6Na.

Oct. 12: Painting demonstrations: Invitational artists will do demonstrations at Heisler Park, Main Beach and Treasure Island between 11 a.m. and 12:30 p.m.

Oct. 13: Plein Air Painting Invitational Collectors Gala: Invitational artists and art lovers will wrap up the festival with a gala starting at 7 p.m. at the Festival of Arts grounds, where guests can view and purchase paintings and see who wins Best in Show. Tickets are $150 through Thursday and $175 afterward, with a 15% discount for LPAPA members. For tickets, visit lpapa.org/collectors-gala-october-13-2018.

Oct. 14: Invitational Art Show: From 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Festival of Arts grounds, the public can meet the artists, watch live painting demonstrations and buy artworks created during the competition. Admission is free.

For more information about the festival, visit lpapa.org/laguna-plein-air-invitational.

hillary.davis@latimes.com

Twitter: @Daily_PilotHD