Overton residents might see painters scattered across town this week, as the Overton Arts Council’s Paint Livingston competition starts Thursday.
Overton Arts Council President Tim Richardson said amateur and professional artists from all over the country visit and paint places that are located throughout the county. Richardson said the artists tend to paint pictures of downtown Livingston or some of the rural landscapes throughout the county.
“You know, Standing Stone State Park, of course, is here, and that’s a beautiful location and a lot of folks love to paint in the park,” Richardson said. “It kind of just is just up to them, and what, you know, they find beauty pretty much wherever they look, and they try to capture it on canvas.”
Richardson said an estimated 29 artists will paint all day Thursday and Friday and submit over 100 paintings combined. Richardson said that at the end of the competition, the paintings will go up for sale to raise money to help the arts council improve art education for kids and enhance the cultural landscape.
“Seeing these artists at work, watching them practice their craft, and then seeing the fine art that they create, I think sort of taps into this desire we all have to kind of open our eyes up and see the beauty around us,” Richardson said. “And hopefully, inspire us to pick up a paintbrush, pick up a pencil, you know, sketch something, draw something, paint something, maybe pick up a pen and paper and write something. But I think all of us have the ability to be creative.”
Richardson said the artists will also compete on Saturday in what is called a quick paint competition.
“This is when all of the artists are concentrated downtown around the courthouse square, and the general public can come for free and literally walk up right behind them and watch them as they work at their easels outside,” Richardson said. “And you can stroll around and watch many different artists, and whichever artist you are kind of drawn to, you can stand there and just watch them create a work of art from blank canvas to finishing in just two hours.”
The quick paint competition will begin on Saturday from 9:30am-11:30am. The paintings will be on display and for sale in the Joe Evans Community Center from 1pm-4pm. Richardson said the Overton Arts Council receives 30 percent of the proceeds.
