A group of 14 blossoming artists learned about proportion, mixing colors and Georgia O’Keeffe at a Paint and Sip event hosted by the Lake George Land Conservancy in Bolton Landing Thursday evening. Led by artist Patrice Jarvis-Weber, participants worked from paper plate palettes to create versions of a sunflower inspired by an O’Keeffe painting while sipping wine provided by the Adirondack Winery.
Conservancy Event Manager Giulia Casella says the scheduling of the O’Keeffe Paint and Sip for this week was fortuitous as the Conservancy has just announced a partnership with Wiawaka Center for Women to conserve 47 acres of upland forest owned by Wiawaka. The Land Conservancy/Wiawaka partnership will protect more than 1,500 feet of stream corridor and five acres of wetland within the Southern Basin of Lake George with a conservation easement. O’Keeffe was a guest/artist at Wiawaka in 1908. July 11 – 15 is Georgia O’Keeffe Week at the Center and several programs centered around the artist are scheduled.
The Conservancy is a not-for-profit land trust that works to preserve lands in the Lake George watershed thereby protecting the lake’s pristine waters. When asked how the O’Keeffe Paint and Sip event figures into the Conservancy’s mission, Casella says that their work is not only about the lands and waters but also the people on the land. While Conservancy events often focus on guided hikes and outdoor nature programs, Patrice Jarvis-Weber notes that holding a variety of events such as the O’Keeffe Paint and Sip has the potential to draw in a different group of people to learn about the organization’s work.
Jarvis-Weber has worked in the Arts in the Adirondacks for more than 25 years and has led painting sessions at SUNY Adirondack, Adirondack Experience, Wiawaka, and Up Yonda Farm Environmental Education Center. She says the primary reason she does Painting with Patrice workshops for beginners is to “spread art.” She waved an arm to indicate the painters working on their sunflowers, “We’ve spread art to 14 people here.”
Jarvis-Weber will be conducting O’Keeffe-inspired painting workshops at the Caldwell-Lake George Library on July 21, 22 and 26. These sessions are sponsored by the Lake George Arts Project. Visit the Arts Project website to register. Jarvis-Weber will also be holding workshops at the Wiawaka Center for Women during Georgia O’Keeffe week.
Feature photo: Artist Patrice Jarvis-Weber offers painting tips to a participant at the Lake George Land Conservancy’s Paint and Sip event.