PALS Art Show Captures the Beauty of Long Island

The Plein Air Limner Society (PALS) hosted their first annual art show on December 11 and 12 at the Bay Area Friends of the Fine Arts (BAFFA) Art Gallery, a non-profit organization that promotes fine arts in local schools and the general community, located at the Gillette House.

PALS is a group of local artists who travel weekly to different scenic, historic locations on Long Island to paint en Plein Air (outdoors).  "We capture the amazing beauty of local barns, scenic gardens, buildings, boats, lakes, and trees, and the changing seasons in our artwork," said Jeanne Salucci, artist and organizer of the society.

The society is fairly new, and includes artists of all different media and skill levels. "We just started back in June," Salucci said. "Every week we go to a different location; I'll send out an e-mail and let the artists know where we are headed that week. I always go and check out the location before I invite the artists there. We have all different types of artists – pastels, oil painters, photographers and more. For most of the summer, we sort of worked separately, everyone would get to the location, set up and do their own thing. But I would go around and take pictures of everyone working and I started to see some of the paintings and how wonderful they were."

PALS has about 40 members, 25 of which were featured in the first art show. They have been meeting outside on a weekly basis up until last week and are now looking for some indoor locations to paint during the winter months. "Everyone is welcome in PALS," Salucci said. "It's just a feeling of being free, there are no rules, and you just paint as you wish."

Members are spread all over Long Island and while many belong to other art groups in their respective communities, but they are quickly becoming fast friends. "We are starting to learn from each other. It's motivating for an artist to know they are going to a beautiful spot and there will be other artists there doing the same thing."

Salucci said that PALS has also helped her realize the beauty of Long Island. "I used to travel to Europe to paint all these magnificent locations," she said. "Now I have realized all of the beautiful things right here on Long Island."

The paintings for sale during the show were all reflective of the different seasons on Long Island. Some of the featured locations included: Peconic Herb Farm in Calverton; Longwood Estate in Ridge; Mastic Beach; Brown's Pond in Brookhaven Hamlet; Bellport Dock; Fire Island; Squassux Landing and Meadow Farm in Brookhaven Hamlet; Vanderzalm Greenhouse in Bellport; Mastic Pier in Patchogue; Avalon Park in Stony Brook; Dunton Avenue Beach in East Patchogue; Long Island Maritime Museum in West Sayville; Bayard Cutting Arboretum in Great River; Islip Art Museum in East Islip; and Meadowcroft in Sayville.

There was artwork available to meet every budget, with pieces priced from $55 to $495. For more information about PALS, visit www.palspleinair.com.