From Aug. 14 to Aug. 20 was Art Week in Cornwall. No one voted on it. There was no resolution from the Town Board. There just happened to be four events in town where people could sit and paint.
The Knights of Columbus hosted their activity on a Saturday night in the old St. Thomas School gym. The doors opened at 6:45 p.m. and by 7 p.m., there were 50 people seated at long tables, and ready to paint.
The “artists for the evening” helped themselves to wine and hors d’oeuvres, and put on “Vine Van Gogh” aprons. They spent the first hour creating the background for a painting of a bird on a branch.
The atmosphere was relaxed, which may be why the activity has become so popular. The instructor kept the directions brief. “Have fun with it,” she told the artists. She also cautioned them on keeping their brushes clean. “Watch what you’re doing,” she said, “be sure you don’t dip them in your wine.”
A Vine Van Gogh hostess, Ashley Schoessow, stopped at each work station. She probably noticed a difference in quality from one easel to the next. Some people’s circles were rounder than others. But she didn’t criticize anyone’s work or embarrass anyone by offering them extra help.
When she checked names against her registration list, one artist identified himself as “Picasso.” The people around him laughed, but a friend suggested that they shouldn’t encourage him.
At about 8 o’clock, artists took a break. They walked around and looked at each other’s work. “I’m the best drawer here,” Picasso announced to anyone within hearing distance. One artist took a selfie next to her half-completed picture.
Earlier in the week, John Gioia led a plein air art class at the Village Bandstand, and Kayla Corona directed a painting group at The Elizabeth Collection on Main Street.
Vine Van Gogh was responsible for two events in Town. The organization has been around for three years. Its website introduces the founders plus a two-person office staff, a seven-person event staff (hostesses), and six artists.
“You don’t need to be an artist to pick up a paint brush,” their website says — which may be why painting events have become so popular.
