How the Yamhill Lavender Festival Changed My Life

I started participating in the Lavender Festival Plein Air Art Show in 2008.  I had been plein air painting for several years,and no one but my painting buddies and family ever saw anything I did.  When I read a flyer for the festival plein air paint out and show, I knew it was something I wanted to do.  For a small fee I'd have access to about twenty five lavender farms for the two week period before the art show.  My friend Mary and I dared each other to enter at least one painting into the show.  I had never framed any of my paintings before.  

I furiously painted during the two weeks.  I think I visited about ten farms that first year, and had a terrible time framing the one painting that I entered into the show, but I did it.  It was scary and exciting to put my work out there.  My painting hung for the two day show, and then I brought it home. 

A Wild Debut 20x20 pastel
2008 Yamhill Lavender Festival entry

The following February I got a phone call that my painting from the lavender festival had been chosen for the poster and catalog promoting the festival for 2009.    I didn't even know that was a possibility.  I was so honored.  I had to provide an artist's statement and photo for the catalog, so I learned how to put one of those together.  It took me a whole afternoon of agonizing to put two paragraphs together.    That summer, I felt like a minor celebrity when a lavender farm owner recognized me from the catalog and insisted that she must introduce me to her employees and customers.  She thanked me profusely for coming to her farm to paint and kept my complimentary glass of lemonade full while I was there.  

In 2009, after the two day art show in Yamhill, the remaining unsold artwork was split up between several galleries in McMinnville and Newberg and displayed through August.  This was an amazing opportunity for artists like me who were completely inexperienced and had never dreamed of being in a gallery.  I received an honorable mention that year from the festival, plus sold several paintings at the festival and at the gallery.   I was painting because I loved it, but the recognition and sales made me even more determined to become a better painter, improve my skills, and make marketing my paintings a reality instead of a daydream.

In the years since, I've continued to look forward every year to the Lavender Festival.  I have a special feeling for Wild Rain farm in Yamhill, the site of my first year's painting, and make a point to go back there every year to paint.  I spent four glorious days painting there this year.   I don't know what it is, but there is something that just feels right when I'm there and it makes me so happy to be there and to paint there with Laura and her cats and dogs and lavender and the droning of the bees.  It's like being inside of a wonderful summer poem.

I am so honored to have won this year's first place award for my painting  Wild Dreams, which I painted at Wild Rain Farm as part of this year's festival.  I am especially proud because it was painted with love at a place I hold so dear.  

I was able to go back for one more visit on Monday of this week, and got two paintings in.  The lavender is scheduled to be harvested tomorrow, and the poppies will be tilled under.  I'm already looking forward to next summer.

Wild Dreams   12x12 pastel  sold

2011 Yamhill Lavender Festival

Arrival  9x12  pastel  -N Equall

This weekend is the Yamhill Lavender Festival in beautiful Yamhill Oregon.    The festival takes place in Beulah Park, three blocks west of Hwy 47.  This is also the site of the Yamhill Plein Air Art Show.  I'm thrilled with how great the show looks and the many beautiful paintings that were submitted this year.

Over fifty artists participated in the paint-out and show.  This is a plein air show, meaning that all paintings were painted in the open air (plein air) in the lavender fields.  Registered painters had access to more than twenty lavender farms in Oregon for the two weeks prior to the show.  This year was a challenge due to weather (the first week was cloudy, cool, and wet), and the late blooming of many varieties of lavender.

Yesterday was the day to submit paintings in Yamhill, and I had a great time checking the paintings in, making tags, and helping to hang the show.  The show was judged by Eric Bowman, and there was an artist's reception in the evening.   The festival and art show are today and tomorrow.

My painting "Arrival" got an honorable mention.   I thought that was pretty funny since I considered not bringing it.  Isn't that how it always goes?  I did the painting at Stonegate Lavender in West Linn, and really thought it was too simple/simplified.  I have a similar version of the scene done on a large (24x24) canvas that I didn't finish, but probably will work on later.

I submitted three paintings total to the show.  The other two are "A Wild Sequel" and "Jackson School Lavender".

A Wild Sequel   24x24  pastel -N Equall

A Wild Sequel was painted at Wild Rain Lavender Farm in Yamhill.  I love this farm!  The Yamhill River runs just down the slope from the field, and the farm itself is a little jewel at the base of the coast range.  Laura Grady, the farm's owner has poppies planted along the border of the field, and I've honestly never seen that deep shade of crimson before.  I couldn't begin to capture the color of those poppies.  There are lots of song birds that hang out in the trees along the river, and the day I was there was one of those perfect summer days with hot sun, a cool breeze and that intoxicating smell of lavender wafting through.

My sweet lab Deuce got to come with me, and he had a great time playing with the farm's dog Indie.  They swam in the river and spent a lot of time laying paw to paw in the shade.  The dogs met four years ago and acted like they were old friends even though they hadn't seen each other in several years.  Such a nice day!

My deer visitor at Wild Rain Lavender Farm

I stayed and painted until about 9 pm, and just before I started packing up I heard a rustling in the bushes.  I figured it was one of the cats, but after a while saw a pair of what I thought were rabbit ears.  I told Deuce to stay, and was surprised to see a deer finally come walking out of the brush.  It was maybe ten feet away from us, and didn't seem at all bothered by us.  It browsed its way down the field, in no hurry.  I could hear other noises in the bushes, and expected more deer to appear, but they had other ideas and took an alternate route.

Jackson School Lavender  16x20 pastel   -N Equall

My third painting was painted at Jackson School Lavender on my first day painting for the festival.  I painted until the rain obscured my view of the neighboring farms.  I bumped the color a bit since the lavender wasn't in full bloom yet.  It will look more like this in a week or two.  I figure it's my world on the paper, so I can do whatever I want.

Coming up- Yamhill Lavender Festival and Plein Air Art Show

From the 2010 Yamhill Lavender Festival, painted at Lavender Vally Farm in Hood River, OR (sold)

I have participated in the Yamhill Lavender Festival Paint-Out as an artist for the past four years, and this year I have volunteered to work on getting sponsors and donations for the prize portion of the art show.  I am happy to be helping out because I love the event so much and would love to give back some of what I have gotten out of it.  This event is absolute painting heaven.

The way it works is artists register before June 1(for discounted registration fees) to paint outdoors in the lavender fields between June 24 and July 8.  At the end of that two week period there is an art show in conjunction with the Yamhill Lavender Festival.  The art show and festival are held in Yamhill, which is about a half hour drive west of Beaverton (south of Forest Grove).  Being a plein air show, all art is fresh off the easel, having been painted in the outdoors during the previous two weeks.    

If you're interested in participating, click on  this link 

For more information on the Oregon Lavender Festival  click here

There are a wide variety of lavender farms that participate, and registered artists have access to them during the two weeks prior to the art show.  An information packet will be mailed to registered participants before the event begins.  Monies raised by the Yamhill Lavender Festival benefit local children's art programs.