The art of plein air painting has beckoned artists outdoors with paints, palettes, and canvas to capture a scene or a place as they see, and experience it, for centuries.

And it is a form of painting that has carried on into the 21st century, including artists in the Boothbay region, some of whom paint no other way.

This year's annual Harbor Fest, a celebration of the scenic beauty “that enhances the lifestyle, livelihood and spirit” of the Boothbay region, will include a new multi-day event, A Stroke of Art.

Mary Phelps, gallery owner at COCO VIVO in Boothbay Harbor and plein air painter and member of the Oil Painters of America, Corinne McIntyre (Ocean Point Studio/Visions of Maine in East Boothbay), collaborated with Harbor Fest organizer Lori Reynolds to bring the Plein Air Painters of the South East and the Plein Air Painters of Maine together for a major art happening Sept. 7-14.

Local artists, unaffiliated with either group, who are interested in painting at any of the locations are welcome to do so. Just check in at COCO VIVO between 8:30 and 10:30 a.m. to find out what's going on and where. COCO VIVO is located at 129 Commercial Street in Boothbay Harbor. Stop by or call 207-633-0671.

A Stroke of Art painting locations begin at Harborfields Waterfront Vacation Cottages, on McKown Point Road in West Boothbay Harbor, on Monday, Sept. 7. Harborfields' barn is the event gallery.

“We liked the idea of a barn for a gallery,” Phelps said. “It's an organic venue for the art produced during this even. And the location is absolutely beautiful. One artist who is attending said all of the painting could have been done just from Harborfields.”

The locations

Plein air painters will gather at the historic 1,000 foot footbridge on Tuesday, Aug. 8. Paintings created this day, between noon and 4 p.m. (a quick draw!), will be displayed on a wet wall at Andrews' Harborside restaurant. The works will be included in a silent auction, and there will be a reception with hors d'oeuvres. The public is invited to attend.

Phelps noted that all merchants can display paintings from a day's creative work on a wet wall in their business.

“We are calling it merchant pairing,” Phelps said. “If a painting is sold, 30 percent of the sale goes to the business owner, 10 percent to Harbor Fest, and 60 percent to the artist.”

Great Paint Out

An added bonus: the Oil Painters of America (OPA) national event, the Great Paint Out, is scheduled for Wednesday, Sept. 9, at Grimes Cove at Ocean Point. The rain date for this event is Sept. 23. Since 2005, OPA has held national plein air paint outs for members and nonmembers. This event has typically drawn 30-50 plein air painters from PAPME and PAPSE, and other artists across the U.S. to this dazzling East Boothbay destination.

Because this is an OPA event, there is no charge to participate. Painting will be from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. An art show and sale, featuring one framed painting per artist, will be held at the Spruce Point Inn in Boothbay Harbor from 5-7 p.m.

The addition of the Great Paint Out, usually held at this time of year in the Boothbay region, to be included in Harbor Fest, is a win-win for painters and art lovers alike!

Locations, locations, locations

The Farmers Market is the venue on Thursday, Sept. 10. The market, held at the Boothbay Common in Boothbay should be a feast for the artistic senses. This is a quick draw event: artists will work from 10 a.m. to noon.

From 2-4 p.m. on Thursday, an optional event for artists is participation in the Rocktide Inn's Paint & Pour, at which artists work with art enthusiasts trying their hands (and imaginations) at creating a work of art. This is a ticketed event followed by a happy hour on the sea deck — with music.

Friday, Sept. 11 will find the artists at Fishermen's Memorial Park on Atlantic Avenue, across from Our Lady Queen of Peace church, and/or locations of each artist's choice for the day. An art show and sale follows at Harborfield's where Boothbay Craft Brewery will hold a Harbor Fest Ale tasting to compliment local eats. The public is invited to attend this event.

A Stroke of Art Quick Draw, an optional event, will be held on Saturday, Sept. 12 from 2-4 p.m. at the Rocktide Inn during Harbor Fest's Fishin' For Fashion. Artists will draw the models, human canvases if you will, of the fine local threads to be found in the region.

The First Annual Stroke of Art Grand Finale/Meet the Artists Collector's Brunch on Sunday, Sept. 13 will be held at Harborfields from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. This event will be catered by Ralph Smith of Mine Oyster and the Boathouse Bistro. Over 100 paintings completed during the week (not already sold!) will be for sale. Tickets are $50 per person and include brunch (with music by jazz/blues band the Downeast Soul Coalition) and a $50 credit toward the purchase of any piece of art on display.

Sounds like quite a week —  and this is just the latest event added to the Harbor Fest calendar! For a complete list of Harbor Fest events, including A Stroke of Art, visit www.boothbayharborfest.com.