M. Shawn Cornell is a plein air painter by the strictest terms. He completes all paintings 100% on location — no indoor touch-up. Neither cutting edge nor deep in metaphorical meaning, his paintings are scenes and stories about brief moments he experiences and witnesses during his excursions. Painting ‘en plein air’ is more than creating two-dimensional representations. It’s companionship as my wife illuminates the canvas with a flashlight, so I can paint the full moon. It’s sharing a thermos of hot-cheesy tomato soup with my dad while we paint a frozen, snow covered stream. It’s spending time to see the extraordinary in things many would label as ordinary. It’s a brief moment of life captured on canvas.
Join others as they gather in the Villages of Van Buren to learn from the resident artisans in their personal studios. Spend a weekend plein air painting along the Des Moines River, or step back in time as you throw bowls in a Pottery Shop. The inspiring and relaxing atmosphere of scenic Van Buren County, Iowa is, and will continue to be, a haven for creative beings.