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Marshall County Students Take In the Scenery for Plein Air Paint Out

photo by: Alan Olson

Marshall County student Hailey Rogers paints the landscape from Grand Vue Park’s scenic overlook on Friday during the Ohio Valley Plein Air Paint Out. Dozens of art students from around the county participated.

MOUNDSVILLE – The crisp morning air and misty hills of Appalachia provided the backdrop for a painting lesson Friday morning, attended by dozens of Marshall County students.

Art students from John Marshall High School, Cameron High School and Middle School, Moundsville Middle School, and Sherrard Middle School met at Grand Vue Park to participate in the annual Ohio Valley Plein Air Paint Out. Students and adult artists alike took inspiration from their surroundings to paint the landscapes, buildings and anything else in their surroundings.

Eric Dye, who serves as chairman of the Ohio Valley Plein Air Paint Out and is a retired teacher, reached out to the county school system to get students involved in the outing. The event aligns with national standards for the art program while also providing an opportunity for a new generation of artists to get inspired.

“I want to engage as many young people as I possibly can. A lot of us artists are starting to get white hair – this is something that, from the Hudson River Valley school of artists, has been a mainstay of American art,” Dye said. “It’s just to encourage them to come out and experience both nature, drawing and art. I’m so glad they jumped in.

“I think it’s very important for the next generation to keep it up,” he continued. “It builds a lot of schools – observation skills, community skills, hand-eye coordination, color perception, and it gets them away from (their electronic devices). There is a sense of accomplishment that can’t be had any other day.”

Dye added that art skills can help students who may struggle to connect with their education in other ways. Dye said he had been a “marginal” student until he began throwing himself into his art, which gave him the confidence to succeed in other areas.

“I was, in public school, a very marginal student. It wasn’t until I began accomplishing something with art that I gained the confidence in myself, and then all my other grades came up, and I did better,” Dye said. “They can communicate a lot through what they’re painting, and what they’re able to communicate to one another. It’s amazing how two people can stand side by side and see something entirely different.”

Student Lynndee Bear added that she was enjoying the change of scenery.

“You’ve got to go outside and look at what you’re actually painting in order to get the detail off of it,” Bear said.

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