Susan Wellington said a fifth grade project sparked her love of art by her principal saying the words, “That girl can draw.”
It’s her love of art that led her to obtain an education degree with emphasis in art, where she taught for three years. But, Wellington said after raising her children and the decline of her mother’s health her love of art was sparked again. This time she picked up her paintbrush for herself and never looked back.
Wellington said she’s been painting for 13 years, and she’s even had work presented nationally. She and her husband, who are from Jackson, have a second home in Vaiden and hosted the Mississippi Oil Painters Association Plein Air painting at their home.
Plein Air painting is a French term that means “out of doors” where artists have to work fast to finish their paintings in the elements.
“Plein Air painting was made famous by Monet, where oil paint is used. When you’re Plein Air painting, everything you need, you set up in a backpack and you have two hours to paint,” she said. Wellington said painters have to work fast because they can lose the light and the shadows can move around.
“Our eye can pick up on things that a camera can’t, not even a good one,” Wellington said. She said it’s a peace and a calmness painting in the elements. She said it makes you feel like you’re one.
The Wellingtons have been residents of Vaiden for years. She said her husband is a part of a hunting club in Vaiden, and he saw the property where the home is situated.
“We call our home Three Ridges Art Colony because it literally sits on Three Ridges. When the leaves have all fallen, we can see the lights in Kilmichael,” Wellington said. “It’s breathtaking up here.” The Wellington’s home is filled with not only her work but, the work of others as well.
In an upstairs room, Wellington has the portraits of her grandchildren hanging over their beds. “When I was fixing up their room, my sister asked me ‘Why don’t you paint your grandchildren?’ So, I did.”
Wellington said she gets a lot of inspiration when she’s painting Plein Air around their property and along County Roads 5 and 8.
“I’ve painted Rickie Corley’s barn a bunch of times,” she said. County Roads 5 and 8 in Carroll County are near the Montgomery and Attala County lines. The roads are filled with country scenes that are perfect scenery.
“The people are very nice here and are friendly,” she said. Wellington said she’s been painting onside the road and have had people stop and talk. One painting she didn’t get to finish.
“It’s not every day you see someone painting on side the road,” she said. Wellington said she enjoys the conversation, but it can be a bit distracting. “It’s hard to finish painting when people stop and talk to you.”
Around 9 a.m. many of the painters began to come. Many of the painters came from all over the state to Vaiden to paint country scenes. Wellington and her husband took the painters around to set up for the day to begin painting their scenes.
Some of the backdrops didn’t only include the country scenes of County Roads 5 and 8, but of the Big Black River as well, which runs behind the Wellingtons property.
She said she’s hosted MOPA at her home before and they enjoy it. “I had them here prior to COVID and we’re just now coming back together after COVID.” Wellington said they have meetings and workshops.
Sarah McTaggart, of Madison, said she’s been painting for 30 years. She said she’s been Plein Air painting for seven of those.
“It’s hard,” she said. “Once you capture it [a scene], you have to work fast to paint it. That’s what I love about it. You can’t just sit around and play with it, it’s really fun.”
She said when you’re painting, you have two hours to do so. “You have to learn how to adapt,” she said. “You have to follow the light. The sun moves, the shadows move, the light source changes.”
She said she’s always been a creative person, but it was in her ninth grade class that Wyatt Waters, an artist, visited. McTaggart said it intrigued her and it sparked her love of art.
She said for those who are interested in Plein Air art, shouldn’t be intimidated by it.
“All the equipment you have in your backpack, is all that you have. You have to start practicing, study it. Learn how to capture your lights and darks, and get a feel of the scene.”
