What makes a plein air party you may ask?
A gorgeous day, a stunning location, a mess of easels, paints, mediums, gloves and canvases or boards and you’re good to go – oh yes, and most importantly a whole whack of talented artists!
What makes it festive is a hot barbecue, a cold beer and a mountain of mouth watering desserts. Add in a painting and gift exchange, some lava soap and hand lotion all is merry and bright!
Artist Diana Leone and her husband Ed hosted the LGAA -PA holiday party this year and it was time for me to break out of the studio and brush up on my plein air skills. Most artists chose to paint a view of the meandering Calero Creek but I went with the Leone’s magnificent persimmon tree. I must say, I so enjoyed sitting underneath that canopy of impossibly orange fruit set against that brilliant blue sky, watching the flock of marauding starlings and listening to the croaking of bullfrogs – I didn’t really care how my painting was turning out! So when artist Kevin Kasik came to climb the tree and harvest what he could reach, I was only to happy to get out of the way. Not before a plump, ripe persimmon practically fell into my lap – and my, it was sweet!
![Calero Creek- photo Marie Cameron 2012 Calero Creek- photo Marie Cameron 2012](http://mariecameronstudio.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/Calero-Creek.jpg)
Calero Creek meandering along in the morning light of a Californian winter.
![Plein Air Painters - Photo Marie Cameron 2012 Plein Air Painters - Photo Marie Cameron 2012](http://mariecameronstudio.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/Plein-Air-Painters-Photo-Marie-Cameron-2012.jpg)
Plein air artists setting up to paint along the creek.
![Artist Hershel Abelman - Photo by Marie Cameron 2012 Artist Hershel Abelman - Photo by Marie Cameron 2012](http://mariecameronstudio.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/Artist-Hershel-Abelman-Photo-by-Marie-Cameron-2012.jpg)
Artist Hershel Abelman blocking in his values with a persimmon underpainting.
![Artist Rebecca White - photo Marie Cameron 2012 Artist Rebecca White - photo Marie Cameron 2012](http://mariecameronstudio.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/Artist-Rebecca-White-photo-Marie-Cameron-2012.jpg)
Artist Rebecca White ready with her palette knife!
![Artist Kathy Carlquist - photo by Marie Cameron 2012 Artist Kathy Carlquist - photo by Marie Cameron 2012](http://mariecameronstudio.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/Artist-Kathy-Carlquist-photo-by-Marie-Cameron.jpg)
Artist Kathy Carlquist adding the last touches to her view of the Calero Creek.
![Artist Diana Leone (portrait) - photo Marie Cameron 2012 Artist Diana Leone (portrait) - photo Marie Cameron 2012](http://mariecameronstudio.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/Diana-Leone-Plein-Air-Portrait-photo-Marie-Cameron-20122.jpg)
Artist Diana Leone laying in her color. Visit her website at www.dianaleone.com
![Artist Cynthia DeBenedetti - photo by Marie Cameron 2012 Artist Cynthia DeBenedetti - photo by Marie Cameron 2012](http://mariecameronstudio.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/Artist-Cynthia-DeBenedetti-photo-by-Marie-Cameron-20121.jpg)
Artist Cynthia DeBenedetti capturing the moment. www.cdebenedettistudio.com.
![Artist Ellen Howard - photo by Marie Cameron 2012 Artist Ellen Howard - photo by Marie Cameron 2012](http://mariecameronstudio.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/Artist-Ellen-Howard-photo-by-Marie-Cameron-20121.jpg)
Artist Ellen Howard setting up her easel. Visit her website www.ellenhowardart.com.
![Artist Will Maller - Photo by Marie Cameron 2012 Artist Will Maller - Photo by Marie Cameron 2012](http://mariecameronstudio.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/Artist-Will-Maller-Photo-by-Marie-Cameron-20122.jpg)
Artist Will Maller setting up for plein air. His website is willmaller.com.
![Artist Will Maller's Set Up - photo Marie Cameorn 2012 Artist Will Maller's Set Up - photo Marie Cameorn 2012](http://mariecameronstudio.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/Artist-Will-Mallers-Set-Up-photo-Marie-Cameorn-2012.jpg)
Will Maller has sketched in the work with persimmon orange, start with a spark!
![Will Maller's Paints - photo Marie Cameron 2012 Will Maller's Paints - photo Marie Cameron 2012](http://mariecameronstudio.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/Will-Mallers-Paints-photo-Marie-Cameron-2012.jpg)
Will Maller’s paints could be a great painting too.
![Persimmons and Sky - photo Marie Cameron 2012 Persimmons and Sky - photo Marie Cameron 2012](http://mariecameronstudio.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/Persimmons-and-Sky-photo-Marie-Cameron-2012.jpg)
The Leone’s Hachiya Persimmon tree was dripping with ripe fruit.
![Marauding Starlings - photo Marie Cameron 2012 Marauding Starlings - photo Marie Cameron 2012](http://mariecameronstudio.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/Marauding-Starlings-photo-Marie-Cameron-2012.jpg)
Flocks of marauding starlings liked them too!
![Sitting Under the Persimmon Tree Painting - photo Kevin Kasik 2012 Sitting Under the Persimmon Tree Painting - photo Kevin Kasik 2012](http://mariecameronstudio.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/Sitting-Under-the-Persimmon-Tree-Painting-photo-Kevin-Kasik-2012-.jpg)
Working on my persimmon painting under that big beautiful tree.
![My Inspiration - photo Marie Cameon 2012 My Inspiration - photo Marie Cameon 2012](http://mariecameronstudio.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/My-Inspiration-photo-Marie-Cameon-2012.jpg)
This view was the inspiration for my painting.
![Fresh Persimmon Painting - photo Marie Cameron 2012 Fresh Persimmon Painting - photo Marie Cameron 2012](http://mariecameronstudio.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/Fresh-Persimmon-Painting-photo-Marie-Cameron-2012.jpg)
And the result before I let Kevin have the tree.
![Kevin Kasik Persimmon Harvesting - photo Marie Cameron 2012 Kevin Kasik Persimmon Harvesting - photo Marie Cameron 2012](http://mariecameronstudio.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/Kevin-Kasik-Persimmon-Harvesting-photo-Marie-Cameron-2012.jpg)
Artist Kevin Kasik harvesting persimmons on high.
![Kevin Kasik Out on a Limb - photo Marie Cameron 2012 Kevin Kasik Out on a Limb - photo Marie Cameron 2012](http://mariecameronstudio.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/Kevin-Kasik-Out-on-a-Limb-photo-Marie-Cameron-2012.jpg)
Kevin Kasik out on a limb. See his work at www.kevinkasikart.com
![Kevin Kasik Tossing a Persimmon - photo by Marie Cameron - 2012 Kevin Kasik Tossing a Persimmon - photo by Marie Cameron - 2012](http://mariecameronstudio.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/Kevin-Kasik-Tossing-a-Persimmon-photo-by-Marie-Cameron-2012.jpg)
Kevin Kasik tossing persimmons to artists below.
![Kevin Kasik in Persimmon Tree 1- photo Marie Cameron 2012 Kevin Kasik in Persimmon Tree 1- photo Marie Cameron 2012](http://mariecameronstudio.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/Kevin-Kasik-in-Persimmon-Tree-1-photo-Marie-Cameron-2012.jpg)
This is my favorite one of Kevin Kasik in the persimmon tree with the tub ready below.
![Tub of Persimmons - photo Marie Cameron 2012 Tub of Persimmons - photo Marie Cameron 2012](http://mariecameronstudio.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/Tub-of-Persimmons-photo-Marie-Cameron.jpg)
One of two tubs filled with very ripe fruit – someone is going to be busy!
![Lava - photo Marie Cameron 2012 Lava - photo Marie Cameron 2012](http://mariecameronstudio.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/Lava-photo-Marie-Cameron-2012.jpg)
Keep it clean party favor – best soap ever! Thanks Diana!