Artists take it outside on Whidbey
Published 1:30 am Tuesday, August 11, 2026
The next “Starry Night” may be created beneath the Coupeville wharf, on a bluff above the Salish Sea or along a colorful downtown street as artists once again spread out across the island for four days of outdoor painting.
The Pacific NorthWest Art School’s Plein Air Paint Out returns Aug. 17-20, inviting artists of all skill levels to paint throughout Whidbey and Camano islands before exhibiting and selling their freshly completed work at a gala and public art sale. For the first time, the event will include a youth division for painters ages 13-17.
Returning for her seventh year, Seattle artist Brooke Borcherding said the annual event has become much more than a competition.
“My painter buddies and I consider this to be the best week of our entire year because it’s uninterrupted days dedicated solely to focusing on painting, being outside, soaking up the beautiful surroundings, staying out late in the evening to capture the light,” she said.
Borcherding noted that the shared experience of creating artwork outdoors builds connections among participants, especially after working through the unpredictable challenges that come with painting in nature.
“At the end of the week, there is something special being in a room full of artwork that was created at the same time you were,” she said. “In a mild way there can be a bit of trauma bonding if there was wind or bad weather to put up with, heat or bugs or even just trying to complete a good-looking painting is a feat in itself!”
The event’s organizer, Lisa Bernhardt, the executive director of the Pacific NorthWest Art School, is also encouraging younger artists to participate after last year’s turnout. Youth registration has been reduced to $35, half the standard registration fee. Young painters will also receive early access to Friday evening’s gala before it transitions into a 21-and-over event, and a Best Youth Painter award will be presented.
“They’re the next generation of artists,” Bernhardt said. “And also, it’s really inspiring, I think, for young people to paint alongside professional artists and just absorb what they’re seeing and hearing and learning.”
Participants can paint anywhere in Island County, from beaches and farmland to historic towns, wooded trails and Ebey’s Landing National Historical Reserve. Borcherding said that variety is one reason Whidbey continues to draw artists back each year.
“You can paint the green blocky farmland of Ebey’s Landing and it looks like rural middle America, or if you prefer beaches, there are not only swaths and coves but also interesting driftwood,” Borcherding said. “Wooded trails and cliff overlooks await the more adventurous painters who want to walk or hike with their pack.”
Even familiar scenes rarely produce the same painting twice, she added.
The Paint Out is open to everyone, from first-time painters to established professionals, and participants may paint for all four days or just a single day before submitting work for exhibition and sale.
Beyond celebrating creativity, the event serves as the Pacific NorthWest Art School’s largest annual fundraiser as the nonprofit marks its 40th anniversary.
Finished artwork must be submitted Thursday afternoon at the Pacific NorthWest Art School in Coupeville to be exhibited and sold. An artist dinner will be held from 6- -8 p.m. on Aug. 19 at the art school. A ticketed gala and awards celebration will take place from 6—9 p.m. Friday, Aug. 21, with advance tickets priced at $25 and $30 at the door. The public can also attend the free weekend art sale from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Aug. 22 – 23 at the school.
“We think $25 is ascreaming good deal,” Bernhardt said. “By supporting the artists, you’re also supporting art in your community.”
Learn more about the Plein Air Paint Out at https://pacificnorthwestartschool.org/product/plein-air-registration/.
