More than 100 patrons first gathered outdoors on L'Auberge's votive lit garden patio to enjoy the cool, breezy October evening, listen to live music from the Sedona Youth Jazz Band, and sample hor d'oeuvres and cocktails before casting their vote for their favorite Plein Air artist, known as the Collectors' Choice Award.

The thirty artists were inside displaying their oils and watercolor paintings created during Plein Air week, hoping to win one of the evenings five awards:  The Collectors' Choice Award, the Artists' Choice Award, the 2008 Poster Award, the King of Frames Award, and the Sponsor's Award (this year presented by L'Auberge de Sedona).

Sedona's Mayor Pud Colquitt was also on hand to show the City's support for the arts.  The City of Sedona was one of the event sponsors.

Will Tapia wins the Collectors' Choice Award with his painting "Pendley's Vista."

Sedona's Plein Air Festival festivities began with a three-hour "Paint Out" in Uptown Sedona on Sunday, October 21st during which time the artists, set up at various locations in Uptown, had only three hours to create their masterpieces.  During the week, the artists spent their days painting in and around Sedona with a day in Jerome on October 24th.

The final “Paint Out” on October 27th was the last opportunity the plein air artists had to capture Sedona’s picturesque landscapes on canvas. Artists gathered at L’Auberge de Sedona from 10:00 a.m. to noon to paint on canvas the exceptional and unique beauty of the resort’s surroundings, from the rippling Oak Creek to the vivid red rocks.

Artist Raleigh Kinney (l) accepts the Sponsor's Award from L'Auberge de Sedona General Manager Joe Mottershead.  Mr. Mottershead said the painting would be displayed in L'Auberge's permanent collection.

"En plein air," French for "in the open air," is a spontaneous art form whereby artists paint outdoors, or in the open air, responding to the immediacy of the moment and reflecting the changing light, weather conditions, and deepening shadows.