| What's Inside:
- This week's Paint Out: Mentor Day! With Mark Jacobucci - Friday April 18th 9:00am at Laguna Beach Picnic Beach (Divers Cove)
- The Back Bay Plein Air Art Festival- Register now -Volunteers Needed
- Michael Obermeyer Painting Demo, Friday May 1st at Crystal Cove Cottages
- Paint the Gardens - “Open Garden Day" May 9th
- Hortense Miller Garden Paint Dates
- Earth Day at The Muth Center April 18th, Plein Air Painter Volunteers Needed!
- Save the Dates for April & May 2026 Paint Outs
******
- SOCALPAPA Referral List
- Order Your SOCALPAPA Name Badge & Name Plate!
- Muth Display Gallery & Art Bin Reminders
- Download the SOCALPAPA APP
- Online Critique Group every Thursday on Zoom 10-11am
Shown: Club Members painting in Newport Beach Back Bay, near the Big Canyon Lot | | |  | Paint the Gardens - “OPEN GARDEN DAY"
May 9, 2026
Join us and share the joy of plein air painting at the annual Open Garden Day community tour in Santa Ana. Each participating SOCALPAPA artist is assigned a beautiful home and garden which are part of this festive day-long celebration, attracting nearly 1000 visitors during the day.
REGISTRATION is Open MARCH 18 to APRIL 17th
Registration is $15 for SOCALPAPA Members (no refunds)
There will be a follow-up show hosted by Art Supply Warehouse at their Catalyst Gallery space Saturday, May 23rd from 4-7pm.
EVENT CONTACT:
Denise Busony
denisebusony@gmail.com
|  | The Back Bay Plein Air Art Festival Is Back!
Summer is just around the corner, and so is our most anticipated event of the year, The Back Bay Plein Air Art Festival, a week-long event with multiple events celebrating the natural beauty of Orange County. Hosted by SOCALPAPA and Newport Beach Conservancy, it is held at the beautiful Peter & Mary Muth Interpretive Center in Newport Beach, CA. This wonderful outdoor venue, surrounded with the lush environment of the Back Bay, will provide an immersive opportunity to make new contacts and personally connect with new collectors to sell your original artwork. Plein Air style artworks featuring the scenery of Back Bay, Orange County Parks, Beaches, and Wilderness are welcome.
The Festival begins on Saturday July 11th with the Quick Draw (open to all artists) and
the Juried Show (open to all artists who register for the Weekend Show and Sale).
Honors will be awarded at the Artists Reception on Friday July 17th, and
the Festival will culminate with the Weekend Show & Sale on July 18th and 19th
Registration for the Back Bay Show is $75 - Register now until May 31st
Opportunities are limited to 50 participants so please register early.
More information to follow!
___________________________________________________
Call For Volunteers
SOCALPAPA Needs YOU!
Kathleen Carr and Marisha Miller are co-chairing this year's event
and are in need of your talent to fill the available leadership positions.
If you have skills in the following areas we are so excited to work with you!
1. Contacting Sponsors
2. Art Classes (4 instructors needed)
3. Hospitality for Food & Membership Table
4. Arrange Judges
5. Assist with the Quick Draw
6. Assist with the Juried Show
7. Ribbons & Awards Bags
8. Oversee Recipients and Grid Set Up
Please contact our Co-Chairs to volunteer and for more information:
Kathy Carr
kvcarr@sbcglobal.net
Marisha Miller
marishamiller11@gmail.com
|  | Hortense Miller Garden - Paint Dates
There are a limited number of spaces available to SOCALPAPA Members to paint the beautiful gardens in Laguna Beach.
The Hortense Miller Garden has invited SOCALPAPA Members to paint at the historic Mid-Century Modern home built by the Millers in the 1950s.
Dates Below for SOCALPAPA Members to view and paint the garden in yet another season
All sessions are 9am-12pm
Saturday, April 18
Thursday, May 7
Saturday, May 16
*Please note: There will be No dates in June/July/Aug due to Laguna Art Festivals
Register: Email Diane Lannon at diane.lannon@gmail.com to reserve a spot and get parking information.
Link here for more information on the beautiful gardens:
| APRIL 2026 PAINT OUT DATES
Saturday, April 18
9:00am-12pm
*Mentor Day with Mark Jacobucci*
Laguna Beach Picnic Beach (Divers Cove)
Friday, April 24
9:00 am
El Moro Beach, Crystal Cove State Park, Newport Coast
MAY 2026 PAINT OUT DATES
Friday, May 1st
9:00am-11am
Michael Obermeyer
Painting Demonstration/
(Optional to Paint afterwards)
Crystal Cove Cottages
Crystal Cove State Park, Newport Coast
Parking fee/Optional Shuttle Fee
Friday, May 15
9:00 am
Crescent Bay Overlook, Laguna Beach
Saturday, May 23
8:00am (for parking)
Little Corona Del Mar beach
Saturday May 30
9:00 am
*Mentor Day with Toni Danchik*
at the Laguna Niguel Regional Park
|
Saturday, April 18
9:00am-12pm
*Mentor Day with Mark Jacobucci*
Laguna Beach Picnic Beach (Divers Cove)
Take Highway 133 into Laguna Beach, go Right on Pacific Coast Highway (PCH) up the hill and take Myrtle towards the water, park on the metered parking on the street. Look for our Socalpapa flag. Look for our Socalpapa flag. Restrooms near. Mark will be there to mentor as needed, both on the beach and up along the walkway at the top area of the ramp.
Restrooms nearby at top of ramp.
| | |  | | The Tunnel to the Beach under PCH |  |
Friday, April 24
9:00 am
El Moro Beach, Crystal Cove State Park, Newport Coast
Going North from Laguna, take Pacific Coast Highway (PCH) to the traffic light at the School/Ranger Station. Go up the narrow road, bear right through the gate. $15 State park fee, unless you have a Senior Golden Bear pass, which can be obtained at the ranger station nearby for $20. Park down the hill, and walk through the tunnel. May have to remove shoes if the tunnel has water from high tide recently. Paint views of the Abalone Point cliffs and beach.
Restrooms in the parking lot. | | |
 | Saturday, May 9
9:00 am
Newport Back Bay from Shellmaker Road
Newport Beach
Going to Newport Beach, take Jamboree South from the 405 Freeway or 73 Freeway almost all the way before you get to Pacific Coast Highway (PCH)—go Right on Back Bay Drive 1/4 mile and go left at Shellmaker Road. There are about 4 spaces here, so you may have to use turnouts farther along Back Bay Drive. Views of the cliffs and marsh and occasional birdlife.
Restrooms North on the Drive past San Joaquin Road at the Big Canyon Parking lot. |
Michael Obermeyer Painting Demonstration
Friday, May 1st
9:00am to 11:00am
Crystal Cove Cottages
Crystal Cove State Park, Newport Beach, CA
Multi-award winning California Impressionist, and President of the California Art Club, Michael Obermeyer, will be demonstrating his approach to Plein air painting. He will be painting in oils, but painters of all mediums will benefit. For those unfamiliar with the location, The Cottages are in the Newport Coast area North of Laguna Beach. The Los Trancos parking lot across from the restricted entry is off Pacific Coast Hwy, about 1/2 mile South of Newport Coast Drive.
-- $15 entry fee paid on their App.
Free with a California Golden Bear pass (good until the Memorial Day cutoff for the summer)—place your pass card on the dashboard.
Walk down through the tunnel under PCH or take the $2 shuttle from the parking lot. Meet at the footbridge by the commons area, across from the Beachcomber restaurant. Bring your paints and paint after the demo, maybe do lunch at the restaurant.
Restrooms up the stairs from the commons area.
| | Friday, May 15
9:00 am
Crescent Bay Overlook, Laguna Beach
Take Pacific Coast Highway (PCH) into Laguna Beach, Go South towards the beach at Crescent Bay Drive down to the corner to the Crescent Bay Park, overlooking the bay from above.
Restrooms down on the sand at the end of the ramp below—to reach, go back and go Right, around to Cliff Drive to its end —park at the ramp and walk down to the beach. | | | | Saturday, May 23
8:00am (for parking)
Little Corona Del Mar beach
Little Corona Del Mar beach, at the Poppy Street corner and Ocean Boulevard. Take Pacific Coast Highway (PCH) into Corona Del Mar and turn South at Poppy Street and go down to the Corner.
Park in Available spaces along Ocean Blvd. or Poppy St. Paint from above or go down the ramp to the beach.
Restrooms halfway down the ramp on the left. | | | Saturday May 30
9:00 am
Mentor Day with Toni Danchik
Laguna Niguel Regional Park, Laguna Niguel
Toni Danchik will be our mentor. Off the 5 Freeway, take Crown Valley Parkway South a couple miles to La Paz Road, go Right and wind around to Laguna Niguel Park. After paying the $5 entrance fee at the gate, go Right and wind around left down along the lake to the last parking lot (I). Paint the footbridge or lake views.
Restooms nearby.
See Regional Park map:
|  | Earth Day at The Muth Center
Saturday, April 18th
10:00am-4:00pm
SOCALPAPA volunteers needed
We are looking for a few SOCALPAPA painters who wish to sign up for 2 hour plein air painting at the booth, contact Randi if interested!
We will host a booth at the Muth Center and need about 6 volunteers to take two-hour shifts helping children paint small watercolor paintings of birds, animals and flowers. It is a lot of fun and supports Newport Bay Conservancy's, (NBC) efforts to care for the Bay and provide classes for kids.
If you would like to help out, please contact:
Randi Moran
Phone: (714) 504-9767 -or-
email: randi.moran1@gmail | Add your name to the Artist Referral List!
Dear SOCALPAPA Members,
From time to time, our club receives inquiries from event planners and prospective buyers who are looking to commission a plein air painting. These requests typically involve creating a painting of a special location, venue, or meaningful landscape.
We would like to compile a list of members who are interested in being considered for future commissioned work. When requests come in, we will share the list of interested artists with the inquiring party so they may contact you directly.
If you would like to be included on this referral list, please send an email to our Membership Director, Kim Gordon, with "Referral List" in the subject Line with the following:
- Your name (as you’d like it shared)
- Preferred contact information (email and/or phone)
- Website and/or social media links (if applicable)
Please note that inclusion on this list does not guarantee work; it simply allows us to connect interested clients with members who are open to commissions.We look forward to supporting opportunities for our artists and promoting the wonderful work within our Plein Air community.
Kim Gordon
Contact:
|  | Order Your Name Badge and Name Plate!
SOCALPAPA encourages members to wear name badges at all of our events and Paint Outs.
If you are entering the summer Back Bay Event, a name badge and name plate are required. Get ahead and order yours now!
Log in to the SOCALPAPA website, click Artists in the blue banner and look for Member Resources. Go to that page and you will find a button for ordering the badge and name plate. |  | Muth Bin Reminders
Since so many wonderful artists are now contributing to the bin at Muth, we want to remind you of a few guidelines.
1. All work displayed at Muth must be original plein air-style depicting outdoor locations in Orange County.
Animals, plants or people must be shown in a landscape setting.
2. Flat panels only, no foam-core backing or gallery wrap.
3. Mat board backing is suggested to make your work look more professional.
4. Obtain and attach a sales slip for each painting from the green SOCALPAPA notebook at the front desk, and fill out a form to list your work in the green book.
5. Paintings must be in a cellophane envelope.
6. Suggested minimum price: $50 for smaller paintings $75 for larger work.
7. Due to space considerations, we are no longer going to accept prints.
Thanks to you all,
Randi Moran |  | | Get the Club App on your phone!
NEW! Want to stay updated on what's happening, while you're on the go?
Access all the same SOCALPAPA information on your phone, using the Club Express app.
Register for events, check the calendar, renew your membership, and more -- all in an easy-to-use format on your phone.
The Club Express app is available for iPhone and Android users.
iPhone users -> head to the App Store
Android users -> head to the Google Play Store
Click here for instructions -- 3 easy steps -- how to download it and register!
|  | Did you know there are several ways to find out about the paint outs?
• Weekly Bulletin
• MeetUp group online
• Website events calendar
• Facebook & Instagram
ALSO
Occasionally our group gets approached for plein air painter referrals.
If you would like to be included on a roster, please email info@Socalpapa with your name and phone number.
Make sure to put "Referrals List" in the email subject line.
|
 | SOCALPAPA ZOOM
Zoom Group invites you to join us
every Thursday, from 10am -11am
This is a time for members to share their art, get feedback and connect with other artists over the web. All levels are welcome.
If you are not ready to share, join us anyway and get inspired!
Follow link below to join.
The passcode is 229461
Zoom |
|
 | Discover the SOCALPAPA Meetup Group and join our thriving community of plein-air painters in Southern California.
Get the latest updates, find out who is joining (we have 279 members now!) and connect with other artists on events such as our weekly paint outs, paint aways, Zoom meetings, special events and showcases!
If you haven't already joined, head over to the MeetUp website and join the group - it's free!
Your artistic community awaits you.
|
|
| GET SOCIAL!
Tag us in your paint out posts
#socal_papa & @socal_papa
on Instagram!
Post your photos on our FaceBook page!
Connect with and be inspired by our
fantastic group of artists!
|
GET INVOLVED!
The club is still looking for members to volunteer for
different committees and events this year.
There are a variety of different ways you can get involved, both large and small.
Contact Randi Moran if you want to help.
|
|
OUR SPONSORS
We continually wish to thank
our sponsors. Visit their links below and please continue to support their businesses.
Art Supply Warehouse
Blick Art Materials
Da Vinci Paint Co
Dakota Pastel Supples
Frame Xpress Long Beach
Fast Frame Irvine
Irvine Ranch Water District
KingofFrame.com
Paint Like a Pro - Debra Huse
Randy Higbee Gallery
Newport Bay Conservancy
OC Parks
Rosemary & Co Brushes
San Joaquin Marsh Wildlife Sanctuary
Teri Ludwig Pastels
Tim Smith Real Estate Group / Caldwell Banker Newport Beach
Viviva Colors
Watercolor West |
|
 | SOCALPAPA is a 501c3 organization
(Southern California Plein Air Painters Association)
~Our Mailing Address~
4790 Irvine Blvd, Ste 105-371
Irvine, CA 92620
Contact Us | |