The Augusta Plein Air Event is a 10 day festival held in Missouri’s rolling wine country. This year it was held from April 22-May3. Every day had a special “paint out” event and was very well organized. The people seem to be very interested, hospitable, and genuinely proud of their community. A scenic drive in any direction yeilded countless artists at their easels from 5 different states and even a Canadian oil painter came down for the event.
Missouri in Spring is absolutely gorgeous. I pulled in to the state Wednesday April 22, and the leaves were just starting to bud with some dogwood trees dotting the chapparal with their white sheet-like canopies. From Wednesday to the following Friday(10 days) I witnessed a remarkable transformation. The trees went to FULL bloom and there are millions of variations in the green harmony.
 Augusta is situated along the Missouri River just an hour West of St. Luis.  It’s a
place where time seemed to slow down while Middle American charm seemed to permeate the rolling hills.  I didn’t know whether to paint pleasantly weathered barns, rusty old tractors, lakes, vineyards, distant views of the Missouri River, or one of my staple subjects, creek beds complete with rooted sycamore trees and fallen brick and brack, so I just painted all of them and numerous times!!
I was met with enormous hospitality. I stayed with Karen Kelley in the lovely Washington, MO, a short 10 minute drive from downtown Augusta. I say downtown like someone not in the know would expect some bustling metropolis. Not so, downtown Augusta consisted of a church or two, several bed and breakfasts, a couple of unique antique shops, a gallery, a two pump gas station, a couple of stop signs, a winery, and the artist’s meeting place which was an old restored VFW…PERFECT.