In sunshine, through clouds, in the rain, staring and squinting, more than 100 Plein Air artists will converge on Central Whidbey Sept. 6 to 9 for the second annual Plein Air Painters U.S. Open, presented by and benefiting the Coupeville Arts Center.

Plein air — a French expression meaning “out of doors” — is a right title for this group of pastel, watercolor and oil artists who must create at the speed of light.

“Most people don’t realize how quickly these artists have to paint,” said Sue L. Symons, executive director of the Coupeville Arts Center. “They only have about an hour before the light changes.”

The scenery the artists are attempting to capture can change at any given moment if a cloud shifts, rain suddenly falls or fog rolls in, as one painter at the Admiralty Head Light House found last year.

“It’s the artist’s job to get that impression onto the page as soon as they can,” Symons said. “It’s not a photograph, it’s the first blush of an artist’s feeling when they see a scene which brings such vibrancy to the art.”

Plein air painting had a heyday at the turn of the century, but by the 1950s had faded beneath an abundance of contemporary art. Recent years have seen a resurrection of representational art, according to Symons, with Plein Air painting blooming in California

“We started this event to help introduce Plein Air painting to the Pacific Northwest where contemporary art is prominent,” Symons said.

Last year, the first Plein Air Painters’ U.S. Open brought 84 artists to Whidbey to paint the Ebey’s Landing National Historical Reserve, of which the town of Coupeville is central. This year well over 100 artists are expected — including Jane Wallace, Mike Wise and Bob Stem — coming from Washington, as well as Hawaii, Idaho, Oregon and other scattered locales.

“We warned the grocery store this year so they don’t run out of bread,” Symons said. “You see, the artists all make sandwiches to take out in the field with them and last year there was quite the run on bread.”

They will brush images to paper, canvas, and board much in the way the 19th century impressionists like Monet, Van Gogh and Cezanne did long before them.

“It is, in a way, like going to a living art museum to see, smell, interact, and get a feel for the way a group of old masters from the impressionistic period lived their art,” Symons said.

“It’s quite a sight to see artists of every level of competence, everywhere you go around Coupeville,” said artist James Moore, who along with Symons, Gary and Susan Winkler founded the event.

“Watching the artist put paint to canvas and seeing the scene the artist is seeing and trying to interpret can be quite interesting, whether you are an artist, a collector or you are just curious about the whole process,” Moore said.

The artists will be easier to spot this year as all will be wearing black Plein Air Painters U.S. Open aprons.

“This year should be bigger and better,” Moore said. “Last year was a success right out of the box. We have more experience under our belt this year and there will be more artists, more art patrons and we are expecting better known artists.”

Judy Mello, a local artist who entered the competition last year, is looking forward to trying it again this year.

“I’ve been thinking about places I can go paint this year,” she said.

Even this week, local property owners are encouraged to contact the Coupeville Arts Center if they will open up scenic areas on their land where the artists can paint.

“We hope to have a list of private properties for artists so they have additional options of places they can go paint at, in addition to the public lands,” said Susan Winkler, past volunteer organizer and Plein Air participant.

During the auction and gala, to be held Saturday at the Historic Crockett Barn, art lovers and artists will raise a glass of wine and celebrate the heritage of an artist’s tradition.

“It’s quite gratifying to see all the images produced during the week, framed and hanging at the auction the last day,” Moore said. “Visitors will enjoy the scenes, the artists, and the final, framed paintings in a gallery setting of the gala where they will be given the opportunity to purchase the works they watched being created.”

Art sales from last year’s event totaled to more than $21,000 and of that, more than $7,000 was presented to the Coupeville Arts Center, according to Symons.

Funds raised from the Plein Air art sale in the summer and a holiday gala are the lifeblood of the Arts Center that provides year-round programs that draw thousands of artists from around the nation, Symons said.

The event organizers want to see the Plein Air Painters U.S. Open become a tradition that grows in addition to the annual events that mark the history of the people who live on Whidbey Island.

“Whidbey is so beautiful and this event supports artists of all backgrounds,” Symons said.