History Captured in the Wild

Meressa Nafutin settled into a folding chair, her colorful array of paints on a small table to her right, and a folded notebook of watercolor paper in her lap, where the outlines of an ancient truck and a train station were taking form.
“I’d forgotten how nice it is up here,” she said, referring to the grounds at the Santa Clarita History Center. “All the browns and greens, the rusts and the yellows…there are all kinds of things to sketch, to look at and consider the potential.”
Nafutin was one of seven artists who came to the Center on Saturday, May 17, for the first-ever Old Town Newhall Association (OTNA) Art Walk. Seventeen locations along Main Street hosted art displays, exhibits, and demonstrations for visitors to explore.
The SCV Historical Society invitated the Santa Clarita Artists Association to hold a plein air event on the grounds during the ArtWalk – and they turned out, despite the overcast skies.
Artist Alan Garber, who’s been painting for more than 20 years, prefers painting out in open spaces because of the challenges they offer.
“It’s more fun because everything changes,” he said. “The light is different minute by minute; color, light, and shadows all change. I love the challenge of capturing an impression of what is in front of me.”
Retired CPA Buck Burns has been painting for 4 years and brought his watercolors to the park. He enjoys working on a variety of subjects and often paints cards for his friends.
“What inspired me was a painting Prince Charles did of a castle, when he was not getting along with Diana. The colors were so foreboding,” Burns explained as he applied paint to a light sketch of the train station and nearby locomotive.
The History Center welcomes painters who would like to come during the park’s open hours (dawn to dusk, Tuesday through Sunday) and create their own masterpieces. Members of both groups are looking forward to the another organized gathering in the fall.
Learn more about the SCV Historical Society and the History Center by visiting our website, www.scvhs.org.