When she helped form a support group for local artists about five years ago, Cutchogue resident Ann McCaughey had trouble coming up with a name.
But she settled on a reflection of how painting plein air, or outdoors, made her feel — on Cloud 9.
“My husband didn’t quite like the name — he thought it sounded too much like a massage parlor,” she said. “But when you go out plein air painting, there is a kind of a moment that is just sort of like ecstasy, the Cloud 9 effect.”
Five years later, the nine artists in the Cloud 9 North Fork Artists group have all sorts of paintings, from dramatic landscapes to realistic still life paintings, on display at Clovis Point Vineyard in Jamesport through December with the hope that people will purchase the works as unique Christmas gifts.
McCaughey, a retired New York City real estate broker, said she began painting only about seven years ago and is making a decent living selling paintings through the group. She said she started mainly in portraiture but soon made the switch to landscapes.
“For me, portraits are harder to do and more exciting, but if you want to sell on a regular basis, landscapes are more interesting for people,” she said.
The paintings on display at Clovis Point range from $75 to $869 — the most expensive being an oil-on-canvas of an egret at West Neck Creek done by well-known local artist Jada Rowland, who continues to teach and paint with members of the Cloud 9 group.
McCaughey said that group members will often go out to certain picturesque locations and paint together and will gather for a few hours a week to critique each other.
“It’s social but it’s also supportive,” she said. “We all feel lucky to live here, we really do. There is so much to paint here.”
Clovis Point's tasting room is open Monday, Wednesday and Thursday from 12 to 6 p.m., Fridays and Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Sundays from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Go to Clovis Point and say you've read this article on Patch and get a 10 percent discount on a glass of wine.
