This year marks the Centennial Year of The Washington State Parks system. The 100-plus members of “Plein Air Washington,” the state’s largest organized group of plein air artists, will be outdoors painting directly from nature, in good, bad and even ugly weather, at most of over 100 Washington State Parks. Besides the fact that most landscape artists love to paint unspoiled areas, PAWA members are working hard this year to elevate awareness of the fragile beauty within our own state parks as well as create public awareness and interaction with the new “Plein Air Painting” movement that has been sweeping across America for the last twenty five years. Millions of digital photo images are taken annually, by visitors to our parks, but none are ever as unique or exciting as an original painting, made through the eyes and hands of an artist experiencing the moment, in natural conditions. This centennial year, PAWA artists are making an effort to share the “gift of original paintings” to Washington state and its residents and visitors. In 2013, PAWA will be hosting many live demos and events across the state. The public is invited to see them in action. Visit the PAWA web site to find dates and locales: www.pleinairwashington.com.