Twenty-five artists will paint West Maui scenes on location during the seventh annual Maui Plein Air Painting Invitational, which starts on Saturday, Feb. 18. Mark Brown (above) of Oahu painted a Hawaiian hula model at Kamehameha Iki Park during the 2011 event.

LAHAINA – Five new artists will showcase their painting styles along with 20 renowned returnees during the seventh annual Maui Plein Air Painting Invitational.

The event kicks off this Saturday, Feb. 18, and runs through Sunday, Feb. 26, in West Maui.

Artists new to the event are Gavin Brooks of Owings Mills, Maryland; Josh Clare from Queens Creek, Arizona; Peggy Kroll Roberts and Ray Roberts of Angels Camp, California; and Jove Wang of Alhambra, California.

They are among the 25 finest plein air (in open air) painters from Hawaii and U.S. Mainland who will be painting on location throughout Maui.

Ronaldo Macedo, cofounder of Islanders, Hawaii Plein Air Painters and event participant/artist liaison, had this to say about the new 2012 participants: “Having met and worked with the new artists, I am excited about their first trip to Maui for the invitational.

“I think you will be amazed with Gavin’s atmospheric interpretation of the landscape. Josh is a talented young artist with a unique painting style and making his mark on the national scene,” he continued.

“Peggy and Ray are one of the most professional, talented painting couples I have met and will definitely stand out as experts in the plein air genre. Peggy’s work is playful and whimsical. Ray’s work is made up of strong composition and careful tones. Ray recently won one of the most coveted awards in plein air, Best in Show at the Laguna Plein Air Painting Invitational.

“Jove, a Chinese native, a graduate of the China Academy of Art, migrated to the U.S. in 1990. Since then, Jove has garnered national recognition in the U.S. Jove has a long list of museum solo shows and numerous Best in Show and Gold Medal Awards from California Art Club and Oil Painters of America. It should be quite exciting to see Jove interpret and paint the Maui landscape.”

The invitational also welcomes back returning artists George Allan and Michael Clements of Kula; Ken Auster and Jacobus Baas of Laguna Beach, California; Pierre Bouret of Hanalei, Kauai; Mark Brown of Honolulu; Saim Caglayan of Kilauea, Kauai; Mike Carroll of Lanai City, Lanai; Betty Hay Freeland of Pukalani; Darrell Hill of Kamuela, Big Island; Debra Huse of Newport Beach, California; Carleton Kinkade, Macedo and Macario Pascual of Lahaina; Clark G. Mitchell of Cotati, California; Billyo O’Donnell of Eureka, Missouri; Colin Page of Camden, Maine; Mary Pettis of Taylors Falls, Minnesota; Randall Sexton of Vallejo, California; and Marty Wessler of Hanapepe, Kauai.

Due to popular demand, the event has added another day to the event program: the Plein Air Finale on Sunday, Feb. 26, ending the week-long event and a last chance for the public to view and purchase paintings at The Village Gallery in Lahaina.

The schedule includes the “Kickoff Paint Out” in Kapalua at D.T. Fleming Beach from noon to 3 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 18; a lecture by Jean Stern, executive director of The Irvine Museum in California, at the Pioneer Inn in Lahaina on Tuesday, Feb. 21, at 7 p.m.; Pacific’O Sunset Paint Out at Kamehameha Iki Park on Wednesday, Feb. 22, at 4 p.m.; Pioneer Inn Lahaina Harbor Quick Draw on Friday, Feb. 24, from 9 to 11 a.m.; Maui No Ka ‘Oi Magazine Gala Reception on Friday, Feb. 24, from 5 to 9 p.m.; and Coffee and Pastries with the Artists on Saturday, Feb. 25, from 9 to 11 a.m.

Kickoff paintings will be available for viewing and purchase at Village Gallery in The Ritz-Carlton, Kapalua from Feb. 18-24, and all 100 paintings will be at Village Gallery in Lahaina on Feb. 24-26. For a complete schedule, go to www.mauipleinairpainting.com.