Clear skies and cornfields were as far as the eye could see in sunny West Liberty, Iowa, on Sept. 15. However, the beautiful scenery was not the only focus of ArtiFactory’s Plein Air Group, as the Secrest Barn, a unique eight-sided structure, also drew attention.

The goal of every Plein Air group painting session is to enjoy nature and promote relaxation. Sessions are held twice a month on Saturday mornings in various locations. Last year, the participants visited areas including the Terry Trueblood Recreation Area and City Park.

The inside of the barn was just as calming as the scenery outside, complete with hanging string lights and the sound of jovial chatter from the visitors.

Participants were spread out across the grassy field, armed with various easels and utensils such as pastels, watercolors, and acrylic paint. Nearly every single person chose to paint a different angle of the barn, evoking a wide range of perspectives.

“Getting to be out in nature with nothing to do but create art…I feel like that is not an opportunity I take very often,” Annie Jones, an event attendee, said.

Jones chose a vantage point a good distance away from the center of the barn under a tree. Already getting to work with her oil pastels, Jones laid down a few strokes on her paper.

Mid-America Emmy Award winner Dana Telsrow was also in attendance. The University of Iowa alum is a renowned musician and painter who is a frequenter of ArtiFactory’s group sessions.

“I like being around other people who are interested in art, too. It’s a good way to relax and clear your mind, and it’s just a low-pressure social outing,” Telsrow said.

According to the website Art Story, the French term “en plein air” is defined as “in the open air,” which refers to when artists paint a landscape outdoors. It allows painters to capture the emotional and sensory dimensions of a specific moment in time, signifying the honesty of the reality that is presented before them.

“When you’re working from a photograph, it’s not the same as working from the place. You get a different idea of lighting, you know, things are changing all the time,” artist and attendee Robert Richardson said. “When you do things from real life, it gets a little more lively — a little more dimensional.”

Richardson was stationed at the side of the barn with a chair and an easel set up before him, nearly finished with his piece.

“The difference, too, is when you’re working from a photograph, there’s this tendency to want to copy the photograph,” Richardson said.

As the artists gazed at the changing colors of the sky, visitors pulled into the parking lot for tours of the historic barn. Some of the tourists even made it into artists’ portraits.

Richard Tyler, the owner of the Secrest Barn, was more than happy to provide ArtiFactory with a venue for its session. Between providing tours of the angular building, Tyler recalled how frequently the barn is used for artistic inspiration.

“There’s photographers that have made special images of the place, too,” Tyler said. “It’s open every day, and people have done wonderful works of art — not just from the outside but also the inside, since the architectural structure is beautiful as well.”

According to Tyler’s brochure, the Octagonal Barn was purchased by Joshua and Esther Secrest in 1875, and it was originally created by local master builder George Longerbean.

“There is no barn like this anywhere in the world,” Tyler said.

ArtiFactory Co-president Beppie Weiss and watercolor painter Andrea Gage were working on the far right of the barn, separated from each other by an array of oil pastel containers. While Weiss had an easel, Gage had a piece of paper in her lap.

“Our little group started because a lot of people liked doing plein air art,” Weiss said. “In a group, doing art is more fun. It’s a little more comfortable.”

Her work was almost done, the watercolor landscape capturing the barn with impressive accuracy. The changing of the natural lighting doesn’t just create a prettier picture, though. As the sun shifts, painting becomes more challenging.

“Light changes about every 20 minutes but dramatically about every couple hours,” Gage said. “So, you only have a short amount of time to get a quick sketch down, and a lot of times, then, people use these small pieces to create a bigger piece in their studio.”

The group sessions evoke a sense of community and encourage experimentation with different arts media, whether that be watercolors or acrylics. Additionally, artists can appreciate the natural scenery right in front of them.

“When you listen to good music, and you just kind of get into it and the world slows down a little bit, I think it’s the same way with any kind of art, whether that’s drawing or painting,” Gage said. “It gives your brain a chance to slow down.”