Girard to offer public lecture Monday

PALMER — Douglas Girard, local oil painter and award-winning artist, will give a slide presentation and lecture about his trip to the Dolomites mountain range in northeastern Italy at the Valley Fine Arts Association meeting at 3 p.m., May 4, in Room 212 of the Fred and Sara Machetanz Building at Mat-Su College, off Trunk Road.

Girard, who grew up in South Africa, said he decided to ravel to Italy to paint in “plein-air” after winning an art competition that made the trek possible. He said that’s how he found himself traveling the serpentine mountain roads of northern Italy and the Veneto for 21 days in September and October 2013.

He said he spent the time drawing and painting during the day and camping at night. During that time, he said he painted more than 60 studies and took more than 6,000 photographs.

Everyone is welcome to attend the presentation Saturday.

For more information, contact Suzanne Bach Edwards at 376-5956.