John Leone, known for his equine art, held a very successful Plein Air Workshop this past June at private estates in the Middleburg, Virginia area.

Leone, an internationally acclaimed artist who paints in the Old Masters style is now showing work at the Burwell-Morgan Mill museum art shows in Millwood, Virginia.. The Wally Findlay Galleries of New York City also carry his work.

Julia Thieriot, an equestrian and local farm owner organized the workshop for the benefit of aspiring artist friends. According to Thieriot, Leone was interested in the opportunity to teach Plein Air because He had held indoor workshops near the Burwell-Morgan Mill Museum and yearned to capture what he saw out the windows.

"There is a mystic that seems to draw artists to this area in hopes of capturing its beauty." said Thieriot.

Recommended to Leone by one of his students , Thieriot drew on her longterm association with the local residents of the Unison area to organize the workshop. Unison, Virginia , a local historic town near Middleburg was the home of the American Academy of Equine Art which was founded there in the 50's. The AAEA is , now located at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, Kentucky.

Leone will return to the area for an indoor workshop at the Millwood Community Center September 6-10 with an opening reception to take place September 5th. This already extended workshop is in high demand. For more information please contact Snow Fielding at (540) 837-2384.

Thieriot will exhibit the Plein Air Workshop students' works during the Piedmont Point-to-Point weekend at Moss Cottage. She will also be organizing an April 2005 Plein Air Workshop in Tuscany, Italy. You may contact Julia Thieriot at (540) 554-8183 or at juliamolehill@aol.com for more information.