Quickdraw 2027 - Saturday March 13th

Port St. Joe, George Core Park

Registration Information and Rules

  • REGISTRATION will open on October 1, 2026

    We ask that all artists please pre-register online. After reading the rules and instructions, click on the link below to do this. The registration fee is $20. You will choose either the Professional or Open Class for the competition. Deadline for online pre-registration is Thursday, March 11th.

    On site registration is allowed after online registration closes and begins at 8:00 am EST on March 13th. Registration and check in location is at George Core Park in Port St. Joe. The event is open to anyone over the age of 16 who wishes to participate and has their own supplies and easels.

    Artists may use any medium, but must paint in the plein air tradition. Canvases must be blank, and design work cannot begin prior to the 9 am horn.

    Contact us at info@forgottencoastenpleinair.com if you have questions about this.

  • DATES AND TIMING

    Saturday, March 13 - 8:00 am - 8:45 am EST: Artists check in at the registration desk, pay if they haven’t already paid online, have their blank canvases stamped, and pick up their title & price label. No canvas will be stamped if painting/design has been begun prior to the starting time.

    Saturday, March 13 - 9:00 am EST: A horn will sound and artists may begin painting en plein air style on any subject. The Quickdraw artwork must be created during the Quickdraw time frame. Any violators will be banned from future events. You are allowed to paint in another nearby location as
    long as you are back at the check in location when judging begins and have your painting and easel set up by 12:00 noon EST.

    Saturday, March 13 - 11:30 EST: The closing horn will sound and the Quickdraw artists bring their just completed artwork and easels to the exhibit/sale area for the judging and sale. Artists are responsible for returning on time even if they are not within hearing distance of the horn. Paintings must be framed and ready to hang before judging begins and set up on your easel as directed by volunteers.

  • JUDGING/AWARDS

    All artists must be set up for judging by 12:00 noon EST.

    Judging will begin at 12:00 noon and end at 1:00 pm EST.

    The Quickdraw Awards are announced and ribbons are awarded. The judge will make comments about the winning paintings on site and the public is invited to purchase paintings off of the easels. Sales staff will be present to assist.

  • SALES

    Each artwork is required to be for sale and to have a title and a price written on the provided label. Each participating artist should consider Forgotten Coast en Plein Air his or her gallery. There will be a 50% commission collected from the proceeds of each Quickdraw sale to fund this event; any violators will be banned from future events.

    Proceeds from our annual plein air event are shared with communities along the Forgotten Coast.

Online Registration Here

Quickdraw Judge Michelle Usebelli

Biography

The granddaughter of Italian and French immigrants, Michele Usibelli was born to create. After earning her degree in Architecture from the University of Washington, she combined a demanding professional life with her love of travel. Her extensive journeys and rich life experiences provide the solid platform from which her vibrant artwork is created.

Usibelli's early training established a strong foundation in the Russian Impressionist tradition of seeing and painting shapes of light and color using relatively loose, confident brushstrokes. She has studied extensively and been deeply influenced by historic masters, most notably Nicholai Fechin, John Singer Sargent, and William Merritt Chase. These classical influences have allowed her to establish her own unique artistic voice and define her as a truly versatile modern impressionist.

While drawn to many genres—including still life, landscape, cityscape, and figurative work—her individual style, rich impasto, and technical paint application create a constant, harmonious theme throughout her extensive body of work. Working primarily in oils, but equally accomplished in acrylics, gouache, and watercolor, she strives for an unmistakable consistency. Collectors frequently note they "can spot her work from across the room." Establishing an authentic artistic voice remains her primary focus; she never paints the same image twice, ensuring every piece is a true, high-caliber original.

Creative Philosophy

"For me, the process of creating begins with a scene that carries a certain energy and evokes an emotion. I find myself drawn to subject matter with rich colors or intriguing light—the vignettes of everyday life. It is my primary goal to have each artwork resonate with energy and the poetry of light. I follow my own 'rule' of painting what is truly important to me. There is nothing more gratifying than knowing that my work is appreciated by others."