（371）The Story Behind Lithuania’s “Plein-Air Artists’ Gathering”… Truly Moving (Part II)

The International Plein-Air Art Symposium took place from August 1–7, 2026, in the quaint Lithuanian village of Žiboliškės, lasting one full week. Ten artists from all corners of the world took part, including artists from Poland, Israel, Estonia, and Lithuania, the two of us from Canada, two Spanish artists, and a Chinese painter who has long been living in Spain. Truly, it was an impressive and wonderfully international gathering!
I had assumed it was simply another conventional artist residency. But after settling into the village and reading through the programme details, I suddenly realised there was much more to it than that. I immediately reported my discovery to my boyfriend, Charles. After hearing me out, he rolled his eyes at me:
“You really do have a mind of your own! Years ago, you mistook Ruta for an ordinary housewife and charged headlong into a foreign country. Do you know that she is actually a senior government official? And now you’ve come here with the Spanish team without even asking about the background of the event beforehand. You’re still wandering around in a fog!”
I pursed my lips.
“I’ve always travelled through life on the strength of one thing: trust. A single word is enough for me! Who would have thought that this extraordinary country would keep presenting me with unexpected gifts every time? But when Ruta finally explained the story behind this event, I was overwhelmed with so many emotions that I hardly knew what to say.
“This year marks its third edition. Really, all I had to do was search online and I would have discovered its significance. But I’m just hopelessly naïve. The moment I got hold of the programme, I ran off to ask Ruta, ‘This project is dedicated to the painter Aleksandras Vozbinas (A.Z.). Who on earth is this great master?’”
Seeing the utterly clueless expression on my face, Ruta patiently began telling me the story.
Oh my goodness! Talk about failing to recognise a true master when standing right in front of you!
Aleksandras Vozbinas, one of Lithuania’s most revered painters, was the very person this symposium was established to commemorate. I was completely stunned by my own ignorance.
Thankfully, Ruta was kind enough to comfort me:
“Never mind. We actually like you just as you are—a little innocent who knows nothing and asks nothing, but simply follows along with that wonderful determination of yours. Perhaps it was simply fate that brought you here.”

Well, please forgive me if I am still somewhat muddled as I piece this whole story together, or if my thoughts seem to keep going round in circles. Here is the story as I now understand it:
Aleksandras Vozbinas (A.Z.) was a highly acclaimed Lithuanian painter who devoted his entire life to artistic creation. He was particularly drawn to nature and had a profound passion for painting outdoors. For about a decade, he would come every midsummer to stay for a while in Ruta’s picturesque old village. Far from the noise and bustle of the world, he would let his thoughts soar, immerse himself completely in nature, and paint to his heart’s content—capturing the simple beauty and rustic charm of the village on his canvases.

Sadly, the pandemic took this immensely gifted artist away. His widow, Diana, had been Ruta’s colleague and close friend for many years. After the initial grief had passed, they shared a thought: why not establish an annual plein-air artist residency?
Artists and art lovers from around the world would be welcomed to the village to paint together and form friendships through art. At the same time, A.Z.’s reverence for nature, his deep love for this village, and his lifelong passion for painting could be passed on to future generations.
During the previous two editions, many of the participating painters had also been A.Z.’s fellow artists and close friends. Gathering once again in this beautiful village to paint together became, in itself, one of the most meaningful ways to remember him.

Ruta emphasised:
“When the villagers see new faces arriving from different parts of the world, it is like a fresh spring bubbling into the village. The quiet little community suddenly comes alive. At the same time, it gives us an opportunity to share Lithuania’s long and rich history and cultural landscape with friends from other countries, actively promoting cultural exchange.
“On the surface, this project came about because of this great painter. But at its heart, it is also rooted in his distinctive approach to plein-air painting and his lifelong contribution to Lithuanian art. His values are closely aligned with our country’s commitment to ecological conservation and the preservation of rural communities. That is why this initiative has continued to receive strong support from the government.
“Although A.Z. has already passed on, whenever we see artists painting beneath the open sky, it feels as though his spirit is still here. Diana and I find great comfort in that.”

To be honest, after hearing this deeply moving story, my soul seemed to leave my body for a while. During the quiet of the night, I stood before the late painter’s masterpieces and found myself completely lost in them.
I have never formally studied painting, so I certainly cannot claim to understand art criticism or connoisseurship. Yet there was something profoundly captivating in those paintings—something that made you stop and linger.
The sincerity conveyed through their rich colours, and the artist’s deep love for life, touched the heart in a way that words could hardly describe.
I was told that throughout his 62 years of life, this great painter held more than forty solo exhibitions and participated in more than three hundred group exhibitions and artistic projects. Without doubt, he was a remarkable figure of his generation.

The words “Heaven is jealous of the gifted” briefly crossed my mind.
But as the sun began to set, I watched artists from different countries completely absorbed in their work—brushes moving freely, minds focused, hearts and spirits flowing onto their canvases.
And suddenly I thought:
How could A.Z. ever truly be gone?
Perhaps he has simply transformed into another form of loving energy—quietly watching over, guiding and inspiring those who have come after him.
Here, in this beautiful old village, he continues to wander among us in another form; through the gifted hands of these artists, he lives on in their plein-air paintings, while inspiring countless new and beautiful moments to unfold…
And perhaps that is the true meaning of it all.

(To be continued)