Landscape painter Astrid Preston typically works alone in the quiet of her Santa Monica studio, a panoramic view of Los Angeles outside her window. “It’s very meditative,” she says. “Nobody sees me working.”

Until now. Anyone can walk into the Lux Art Institute and peer over Preston’s shoulder as she paints two pieces for this interactive museum set into an Encinitas hillside. Preston and a sampling of her work are on view through March 22 as part of Lux’s artist-in-residence program, begun in November with Chilean artist Tomás Rivas. Another Lux program, the Valise Project, brings portable works of art into classrooms and senior centers across the county.

“Visual art is all about creating something you can see,” says Lux director Reesey Shaw. “Somebody’s making something that’s evolving. It’s like a baby being born.”

Preston will be painting and taking questions from visitors, who can look at the nearby hillside being captured on canvas. It’s a daunting thought for someone used to working alone. “I’m going to learn a lot about my own work by learning about how people perceive things,” she says.

Lux visitors receive free admission to the San Diego Museum of Art, where Preston’s painting Surrender is displayed in the exhibition “Plein Art Past and Present.” At 1550 South El Camino Real, Lux is open Thursday and Friday 1 to 5 p.m., Saturday 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. 760-436-6611 luxartinstitute.org.

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