REALISM ON THE HUDSON 2025 A
At the Historic Howland Cultural Center Beacon, New York
March 1 through April 13, 2025
N REALISM ON THE HUDS
The Howland Cultural Center Beacon, New York
About the Howland Cultural Center
The non-profit Howland Cultural Center is the ‘Jewel of Beacon,’ a significant venue originally built in 1872 as a library by the architect Richard Morris Hunt. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the center now serves as a vibrant hub for cultural events and activities including art exhibitions, musical performances. and literary readings. The center’s mission is to promote and celebrate the arts, culture and the community of the Hudson Valley region. With it’s stunning Victorian architecture and rich background, the Howland Cultural Center is a beloved and important institution in the local community. The gallery is open free to the public during weekends and by appointment.
About the ‘Realism on the Hudson’ Exhibition
Organized by the American Artists Professional League and held in a 19th century library nestled in the quaint town of Beacon, New York, in the heart of the Hudson River Valley, ‘Realism on the Hudson’ is a small works show, celebrating the timeless beauty of traditional realism. Visit the carefully curated exhibit featuring an array of contemporary realist paintings and drawings that range from landscapes and still lifes, to figurative compositions.
The exhibition aims to make contemporary art accessible through a diverse collection of modestly sized masterpieces and encouraging collectors to take home their purchases immediately.
Le er from the President
To the AAPL Art
Community
I am so pleased to present “Realism on the Hudson” a small works exhibition showcasing stunning realist and representational artwork created by our talented members from across the country. The maximum size of the works framed is 20x20 inches. One of the show’s unique features is that collectors can take home their purchases immediately, a good option for tourists and visitors passing through.
The exhibition has become a highlight and a main fine art event at the Howland Cultural Center, a historic and unique venue in Beacon New York. Located in the heart of the Hudson Valley, Beacon is a vibrant and dynamic small city that attracts art lovers. Visitors to the show have been impressed by the exceptional quality and beauty of the works on display. This will be our third year organizing this show and each year numerous artists have successfully sold their work to happy collectors.
For the first time this year, we will be organizing a demo event in conjunction with the show. Brian McClear, an award-winning oil painter, Co-Chair of Realism on the Hudson, and a Signature member of AAPL will be painting a still life on March 22nd live at Howland Cultural Center. Vasari Classic Artists’ Oil Colors will sponsor this event and will be sharing tips with visitors on how to best use their pigments and will be selling their paints at 20% off of regular prices at the event. This is a free event open to the public and not to be missed by art lovers and artists.
For those unable to attend in person, the exhibition can also be viewed online at AAPLinc.org, with artworks available for purchase through the AAPL Artwork Store. http://aaplinc.org/artwork-store
Thank-you for viewing this catalog and we hope you enjoy the exhibition!
Sincerely,
Aki Kano, President of the AAPL
Exhibition Co-Chairs and Jury of Awards
KAREN ISRAEL
Karen Israel is a pastel artist who enjoys creating narrative art. Whether she is exploring landscapes, figures or still life, her passion for design is evident in her work.
Karen is an elected member of many art organizations such as the National Women’s Artist Association, the Hudson Valley Art Association, the Pastel Society of America, Salmagundi Club and the Lyme Art Association. Karen conducts many teaching demonstrations and workshops throughout the United States, and she has served as juror for many national competitions.
Over the past 20 years Karen has garnered awards in many national/international juried competitions. Her work is held in private collections throughout the United States.
To learn more and view her work, please visit http://www.artbykarenisrael.com/ and follow her on Instagram at @karenisraelpastel and Facebook http://www.facebook.com/karen.heffeldisrael
BRIAN McCLEAR
Brian will also be giving a still life painting demonstration in oil on Saturday March 22nd from 1:00pm - 3:00pm.
Brian McClear is a representational artist who loves the process of painting. Whether he is exploring portraiture or everyday objects, his passion for form and texture is evident. Working mostly in oil, his paintings present the insightful (and sometimes quirky) connections he forms from his subjects to capture a mood or tell a story, express an opinion or comment on a trend or...simply to observe something funny
Currently living and working in Connecticut, Brian grew up in Ohio where he earned his BFA from Columbus College of Art. Upon graduation, he moved to New England where he first built a successful career as a freelance graphic illustrator and then focused his creativity and problem-solving skills to lead the marketing technology arm of one of the leading ad agencies in the nutmeg state. Over his 25-year tenure, he was instrumental in creating hundreds of interactive campaigns for a who’s who of leading brands.
Brian’s work has received national awards and can be found in private collections and museums across the United States. Brian will also be giving a painting demonstration on March 22nd at The Howland Cultural Center exhibition venue.
THERESA KRAFT
Juror of Selection
LANA PRIVITERA
A heartfelt thank you to Theresa Kraft, President of the Board of the Howland Cultural Center, for her unwavering dedication, support, and commitment to the arts, and for helping to make this exhibition possible.
DEBORAH GERSONY JESS BELL and
Juror of Selection Sponsorship
Thank you to AAPL Signature Artist Member, Lana Pritivera, for being a Guest Juror of Selection for this Exhibition. To see more of Lana’s work gp to: https://www.lanaprivitera.com/
Special appreciation to Deborah Gersony (left), AAPL Elected Artist Member and Grand National Exhibition Director and Jess Bell, AAPL Elected Artist Member and Fundraising Director, for their work in securing the generous sponsors for artist awards and the Vasari Classic Artists’ Oil Colors award and demonstration.
Logo Design
A special thank-you to AAPL Member Artist Greg DiNaploli for his design of the new Realism on the Hudson logo. Greg captured the vibrant surroundings of Beacon where the Howland Cultural Center sits. Greg’s work will be enjoyed for many years to come and is greatly appreciated. www.gregdinapoliillustration.com
GREG D NAPOLII
AAPL BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Aki Kano – President
Almost 100 Years of Promoting American Art and Artists.
Aki is a New York-based representational watercolorist. Her meticulous and sensitive paintings, which consist mostly of portraits, have been accepted into galleries worldwide, the Salmagundi Club, and museums, and have won numerous awards. Her work has been featured multiple times in magazines including Fine Art Connoisseur, International Artist and American Art Collector. Several of Aki’s watercolor portraits landed on the moon via the Lunar Codex in February 2024 The Lunar Codex includes the works of over 30,000 artists from 161 countries, in 4 time capsules launched to the moon
Jodie Kain – Vice President
Jodie Kain is a nationally recognized contemporary figurative realist working exclusively in pastels. Over many years Jodie extensively studied classical atelier methods of drawing, as well as modern expressionism in New York City, Pennsylvania, London, and Boston After a 20-year career in software Jodie is happily painting fulltime.
Karen Israel – Recording Secretary
In addition to numerous awards, Karen’s pastel painting work has garnered the honor of Signature Member with the American Artists Professional League, Master Circle with the International Association of Pastel Societies and Master Pastelist with the Pastel Society of America. Karen is an artist member of the Salmagundi Club, NYC, The Copley Society, Boston and the Lyme Art Association Karen conducts many teaching demonstrations and workshops throughout the United States.
Lorenzo Cardim – Treasurer
His works have been exhibited in galleries and museums both nationally and internationally and are part of private collections in France, Milan, San Francisco, New York, Washington, D.C., and beyond. Recognized for his expertise in architectural fabrication and restoration, Lorenzo’s work has been showcased in institutions such as the Smithsonian National Museum of American History and the National Building Museum. He serves as the Associate Dean of Administration and Finance at the School of Architecture at The Catholic University of America, where he also teaches digital architectural 3D modeling
Heather Jones – Marketing Director
Heather Jones is a photorealist painter originally from New York City. She layers watercolor and acrylic gouache over graphite to create detailed and highly saturated paintings of vintage vehicles. She is an Elected Member of the American Artists Professional League, a member of the Board of Directors of the Carriage Barn Arts Center, and has recently exhibited with the Allied Artists of America and the Salmagundi Club
Jones has studied watercolor painting at Parsons and the School of Visual Art on New York City and Heatherly’s School of Fine Arts in London. She works and resides in New Canaan, CT where she loves living “in the woods” with her husband, two young children, and dog
Nancy Allen – Grapevine, Catalog and Graphics Director
Nancy Allen is a retired graphic designer and artist living in rural Eastern Oregon. Her main interest is equine portraiture and the use of colored pencil as a fine art medium. She continues doing selected graphic design work for a limited number of clients. Her work has been shown in many National and International exhibitions. She is an elected member of the American Artists Professional League, the International Guild of Realism, the American Academy of Equine Art and a former Signature member of the Colored Pencil Society of America
Eric Chauvin – Demo Coordinator
Since 1992, Eric Chauvin has been working in the film and television industry as a digital matte painter. In 2015, after a twenty year hiatus, he got back into acrylic painting again with an ambitious series of works depicting scenes from 6th century Constantinople. So far he has had pieces shown in the 16th International ARC Salon at Sotheby’s in New York and AAPL’s 96th Grand National Exhibition at the Salmagundi Club in New York. He received a BFA at California State University Fullerton in 1987 and a MA from the same institution in 1991.
Eva Volf – Social Media director
Eva Volf is a professional oil painter from Cleveland, Ohio, who is best known for peaceful atmospheric seascapes.
Volf is an Elected Artist member of the American Artists Professional League as well as a member of the Artists’ Archives of the Western Reserve. Her paintings have been in many regional and national exhibitions, have won awards and have been featured in American Art Collect lei r and V “Artists a News, and o Eva’s w corpo Canada, the Ri Point Med (Spectru
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Deborah Gersony, a cardiologist turned professional oil painter, specializes in landscapes and animal studies. Her work has been accepted into many national juried Deborah Gersony – Grand National Exhibition Director
arts shows, including Oil Painters of America National Juried Salon, NOAPS Best of America Small Works and Annual Juried Art Exhibitions at Ridgewood Art Institute. She has also been a finalist in several PleinAir Salon competitions.
Jess Bell – Fundraising Director
Jess Bell is an oil painter, from the Jersey Shore, who primarily focuses on realistic seascapes. Her work has been shown in various shows across the country
Nancy Stainton – Technology Director
Nancy has been a life long lover of art, starting to draw at age 8. She had to balance art with her profession, software, for many years but now in retirement is able to get back to it
Realism on the Hudson
AWARD WINNERS 2025
FIRST PLACE
Chantal Sulkow “Teal” Oil on Panel
12 x 9
$4,500
SECOND PLACE
Jessie Rasche “That Tree” Oil on Canvas
10 x 8
$500
THIRD PLACE
Barbara Leger “Echoes of Rust and Tide” Oil on Panel
7 x 5
$495
2025
Realism on the Hudson
AWARD WINNERS
Award of Excellence from Vasari
Classic Artists’ Oil Colors for Outstanding Oil Painting
Anna Toberman
“Exeunt”
Oil on Linen Mounted to Panel
8 x 8
$650
Turner Colour Works Award of Excellence
Don Taylor
“Homeless in Lisbon”
Transparent W/C on 300# Fabriano
14 x 11
$895
Sentient Academy Award of Excellence
Kelly Best Bourgeois
“Hummer at Feeder II”
Oil on Canvas Panel
12 x 9
$695
AAPL Award of Merit
Fang Sullivan
“Sweet Rain”
Pastel on Paper
11 x 11
$585
Realism on the Hudson
ACCEPTED WORKS 2025
Nancy Allen “Candy Understands”
Colored Pencil on Bristol Smooth Plate
8.25 x 7
$650
Jimmie Arroyo “Valerie”
Charcoal
16x19
$750
Jessica Aviles
“Stand Firm”
Watercolor on White Acrylic Paper
10 x 8
$300
Del-Bourree Bach
“Snowfall”
Acrylic on Panel
6 x 12
$2,500
Sue Barrasi
“Orbs of Refreshment”
Oil on Ampersand Board
12 x 16
$1,495
Jess Bell
“Luminate”
Oil on Cradled Gessoboard
16 x 20
$1,100
Kelly Best Bourgeois “Hummer at Feeder II” Oil on Canvas Panel
12 x 9
$695
Susan Engle Budash “Golden Cherries”
Oil
12 x 10
$1,200
Susan Engle Budash “Just Peachy”
Oil
12 x 16
$1,500
John Calabrese “Lure of the Sea”
Graphite Pencil on Paper
16 x 12
$1,700
Erin Cordle “Monhegan Surf”
Oil on Panel
12 x 16
$1.300
Caryn Coville “Waiting”
Colored Pencil on UArt 400 Sanded Pastel Paper 5 x 7
$595
Morgan Daniel “Breach”
Acrylic on Panel 12 x 9
$695
Mika Denny “Secrets”
Charcoal Pencil and Pan Pastel on Toned Paper
10.5 x 8.5
$2,200
Carol Devereaux
“Mr. Panagiotis”
Oil on Round Copper Panel
12 x 12
$1,200
Joseph Dunn
“Cradled Apple”
Oil on Canvas
9 x 12
$2,000
Christopher Forrest “Snowy Landing” Oil on Raymar Arches Oil Paper Panel
16 x 12
$1,250
Joel R. Edwards “Which Way”
Graphite on Paper
5.5 x 5.25
$450
Linda Gillen
“Madame Issac Pereire” Oil on Wood Panel 14 x 11
$875
Deborah Gersony
“Winter Walk” Oil on Panel 12 x 12
$1,200
Anita Gladstone “Turquoise Windows” Soft Pastel on Paper
9 x 12
$400
Katherine Grossfeld “From the Top of the Falls” Oil on Linen
12 x 12
$850
Katherine Irish
“Angel's Light”
Pastel on Mounted UArt Pastel Paper
12 x 16
$825
Karen Israel
“Etched in Memory”
Pastel on Paper
10 x 14
$600
Karen Israel
“Summer Lovers” Pastel on Paper 11 x 15
$800
JuliAnne Jonker
“The Secret” Oil on Panel 11 x 14
$1,400
Jodie Kain
“...and the boat made three” Soft Pastel on Sanded Board
18 x 12
$3,600
Tricia Kaman
“Isla in Indigo Ao Dai” Oil
14 x 14
$1,900
Aki Kano
“Bearded Iris”
Watercolor on Paper
13 x 10
$750
Irina Kaplan
“Self Portrait”
Watercolor on Aquabord
16 x 12
$500
Debra Keirce
“Show Me the Ropes” Oil on Panel
8 x 10
$1,150
Cindy Kopenhafer
“Taos Bluffs”
Pastel on Sanded Paper
9 x 12
$395
Barbara Leger
“Echoes of Rust and Tide” Oil on Panel
7 x 5
$495
16 x 20
$1,600
Zhi Li
“The Daisy Flower with Lemon” Oil on Canvas
Allison Lucerne “Pensacola Sky” Oil on Canvas
12 x 12
$1,300
Katrina Lubbecke “Spring Equinox Thaw”
Acrylic on Aluminum Panel
12 x 12
$1,150
Karen Marie Maloof “Stonington Greetings” Oil on Panel
9 x 12
$600
Mann “Snack Time” Oil
8 x -8
$1,700
Karla
Sherry Mason
“The Crystal Waters at Doe River” Oil on Belgian Linen Panel
9 x 12
$1,500
Janis L. Mattson
“Mountaintop Opportunist”
Graphite on Fabriano Paper
9 x 10
$1,050
Sarah Means
“In the Gorgon's Garden” Oil on Panel
12 x 12
$1,400
Brian McClear “Mortar Shells” Oil on Canvas
17 x 17
$725
Nancy Bea Miller “Mango and Leaf”
Oil on Linen
8 x 8
$595
Karen Merkin “Got Bread?”
Oil on Gessoboard
8 x 8
$400
Christopher B. Mooney
“Connection” Oil on Canvas 11 x 14
$2,000
Christopher B. Mooney
“Portrait of Paul” Oil on Canvas 20 x 16
$2,000
Brenda Morgan “Arapaho Headdress”
Oil on Canvas
14 x 11
$1,500
Victor Mordasov
“Still Life with Aged Cheeses”
Oil on Canvas
12 x 12
$2,900
Elizabeth P . Morgan
“Send My Love” Oil on Linen 10 x 8
$1,000
Suzanne Nielsen “Double” Oil on Canvas 10 x 8
$2,000
Laura Paray
“The Red Wheelbarrow” Oil on Canvas Board
18 x 14
$1,500
Eileen Nistler
“Pretty Please”
Colored Pencil on Museum Board
12.5 x 11
$2,000
Aleksandra Sasha Phillips
“Sunny Brunch” Oil on Canvas
10 x 10
$650
Dorie Pouch Petrochko
“On Watch”
Watercolor on Arches WC Paper
13 x 10
$1,000
Gail Postal
“African Icon I” Oil Paint, Graphite and Swarovski Crystals
12 x 12
$3,000
Andrea Placer
“Worn, Weathered, Wonderful” Colored Pencil on Paper
12 x 8
$650
Cher Pruys
“Beech Patrol”
Acrylic on 300LB Hot Press
8.5 x 13
$8,000
Cher Pruys
“Ski Chalet”
Acrylic on 300LB Hot Press
10 x 10
$7,500
Jessie Rasche
“That Tree”
Oil on Canvas
10 x 8
$500
Arlene B. Robbins
“View from Brooklyn”
Transparent Watercolor
10 x 8
$950
Jane E. Robbins
“Summer Haze”
Soft Pastel on Paper
8 x 10
$650
Andy Ross
“After USS Maine Monument” Oil on Canvas
10 x 8
$400
Kathleen Curran Smits
“Mountain Farm” Oil on Canvas
11 x 14
$1,200
Joel Sobelson “Adam”
Pastel 16 x 10
$850
Chantal Sulkow “Red Halter”
Oil on Panel
8 x 10
$3,500
Chantal Sulkow “Teal”
Oil on Panel
12 x 9
$4,500
Don Taylor
“Homeless in Lisbon”
Transparent W/C on 300# Fabriano 14 x 11
$895
Fang Sullivan
“Sweet Rain”
Pastel on Paper 11 x 11
$585
Anna Toberman
“Exeunt”
Oil on Linen Mounted to Panel
8 x 8
$650
Gabrielle Tito
“Blue Fragment”
Oil on Linen Panel
7 x 5
$3,000
Patricia C. Tribastone
“Pretty Pastels” Oil on Linen Panel
16 x 12
$1,600
Nikki Travaglino
“Buttercup Chrome”
Acrylic on Gallery Wrapped Canvas
20 x 20
$3,000
Joseph Warren
“Three at the Beach” Oil on Canvas, Gallery Wrap with Fnished Returns
18 x 18
$3,500
Eva Volf
“Sunset Dreaming”
Oil on Canvas
20 x 20
$550
Patricia Wattam “Blooming Clouds”
Oil on Panel
8 x 16
$550
Megan Whitfield
“The Sea at Twilight”
Acrylic on Canvas
20 x 20
$1,800
Barbara Kitty Williams
“Strut” Pastel on Paper
12 x 9
$1,000
Keith Willis
“Autumn Fire” Oil on Panel 18 x 18
$1,600
Ming Xiong
“Drunken Spring March”
Watercolor on Rice Paper
13 x 13
$20,000
Elzara Yusufova
“Fields of Quiet Reflection” Oil on Canvas
8 x 10
$470
“Cuttyhunk's
12 x 16
$960
Desiree Rose Zaslow
Tranquility” Oil on Linen
The American Artists Professional League Inc.
Thank-you to Our Generous
REALISM ON THE HUDSON SPONSORS
Sponsoring monetary prizes of:
$400 First Place Award
$200 Second Place Award
$100 Third Place Award
Viewer’s Choice Award:
Troix Crayons has donated a new board game they designed called Attribution! Players become art historians, competing to win artwork for their museum or gallery. To win you have to outsmart your competitors with your superior knowledge of the art world.
Value at: $25.00
Sentient Academy is providing a free year of access to their Online Course Library. Sentient Academy is dedicated to ensuring art education is accessible to everyone, irrespective of financial constraints. Their inclusive art classes welcome artists of all levels and backgrounds.
Value: $600.00
Vasari Classic Artists’ Oil Colors is sponsoring The Award of Excellence from Vasari Classic Artists' Oil Colors for Outstanding Oil Painting with a $250 digital gift code award for the purchase of their products. Since 1995, Vasari Classic Artists’ Oil Colors has supplied unique and authentic colors, carefully handcrafted, and used by the most discerning painters worldwide.
TURNER COLOUR WORKS
Turner Colour Works has generously donated a watercolor and a gouache set.
Value $150.00
Many thanks to an anonymous Signature Artist Member for donating a $100 monetary gift as an AAPL Award of Merit. Your generosity and encouragement towards AAPL Artists is very much appreciated!
Thank you to American Art Collector Magazine for their donation of 100 magazines to be given to visitors of the Exhibition at The Howland Cultural Center. It includes an editorial on the show!