Cape Ann Plein Air 2018

CAPE ANN PLEIN AIR 2018 WWW.CAPEANNPLEINAIR.COM

October 7–15, 2018 CAPA Gala, Saturday, October 13 Special guest article by Eric Rhoads, publisher of PleinAir Magazine

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Acknowledgments & Thanks

Welcome

to Cape Ann Plein Air 2018!

It’s hard to believe that a year has passed since last year’s record-breaking CAPA Competition and Gala. The paint had barely dried on CAPA 2017 before we started planning this years’ event.

Our Plein Air competition is an opportunity for 40 internationally recognized artists to paint for a week, vying for over $20,000 in awards, in the four beautiful communities of Cape Ann: Essex, Gloucester, Manchester-by-the-Sea and Rockport. Our area has long been a destination for painters and other artists. We view this event as an opportunity for all of Cape Ann—not only our artists, but our business and community leaders as well—to come together to raise awareness of our important art heritage.

We have tremendous support from the following sponsors, whose generosity and commitment to the arts made this year a reality: Presenting Sponsor: Applied Materials; Diamond Sponsor: Engel & Völkers by the Sea; Platinum Sponsors: Stephen & Judy Bell, Nancy LeGendre & Walter Herlihy; Gold Sponsor: The Dusky Fund of ECCF; Silver Sponsors: Cape Ann Savings Bank, William & Ann Kneisel/The Kneisel Foundation, Judy Rotenberg & Ed Zuker; and our many Friends, Supporters and incredible Volunteers of Cape Ann Plein Air for their kind donations and support. Our awards are made possible by the very generous donations from local businesses and patrons of the arts.

We’d also like to thank the many arts organizations and galleries for hosting events during the week, including Charles Fine Arts, North Shore Art Association, Rockport Art Association and Museum, Essex Shipbuilding Museum and the Historic New England properties Beauport Sleeper-McCann House and Cogswell’s Grant.

An important aspect of attracting competing and juried artists who travel from all over the United States and beyond is the tremendous support from Cape Ann residents who open their homes to the artists for the week, creating lifelong friendships and ensuring that our artists feel welcomed and comfortable. We want to thank our housing hosts!

Because of the strong collaboration between the arts, businesses including restaurants and shops, cultural groups and galleries and residents, all of Cape Ann deserves credit for making Cape Ann Plein Air 2018 possible. Thank you for your enthusiasm and participation on every level.

Please visit www.CapeAnnPleinAir.com for news about the week as well as updates on the artists.

Susan Gould Coviello Project Manager, Cape Ann Plein Air 2018

Bethe Palmer President, CAPA Board of Directors

Cape Ann Plein Air 2018 Partners Cape Ann Chamber of Commerce Cape Ann Community Foundation Cape Ann Cultural Districts Cape Ann Museum 2 CAPE ANN PLEIN AIR 2018

Society for the Encouragement of the Arts, SeArts North Shore Arts Association Rockport Art Association & Museum Rocky Neck Art Colony

Essex Historical Society and Shipbuilding Museum Cogswell’s Grant Essex Merchants Group Beauport, Sleeper-McCann House

Susan Nicholas Gephart

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Contents 2

Acknowledgments & Thanks

4

Sponsors

7

Calendar

ON THE COVER: First Place winner Raking Light

by Mitch Baird, 2017 Cape Ann Plein Air.

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he Modern Plein Air Movement: A Brief History T

by Eric Rhoads

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Partner Profiles

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Artist Index

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Competition Juror Profile

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Awards Judge Profile

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Artist Profiles

ART NEW ENGLAND CUSTOM PUBLISHING Tim Montgomery President/Publisher Rita A. Fucillo Vice President Publishing Scott Roberto Art Director

Publication services provided by New Venture Media Group LLC. Reproduction or use, without express written permission from New Venture Media Group LLC and Cape Ann Plein Air of any portion of this publication is prohibited.

While reasonable efforts have been taken in the preparation of this publication to assure its accuracy, Cape Ann Plein Air and New Venture Media Group LLC assume no liability resulting from any errors in or omissions from this publication, or from the use of the information contained herein. New Venture Media Group LLC is the publisher of Art New England, a bi-monthly publication distributed throughout the region. Editorial and advertising offices at 560 Harrison Ave., Suite 412, Boston, MA 02118. Telephone 857-366-8131.

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Sponsors PRESENTING SPONSOR

OFF THE BEATEN PATH

BEST MARITIME ACTIVITY

QUICK DRAW SPONSORS

Applied Materials

Linda Cote & Ron Straka

Ms. Leslie Lobell & Mr. Eric Timsak

BEST MARINE

HOUSING HOSTS

BankGloucester

Anita Beloff Ann Ziergiebel & JP Ware Anne-Lise & Pat Morss Beverly Shafer Blue Shutters Inn, host Tony Sapienza Bruce & Donna Johnson Carol Cataldo Colonial Inn by the Sea, host Tom Schmidt Dennis McGurk Dr. & Mrs. Frank Berson Gary & Christine Gilbert Greg & Catherine Crockett Holly & Ken Riehl Jack Heinzmann Jane Van Faasen Karen Berger Kathy & Peter Coakley Kimberly Valero Marcia Hubbard Martha “Marty” Swanson Martha Wood Olga Hayes & Ken King Pat & Glenn Alto Pat Brochier Penny Pilzer Peter & Karen Koch-Weser Sally Webster Inn, host Sawsan Galan Seafarer Inn, hosts Chris & Beth Roenker Susan & Roger Levine Ted & Judy Bidwell

Stephen & Jill Bell Sea Meadow Gifts and Gardens Main Street Antiques, Essex

DIAMOND SPONSOR Engel & Völkers by the Sea PLATINUM SPONSORS Stephen & Jill Bell Nancy LeGendre & Walter Herlihy

WORKING WATERFRONT Ocean Crest Seafood, Inc. BEST AMERICANA

GOLD SPONSOR

Beauport Hotel

Dusky Fund of the Essex County Community Foundation

BEST NOCTURNE

SILVER SPONSORS

BEST ESSEX SCENE

Cape Ann Savings Bank William & Ann Kneisel/The Kneisel Foundation Judi Rotenberg & Ed Zuker

Essex Merchants Group

THIRD PLACE SPONSOR

BEST USE OF PERSPECTIVE

Rotary Clubs of Cape Ann

Lisa Bonneville Designs

CAPA SUPPORTER

HONORING THE GREAT CAPE ANN PLEIN AIR PAINTERS

Samuel Cabot III CHARLES MOVALLI AWARD Dale Movalli HONORABLE MENTIONS CAPA Board of Directors CAPA Advisory Board

Leslie Lobell & Eric Timsak

PEOPLE’S CHOICE Essex Merchants Group

Jan & Ted Charles BEST BEACHES OF CAPE ANN (JOAN VAN RODEN MEMORIAL PRIZE) John & Kathy Connolly

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BOARD OF DIRECTORS Bethe M. Palmer, President Marcia Hubbard, Treasurer Beth Buckingham, Clerk James Caviston Linda Cote Susan Crown Ken Riehl Tony Sapienza ADVISORY BOARD Meredith Anderson Karen Berger John Caggiano CF Hayback TM Nicholas Courtney Richardson Karen Ristuben Mike Storella PROJECT MANAGER Susan Gould Coviello SOCIAL MEDIA DIRECTOR Coleen HugginsHayback MARKETING DIRECTOR CF Hayback

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CAPA Public Calendar SUNDAY, OCTOBER 7

• 7 am–5 pm: Artist Registration, Essex Shipbuilding Museum, Essex • 6–8 pm: Opening Reception, Essex Shipbuilding Museum. Meet the artists and see their work. Free to the public MONDAY, OCTOBER 8

• Noon–1 pm: Demo, Beauport Museum, Gloucester, Artist Geoffrey Chalmers.

Free to the public TUESDAY, OCTOBER 9

• Noon–1 pm: Demo, Cogswell’s Grant, Essex, Artist David Curtis. Free to the public • 7–9 pm: CAPA Artist Preview Reception, Charles Fine Arts, 196 Main St., Gloucester. Free to the public WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 10

• Noon–1 pm: Demo, Tuck’s Point, Manchester, Natalia Andreeva. Free to the public THURSDAY, OCTOBER 11

• Noon–1 pm: Demo, Rockport Art Association and Museum, Rockport, Stapleton Kearns. Free to the public • 5–9 pm: Nocturne painting event on Rocky Neck. Artists, music and more.

Free to the public; food and drink available for purchase • 6:30 pm: Artist Appreciation at the Studio Restaurant, 49 Rocky Neck Ave., Gloucester. Public is welcome; food and drinks available to purchase FRIDAY, OCTOBER 12

• 6:30–8 pm: CAPA Artists dinner, Gloucester House Restaurant, Gloucester.

Music, lobster bake, Gloucester stories and more! Public invited, $30pp @ door SATURDAY, OCTOBER 13

• 4:30–6 pm: Collectors Preview, North Shore Arts Association, Gloucester.

Limited number of tickets available at CapeAnnPleinAir.com • 6–9 pm: Cape Ann Plein Air Grand Awards Exhibition & Gala Sale, North Shore Arts Association. Tickets available at CapeAnnPleinAir.com SUNDAY, OCTOBER 14

• 9–11 am: Quick Draw Event, 120 artists paint around the Rockport Cultural District (artists must register, see website for details). Open to the public—come and watch!

• 10 am–5 pm: CAPA paintings exhibit and sale, North Shore Arts Association.

Free to the public • 1–5 pm: Quick Draw paintings exhibition and sale, Rockport Art Association and Museum. Free to the public; music and food MONDAY, OCTOBER 15

• CAPA Paintings exhibition/sale, North Shore Arts Association. Free to the public • Quick Draw paintings exhibition and sale, Rockport Art Association and Museum.

Free to the public

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THE MODERN PLEIN AIR MOVEMENT A Brief History

by Eric Rhoads, Founder/Publisher of PleinAir Magazine

Sun Set Paint-out at Hameau Farm Studio Artist Retreat in Pennsylvania.

Photo: Susan Nicholas Gephart.

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ich history accompanies today’s outdoor painters; there is evidence of artists going outdoors to paint dating back more than 200 years. Some, including myself, believe there are indicators that artists have been painting outdoors since Rembrandt’s time. It’s rare that a studio painter can capture light and form and realistic feeling from a sketch alone, and I believe many paintings reflect studies that must have been done on location.

The term plein air, however, is more modern. The first known use was by a journalist in France, about Claude Monet (1840–1926) and his fellow painters who in 1874 mounted an exhibition of the “Anonymous Society of Painters, Sculptors, Engravers, etc.” because their work had been rejected by the Paris Salon. Louis Leroy, a critic for Le Charivari, referred to the artists derisively as “plein air

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painters,” and entitled his review of the show “Exhibition of Impressionists,” based on the title of Monet’s Impression: Sunrise.

Yet that review gave rise to Impressionism, a name that evokes the essence of these painters who were unhappy with the traditional studio approach, with dark colors and mythological or historical subjects. Instead, life was reflected as interpreted by painters who believed that paintings should express true light, color and form as seen outdoors.

This movement to paint outdoors captured the interest of more than Monet and his friends in Paris. In the village of Barbizon in France, from about 1830–1870, painters like Theodore Rousseau, Jean-Francois Millet, Charles-Francois Daubigny and others not only painted outdoors, but painted life realistically, highlighting the peasant farmers and their toil.

Impressionism, post-Impressionism and the Barbizon School were movements in themselves, but outdoor painting was not widely embraced, and France did not see a large number of plein air painters in the 19th century.

It would, in fact, be the Americans who would spread the movement more widely.

Many American students had moved to France to study in ateliers (private studios with teaching), and some ended up becoming acquainted with and even painting alongside Monet. Theodore Robinson (1852–1896), an American, befriended Monet and lived in a neighboring home in Giverny for several years. When he returned to the U.S., Robinson brought plein air painting with him and, because he taught at several schools and held workshops in the Catskills, helped spread this new “Outdoor Impressionism.” Painters like J. Alden Weir and John Henry Twachtman were among his converts.

But long before Robinson’s birth, Hudson River School artists Thomas Cole, Asher B. Durand and Albert Bierstadt were going outdoors to do oil sketches. These gentlemen would take the train from NewYork to the end of the line in the Catskills, then take horse-drawn buckboards north to the Adirondack Mountains, going into what was then unexplored wilderness.

They would hike to mountaintops with small wooden sketch boxes they held on their laps to paint. Paint in tubes was not yet available, so their paint was pre-ground and stored in pig bladders. On the rare occasions they found spots for a larger painting, they would carry up their studio easels and supplies, often camping for days to essentially paint a large studio painting on location.

Before the rise of photography, these paintings of the Catskills, the White Mountains of New Hampshire and the Adirondacks proved magical when shown in New York; the resulting boom in tourism eventually meant train tracks were laid as far north as points near Lake Placid.

Bierstadt was also the first painter to show the American West and the amazing mountains of Yosemite. He traveled west with military surveyors and would do small plein air sketches on location, then return home to paint giant canvases that were later displayed in a theater by candlelight, with the curtains opening a little at a time as the artist described what he had seen.

“Artist colonies” popped up across America, such as Old Lyme, Connecticut; the White Mountains of New Hampshire; Central Indiana; Santa Fe and Taos, New Mexico; the Catskill and Adirondack Mountains; Woodstock, New York; New Hope and Bucks County, Pennsylvania; Carmel-by-the-Sea, California; and of course Cape Ann and the surrounding communities. Each of these communities had a handful of painters going outdoors. Today’s plein air movement was birthed by these groups, but it failed to become more widely popular, and ultimately the practice was carried on by very few.

In 1986, Denise Burns founded the Plein Air Painters of America, a small group of artists dedicated to painting from life, on Catalina Island, California. This group attracted the best of the few practicing outdoor painters, and those painters created visibility for the group, doing shows and workshops.

In 2004, the original PleinAir Magazine was launched. However, the magazine struggled due to lack of interest in plein air among advertisers, art materials companies and galleries. At the time there were just a few events nationwide focused on plein air painting. I was forced to either close the magazine or change the name and hope a new market would support it. That decision resulted in the founding of Fine Art Connoisseur magazine.

Though subscriptions were low, the subscribers who lost their PleinAir Magazine were angry and vocal, and, as its founder and a plein air painter myself, I was frustrated that advertiser support was lacking. Finally, in WWW.CAPEANNPLEINAIR.COM

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2011 I decided to bring it back, and, alongside the relaunched magazine, to launch the Plein Air Convention & Expo. The timing could not have been more perfect. We sold thousands of subscriptions and found new support from advertisers, many of whom had come to realize that plein air painters are often affluent retired baby boomers with income, savings and the desire to collect paintings. Gallery and artist advertising began to boom.

The magazine also began coaching communities that were expressing interest in plein air events. There are well over 300 plein air events today. This explosion made more people aware of plein air painting, and in a few short years turned hundreds of people into collectors of plein air paintings.

Seeing it fueled by the Plein Air Convention and by an increasing number of workshops and other events, I began to call plein air painting “the new golf,” and to seek more ways to expand its reach.

I call plein air painting the new golf because it attracts people who love to be outdoors, who want a non-strenuous activity they can do well into their senior years, who love to be mentally challenged and who can be very social—like golf, painting can be done with friends. Add in traveling to beautiful places to paint, the creative outlet and even the possibility of some additional retirement income, and you have a blossoming movement.With the Plein Air Force initiative, the magazine has enlisted hundreds of painters to teach. Our PaintOutside.com website leads people to free online lessons.

These things, plus the PleinAir Podcast, have resulted in an explosion of interest.

What’s magical is that you don’t need to be an artist to be a part of this community.

Eric Rhoads, plein air painting.

You simply need to show up, express a love for art, perhaps purchase some paintings and of course interact with the artists. Many people have fallen in love with the idea of plein air painting at a local event and now meet up with new friends as they follow painters and events nationwide.

Today, almost 15 years since the founding of the magazine, we are experiencing what Jean Stern, art historian and director of the Irvine Museum, has called “the largest movement in the history of art.” Thousands of painters are painting together on painting holidays, at the Plein Air Convention and the Publisher’s Invitational painters’ retreats, and more plein air events. Most are hobbyists, others have turned pro, but all are happier as a result of embracing the lifestyle. And thankfully, the movement is seeing a surge of younger people joining in.

This is indeed an exciting moment in art history, to think that events are taking place all around the world to bring painters and communities together through something they share: a passion for beautiful artworks painted outdoors on location, en plein air.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: B. Eric Rhoads is founder and publisher of PleinAir Magazine, Fine Art Connoisseur, Plein Air Today, Fine Art Today, Artists on Art, American Watercolor Weekly, Artists on Art Weekly, the Plein Air Convention & Expo, the PleinAir Salon Art Competition and the Figurative Art Convention & Expo as well as Streamline Art Video. He has been painting for over 20 years. He is the chairman of Streamline Publishing, one of America’s fastest-growing companies (Inc. Magazine) three years in a row. Rhoads teaches art marketing and is the author of the Amazon No. 1 Best Seller Make More Money Selling Your Art. He resides in Austin, Texas.

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PARTNER PROFILES

Rockport Art Association & Museum

I

n the late 18th and 19th centuries, artists began frequenting the shores of Cape Ann, mesmerized by the quality of light and the endless subject matter to be found. In 1921, a group led by Aldro T. Hibbard banded together to form an organization to celebrate and support the growing numbers of artists in and around Rockport. Thus was born the Rockport Art Association. With an active and enthusiastic membership, the group purchased the Old Tavern Building at 12 Main Street. This venerable old property included two large barns that provided gallery and function space, barns that have hosted thousands of exhibitions, demonstrations, classes and social events to this day. As years passed, the RAA assembled an extensive collection of Cape Ann art. Our permanent museum collection represents one of the best and most extensive groupings of the works of Cape Ann artists. As the organization has matured, its membership has broadened beyond “traditional” painting to include other artistic mediums. RAA&M members now include photographers, mixed media artists and the recently popular “experimental” artists.

N

North Shore Arts Association

orth Shore Arts Association (NSAA), a 501(c) (3) non-profit, is a community of artists, art patrons and art lovers, whose mission and goals are deeply rooted in Cape Ann’s cultural history.

The peculiar luminosity of the light falling on the water and rocky shores of Cape Ann has attracted such artists as Winslow Homer, Fitz Henry Lane and Edward Hopper. In 1922 the flourishing art colony organized as the North Shore Arts Association of Gloucester and acquired an old warehouse on Pirates Lane, its current and only home, and it is one of Gloucester harbor’s most prominent landmarks.

NSAA provides artists with a place to meet, display and refine their art, and to make the appreciation of fine art accessible to all. The Association hosts numerous exhibits of work by members and retrospectives of works by distinguished deceased members. These retrospectives are major curatorial efforts that bring together works from a multitude of private collections and museums, providing a significant contribution to the history of American art.

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PARTNER PROFILES

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Rocky Neck Art Colony

ituated on a peninsula within Gloucester’s working harbor, Rocky Neck is known for its exceptional geographic beauty, its penetrating light, a rich cultural history and a spirited, committed and supportive community. Notable plein air artists including Winslow Homer, Edward Hopper, Frank Duveneck and Childe Hassam lived and worked on Rocky Neck in the 19th and early 20th centuries, inspiring the Cape Ann style of American Impressionism, a critically important contribution to American art history. Alongside these were modernists Stuart Davis, Milton Avery, Adolph Gottlieb, Nell Blaine and Mark Rothko, who came to Cape Ann to paint the landscape and working waterfront. Today, dozens of working artists display their work in Rocky Neck galleries year-round. In 2012 the Rocky Neck Art Colony, a nonprofit arts and advocacy organization, purchased an historic church on Wonson Street and now operates the building as a contemporary art gallery and community Cultural Center. Its mission and programming serve an ever-widening audience of artists, art patrons, community partners and visitors to Rocky Neck.

T

Essex Historical Society and Shipbuilding Museum

he Essex Historical Society and Shipbuilding Museum is nestled on the Essex River basin in Essex, MA. Its mission is to provide a center for education, preservation, and study of traditional wooden shipbuilding in the community that sustained it for more than 350 years. The EHSSM embraces a vision that encompasses the skills, creativity and connectedness to the environment of the Essex shipbuilders, to serve as a valuable model for us today. With peaceful yet breath-taking views that change with the tides, our location is a sought-after location for artists from all over the country. Our educational programs include hands-on, interpretive lessons in the traditional crafts connected with boat building for groups of all ages, as well as workshops in photography and blacksmithing. The EHSSM offers regular lectures and presentations from historians, boat-builders and authors; it also offers an artist membership. The Museum is located at 66 Main Street, Essex, MA. www.essexshipbuilding.org.

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LoveCapeAnn.com CAPE ANN MUSEUM ART HISTORY CULTURE

Welcome Plein Air Painters & Patrons!

The Cape Ann Museum celebrates the area’s long and important arts tradition, exhibiting works by nationally significant Cape Ann artists from the 19th century to the present.

We hope you enjoy your stay—and please make time to see the special exhibition Harrison Cady: View from the Headlands— you’ll be glad you did!

27 Pleasant Street Gloucester, MA capeannmuseum.org Harrison Cady, Essex Shipyard [detail], 1920s, oil board. The James Collection, promised gift to the Cape Ann Museum.

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7/3/18 1:06 PM

Artist Index Hui Lai Chong (Competition Juror)....... 22 Donald Demers (Awards Judge)........... 23 Jacob Aguiar.............................................. 24 Ebrahim Amin............................................. 25 Olena Babak.............................................. 26 Mitch Baird................................................. 27 David Bareford.......................................... 28 Beth Bathe................................................. 29 Joshua Been............................................... 30 Zufar Bikbov............................................... 31 Lon Brauer.................................................. 32 Jay Brooks.................................................. 33 Alan Bull...................................................... 34 John Caggiano........................................... 35 Valerie Craig............................................... 36 Lisa Egeli..................................................... 37 Marc Grandbois........................................ 38 John Guernsey........................................... 39 Ray Hassard............................................... 40 Kathleen B. Hudson................................. 41 Neal Hughes.............................................. 42 Eric Jacobsen............................................. 43 Ken Karlic.................................................... 44 Tim Kelly...................................................... 45 Thomas Kitts.............................................. 46 Ken Knowles.............................................. 47 Kirk Larsen.................................................. 48 Patrick Lee.................................................. 49 Georganna Lenssen................................. 50 David Lussier............................................. 51 Alison Leigh Menke.................................. 52 Ned Mueller................................................ 53 Elise Phillips............................................... 54 William Rogers.......................................... 55 Irina Rybakova............................................ 56 Mark Shasha.............................................. 57 Chad Smith................................................ 58 Richard Russell Sneary........................... 59 Susiehyer.................................................... 60 Gary Tucker................................................ 61 George Van Hook..................................... 62 Tara Will....................................................... 63

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COMPETITION JUROR PROFILE

Hiu Lai Chong

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iu Lai Chong is an oil painter who uses vivid colors and sensitive brushstrokes to express mood and feeling in her subjects. She received her early art training in Hong Kong, and a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago.

Currently living in Rockville, Maryland, she has participated in many plein air events and museum exhibitions around the country. She has won numerous

awards including Plein Air Easton Grand Prize and Artist’s Choice Awards, Laguna Plein Air Collector’s Choice Award, Maui Plein Air Best in Show, San Angelo Museum of Fine Arts Museum Purchase Award, Fine Art Connoisseur Magazine and Southwest Art Magazine’s awards for the “Artist for the New Century” National Exhibition at The Bennington Art Center, and the Portrait Society of America’s International Portrait Competition Certificate of Excellence.

www.hiulaichong.com 22 CAPE ANN PLEIN AIR 2018

AWARDS JUDGE PROFILE

Donald Demers

D

onald Demers is considered to be one of the finest marine and landscape painters in America.

The exemplary level of Don’s paintings has placed them in some of the most prestigious public and private collections in the country. Don Demers is a highly soughtafter instructor and his teaching has taken him around the United States and Europe. His work as an illustrator has been honored four times in the annual exhibition of the Society of Illustrators.

Don’s marine paintings have garnered

him a record 21 awards at the Mystic International Marine Exhibition, including the prestigious Rudolph J. Schaefer Award.

He has received awards for his landscape painting from the Joan Irving Museum in Irvine, California, the Laguna Plein Air Invitational and from The Guild of Boston Artists. Don is a Fellow of the American Society of Marine Artists, an elected member of the Guild of Boston Artists, a Signature member of the Plein Air Painters of America, an elected member of the Salmagundi Club and an elected member of the California Art Club.

www.donalddemers.com

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ARTIST PROFILE

Jacob Aguiar Scarborough, ME

J

acob Aguiar is a native Midwesterner, but has fallen in love with the landscapes and people of New England. A naturopathic doctor by training, Jacob balances his medical practice with his passion for painting the New England landscape. Whether it’s sun-struck marshes, rocky coasts or fall foliage, Jacob can often be found close to home painting the landscapes he knows so well.

He has won several international awards including the Award of Excellence (second place overall) in the 2018 Pastel 100, third place overall in the 2017 Annual Plein Air Salon, and first place in the 2017 UART Pastel Paper Online Exhibition. He has been featured in a number of publications, including Southwest Art, PleinAir Magazine, American Art Collector and the Pastel Journal.

A traveler at heart, he enjoys visiting new areas and teaching workshops throughout the country and internationally. You can find more of his work by searching for him on Facebook, Instagram, at www.jacobaguiar.com or by visiting one of his galleries. see more work at tk.com 24 CAPE ANN PLEIN AIR 2018

ARTIST PROFILE

Ebrahim Amin Laguna Beach, CA

“T

he importance of color values and brush strokes… continues to influence his paintings, whether the subject is a figure or a seascape.” “Artists to Watch,” Southwest Art Magazine, June 2002. The joy of painting came to Ebrahim at the early age of 13 when he started exploring nearby galleries and exhibitions in Tehran, Iran. He sensed strong artistic talents awaken within him. From Iran to Munich, Ebrahim was elevated to the level of Signature Member at the prestigious Oil Painters of America (OPA) and Laguna Plein Air Painters Association (LPAPA). “My portfolio features realistic still lifes, impressionistic landscapes and dream-like modern paintings. Each piece impatiently waits to tell a different story. In my newest projects I want to let my viewers experience a unique and innovative painting style. In fact, I’m working on a seamless blend of the fading traditions of the ancient masters with progressive modern plein air practices. It’s beginning to produce very exciting results. How to create a good work of art? Gratefully borrow an idea from nature, patiently nurture it with skill and experience, and finally touch it with my soul...a way other than this, I do not know.”

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ARTIST PROFILE

Olena Babak Hartland, ME

O

lena Babak is an award-winning, classically trained artist, whose landscapes and figurative works can be found in galleries, public and private collections in the U.S. and abroad. Some of her selected awards: Best Marine, Cape Ann Plein Air; Artist’s Choice, Plein Air Richmond; First Place, Quick Draw & People’s Choice Award, Finger Lakes Plein Air; Best Representation of Rockies National Park; First Place, Boothbay Plein Air; and others. Her work has been featured in the Strokes of Genius series, Poets and Artists: 100 Great Drawings and the Classicist as well as PleinAir Magazine.

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ARTIST PROFILE

Mitch Baird Mesa, AZ

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s a representational painter Mitch believes that painting is a celebration of life and the beauty that surrounds us. He is devoted to the traditions of the late 19th century artists who looked to the figure and nature for inspiration regarding light, color and design. Seeking out this inspiration, Mitch works directly from life to capture the qualities and nuances of natural light and color harmony. He has a strong conviction that great artistic communication depends on good draftsmanship, design and vision. His artistic desire is to “portray a positive visual statement and hope the viewer will experience what I see and in some sense be inspired, uplifted or moved by my painting, whether it is of a small, intimate setting or a grandiose subject.�

Mitch resides in the desert southwest in Mesa, Arizona. He is a Signature Member of the Oil Painters of America, the American Impressionist Society and the prestigious Plein Air Painters of America (PAPA). see more work at mitchbaird.com

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David Bareford Stonington, CT

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avid Bareford is an award-winning artist based in Stonington, Connecticut for the last 30 years. His landscape and marine paintings are placed in major collections both at home and internationally. David is a Fellow of the American Society of Marine Artists, the Copley Society of Art in Boston and Allied Artists of America. See David’s work at www.DavidBareford.com.

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Beth Bathe Lancaster, PA

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eth Bathe is an artist residing in Lancaster, PA. After a long career as a graphic designer, Beth now pursues painting full time. Primarily painting in oil en plein air since 2013 she participates in high profile competitions from Maine to Washington State, for a total of 10 competitions in 2018 alone. Her paintings have won numerous awards and honors and she is a featured artist in the 2018 February/March issue of PleinAir Magazine.

Beth’s painting style is unique, looking somewhat like a watercolor—or is it an oil painting? She uses Cobra Water Mixable Oil Colors in thin washes with a limited tonalist palette, using unconventional tools such as squeegees and Q-tips along with her brushes. Her representational paintings have been described by critics as evoking nostalgia, like that of an old sepia-toned photograph, often with just touches of color.

She is highly influenced by painter Andrew Wyeth, and her subject matter is often what she refers to as the “vanishing landscape,” finding beauty in buildings, barns and old towns of a time gone by and often beyond their prime. Beth paints primarily on location to catch her subject at a specific time, especially when the light and shadows play on the surface to create drama and emotion. see more work at www.southstreetartgallery.com

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ARTIST PROFILE

Joshua Been Salida, CO

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he style I paint in is known as Impressionistic Realism. It’s a versatile yet challenging mode of expression through which the poetry of a subject is preserved and paramount. To find eternal balance in the elegant dance of light and form is my highest inspiration.

Through the congruence of our visual vocabulary and shared human experience, I am able to imply detail without overstating it. Through my work, I hope to remind and inspire others to take time to see just how amazing his existence is. Enjoy.”

Joshua Been is no stranger to outdoor adventures. A family life of camping, hunting and individual sport pursuits like windsurfing, rock climbing and snowboarding help cultivate his appreciation for the natural world. Drawing since he could manage a pencil, he was captivated by animation and cartooning. This interest remained with him throughout high school and an active duty enlistment in the U.S. Army. Been went on to pursue his B.A. in Fine Art at Fort Lewis College Colorado. Following graduation, he relocated to the Los Angeles area where he worked in the entertainment industry as a Character Animator and Visual Development Artist. Cartoon Network and Disney TV were some of the studios where he found work.

While simplifying his life in order to pursue the more nomadic life of a painter, Been moved back to his native land in Colorado. With each life fork strengthening the desire for further study from the source, he now lives and paints in Salida, a place known as the “Heart of the Rockies.”

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Zufar Bikbov Oakville, CT

“I

love to work with oils, which allow me to be flexible and deeply expressive. Graduating from the classic realism approach I learned in art school, I later experimented through the years. As any other creative human being, I am constantly in the process of searching for ways of expression on canvas, true to myself, based on things essential to life and human experience. Comparing medicine and art, the latter gives me the chance to create—to feel the world and feel it in myself.

And I always wish we all remember—life is such a special treasure.

“My love of painting has been instrumental in shaping the direction of my life. It gave me my wife, a talented music teacher and singer; best friends; and a sense of the endless way of growth and perfection. Because of the presence of medicine in my life, I have a very special feeling about nature and all that lives in the human soul. It is reflected in my mind and created in my art.

“A native of Russia, raised on the green banks of the Volga River valley, I found New England’s landscape magnetizing with its ocean tides, mountain slopes and magnificent fall colors. My main idea of creating art is sharing the beauty which surrounds us, so we could stop for a moment and feel grateful for what we have. My other passion is to teach people to paint, helping them to see as an artist and enjoy their own dormant talent.”

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ARTIST PROFILE

Lon Brauer Granite City, IL

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on Brauer is an American artist known for his work in figure and plein air landscape. Born in 1955 and coming of age in the ’70s, he has roots in the abstract expressionist movement. His work is a mix of the abstract and representational, bringing an impressionistic use of paint and materials to create images that challenge the viewer with new perspectives on the landscape genre.

Lon shows his work nationally. He presents numerous workshops on painting techniques and alternative methods. He lives and works with his partner, quillwork artist Djuana Tucker, and owns Lon Brauer Studios in Granite City, Illinois.

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Jay Brooks Callicoon, NY

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rowing up on 90 acres of farmland in Pavilion, NY, Jay Brooks has always had the landscape as an integral part of his life and art. At the young age of 14, Brooks began painting under the classical apprenticeship of John Piesley and the plein air instruction of Charles Movalli, a disciple of the late Emile Gruppe. Brooks was also introduced to the pre-impressionist styles of Corot, George Inness and Asher B. Durand. Brooks received his B.F.A. from Carnegie-Mellon University and his M.F.A. from Columbia University. Being removed from his familiar surroundings, Brooks painted the industrial environments of Pittsburgh and New York City.

After teaching art in New York City, Brooks moved back to upstate NY in 1993.

His paintings include depictions of the New England shore to the countryside and small towns of upstate New York. He is currently showing at the River Gallery in Narrowsburg, NY, and the Maresella Gallery in Skaneateles, NY. Brooks has also shown regularly in New York City; Lambertville, NJ; Cody, Wyoming; Rochester, NY; and Sullivan County, NY. Teaching art has also been a big part of Brooks’ life. He has been an art instructor at the high school in Monticello, NY for the last 20 years. Brooks would like to pass the torch of art to his students so they can keep the tradition of painting and drawing alive.

Brooks’ work is displayed in many corporate and national collections, and private collections as well. Brooks was also published in the February 2004 issue of American Artist Magazine. To see Jay’s work, visit www.jaybrooksartist.com.

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ARTIST PROFILE

Alan Bull Newburyport, MA

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lan Bull is an artist, teacher and illustrator based in Newburyport, Massachusetts. Originally from Old Town, Maine, Alan received his B.F.A. from the Philadelphia College of Art and his work is in numerous public and private collections. His paintings have appeared in the Martha Blog, Houzz, Architectural Digest, The Boston Globe, The New York Times, House Beautiful and many other publications. See Alan’s work at www.alanbull.com.

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John Caggiano Rockport, MA

“I

have been painting for 53 years and a professional artist for 38. Art has always been in my blood, although I did flirt with the idea of pursuing a career in law. After escaping this fate, I began to work tirelessly in my pursuit of perfecting the art of painting. In 1980 I moved to Rockport, Massachusetts and opened a gallery on Bearskin Neck that is still in operation. I participate in a dozen national plein air events every year where I have been fortunate to receive professional recognition in the form of awards, sales, but most of all lifelong friendships.

“Among my recent recognitions are Third Place in Quick Draw, Easton Plein Air; Best of Show: Paint the Town for a Cause and Third Place in Solomons Island Plein Air; Artist Choice Award: Finger Lakes Plein Air; Alden Bryan Gold Medal—Best of Show: “Land and Light” show at Bryan Memorial Gallery; Alden Bryan Award: Academic Artists Association National Juried Exhibition, Guerrilla Painters Award: Wayne Plein Air; Texas Ranchland Award, En Plein Air Texas: Award of Merit, Plein Air Southwest, Texas. Featured artist article in PleinAir Magazine and online feature in OutdoorPainter.com, plus additional photo features in both PleinAir and Art Connoisseur magazines. Elected Artist Member: Academic Artists, Hudson Valley Art, North Shore Arts, Lyme Art and Rockport art associations and Signature Member of American Society of Marine Artists. Associate Member: American Impressionist Society, Oil Painters of America, Outdoor Painters Society. Interesting Fact: I was an extra (supernumerary) in New York City Opera. Now my greatest joy is painting with friends and colleagues who live and breathe art.”

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ARTIST PROFILE

Valerie Craig St. David’s, PA

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alerie Craig has drawn and painted nearly all of her life. Known for her impressionist approach to color and light, Craig’s subject matter includes urban and rural landscapes as well as intimate still life paintings and figures within a landscape.

In 1998, Craig left her career in nursing administration to pursue her passion for painting on a full-time basis. She feels that her best expressions happen when she is on location and can directly sense the mood and atmosphere of a particular scene. Whether painting vast open areas or intimate spaces, she finds that capturing light and color is best accomplished through close observation and careful study. “I feel I am most successful when my paintings evoke an emotional response in the viewer.”

Valerie juried the 2016 Solomons Plein Air Festival. In 2017, she juried the Floyd, Virginia Plein Air event and was a juror in Ireland’s Art in the Open Festival. Valerie enjoys teaching landscape painting workshops in the U.S. and in Ireland.

Recent honors include Juror’s Award, 2016 Wayne Plein Air Festival; Award of Distinction, American Impressionists’ Society 2014 National Show; Silver Prize, 2014 Ireland’s Art in the Open; Grand Prize in the 2013 American Women Online Juried Competition; Best in Show in the 2011 and 2008 Wayne Plein Air Competition; Second Place in 2013 Wayne Plein Air; Second Place in 2011 Plein Air Easton; Artists’ Choice Award in 2010 Plein Air Easton; First Place 2009 Wayne Plein Air Festival; and Second Place, 2009 American Women Artists’ Show. see more work at www.southstreetartgallery.com 36 CAPE ANN PLEIN AIR 2018

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Lisa Egeli Churchton, MD

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isa Egeli has traveled and painted on location around the world and has been featured in Fine Art Connoisseur Magazine as one of “Today’s Masters.” She is a third-generation artist in a family of artists, and her formal training was at Chicago’s American Academy of Art. Lisa is Vice President and a Fellow in American Society of Marine Artists, a Signature Member of Society of Animal Artists and member of both the century-old Salmagundi Club in NYC and the Washington Society of Landscape Painters. During a career as a professional artist she has been a passionate observer of nature, and her paintings are exhibited and collected internationally.

see more work at www.southstreetartgallery.com

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ARTIST PROFILE

Marc Grandbois L’Anse-St-Jean, Quebec

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resident of L’Anse Saint-Jean in Quebec, Marc Grandbois began painting at a very young age alongside his mother who was also a painter. He completed his fine arts degree at Concordia University in 1991 and rapidly gained notoriety as a watercolor painter between 1992 and 2002, as well as teaching painting and drawing. He has also participated in numerous painting events and exhibitions throughout Quebec and the United States.

In 2010, he left the Mauricie region for the Saguenay. The exceptional beauty of the landscape and the unique environment of the fjord motivated this decision and triggered a return to his first passion—painting. The Nordic landscape has always been a source of inspiration. His work is characterized by beautiful atmospheric qualities and expressionistic casual brushstrokes with rich colours. His palette, sometimes subtle, moves towards a fauvism approach and adjusts to suit the ambiences he wants to create. “I firmly believe that figurative art, especially the landscape, remains very current if it transcends the narrative, and in a way becomes a basis for experimenting with gestures, color and light.” Marc Grandbois’s works are found in fine galleries and several collections in Canada and abroad.

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John Guernsey Marietta, GA

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riginally from southern California, contemporary landscape artist John Guernsey now resides in Georgia.

Although known mainly for his plein air work, he is gradually increasing the output of larger studio paintings. His work reveals a keen observance of atmosphere and light and is inspired not only by nature, but by city life and architecture.

Mr. Guernsey maintains a busy schedule of classes and workshops, and regularly participates in nationally ranked plein air festivals throughout the country.

Some of his recent plein air awards include Best of Show, Los Gatos, CA, 2017 and 2014; Best of Show, Richmond, VA, 2013; and awards of excellence at Carmel CA, 2017, 2016 and 2014. He was recently selected as a Master Artist, teaching at the 2018 Plein Air South in Florida. His work is exclusively available at SkyLake Gallery in north Georgia.

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ARTIST PROFILE

Ray Hassard Cincinnati, OH

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ay Hassard was born in Freeport, NY. He studied at Pratt Institute, and moved to Buffalo, NY in 1977 where urban landscapes became his primary theme.

Ray won several commissions, most notably one to create and install a large wall piece for the subway the city was building.

In 1987 he moved to Cincinnati, Ohio, much to his surprise, and decided it was a pretty good place to be. Ray’s main medium is pastel, but he also works in oils, acrylics, and gouache.

Ray is a Signature member of the Cincinnati Art Club and the Pastel Society of America; Mid America Pastel Society has designated him Master Pastelist. He is in the Master Circle of the International Association of Pastel Societies. In 2013 he was Artist-in Residence in Dinan, France for the month of June. He participates in juried plein air competitions often and won top awards in New Harmony, IN; Richmond, VA; and San Angelo, TX. In the last three years he has painted in Plein Air Easton, Wayne PA Plein Air Festival, Mountain Maryland (Cumberland), Bucks County Plein Air, Maui and was awards judge for the first Cape Ann Plein Air event in 2016. He loves painting, gardening, travelling, dancing and rollercoasters, maybe not in that exact order.

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Kathleen Hudson Lexington, KY

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athleen B. Hudson emphasizes dynamic light and atmospherics in her work. She is a Signature Member of the American Society of Marine Artists and a member of the Copley Society of Art in Boston. In 2017, Hudson received the Grand Prize in the Sixth Annual PleinAir Salon for her painting Bright Morning, Timberline Falls.

Hudson moved from her native Kentucky to Boston in 2005 to pursue an undergraduate degree at Harvard University.

During her years in Boston, she came to love the beautiful New England landscape as she painted, studied mountain travel narratives and led backpacking trips for fellow students. She now undertakes several national juried plein air competitions each year. When she’s not outside painting from life, you can find her in the studio creating paintings that highlight the dynamic interplay of light, shadow and atmospherics.

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ARTIST PROFILE

Neal Hughes Moorestown, NJ

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y work is about celebrating the beauty in creation…making a connection between art and nature. I wish to elevate the everyday and ordinary and to bring into focus beauty that might otherwise be missed.”

Neal Hughes is a former illustrator and a graduate of The Philadelphia College of Art (University of the Arts). He has won numerous awards for his paintings, including First Place—Lighthouse Plein Air Festival; Best Plein Air Painting—Plein Air Salon; Award of Excellence from Oil Painters of America; Artists Choice Award—Door County Plein Air Festival; First Place and Artists Choice Award—Plein Air Rockies; First Place—Bath County Plein Air Festival. His work has been featured in PleinAir Magazine, Southwest Art Magazine, American Artist magazine and other publications. Neal is a Fellow of the American Society of Marine Artists, an artist member of the Salmagundi Club and a member of the Mid-Atlantic Plein Air Painters Association.

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Eric Jacobsen Prineville, OR

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wards: 2017 Finalist, Boldbrush, FASO, October; Honorable Mention, Rice Gallery of Fine Art Plein Air Show, Overland Park, KS; Finalist, Boldbrush, FASO, August; Second Place, Pacific NW Plein Air, Maryhill Museum.

Recent exhibitions: 2018 “Double Vision,” Mockingbird Gallery, Bend, OR; Door County Plein Air Festival, Peninsula School of Art Fish Creek, WI; Rice Gallery of Fine Art Plein Air Show, Overland Park, KS; American Impressionist Society Small Works Show, Randy Higbee Gallery, Costa Mesa, CA; Door County Plein Air Festival, Peninsula School of Art, Fish Creek, WI. Magazine articles: “Eric Jacobsen,” Southwest Art Magazine, November 2016.

Affiliations: American Impressionist Society (AIS), Signature Membership Rocky Mountain Plein Air Painters (RMPAP).

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ARTIST PROFILE

Ken Karlic Bel Air, MD

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national award-winning, watercolor artist, Ken Karlic describes his work as “sophisticated chaos.” He is drawn to scenes of complex forms, which he depicts in rich color and fabulous texture. His expressive painting style of creating a beautiful, energetic “mess” has an undeniable sense of urgency and passion. Ken’s paintings are so often about movement: trains on tracks, cars and trucks on highways, industrial conveyors crisscrossing, the sun casting shadows across the face of a building. But movement is also expressed on the paper by the actions of the artist: scrubbing, spraying, dripping and splattering; Ken’s approach is itself as much a part of his work as the subject. Ken Karlic has been published in PleinAir Magazine, Fine Art Today, Plein Air Today, the international magazine The Art of Watercolour, and he has written a step-by-step article for Daniel Smith Watercolors on painting large works.

see more work at www.southstreetartgallery.com 44 CAPE ANN PLEIN AIR 2018

ARTIST PROFILE

Tim Kelly Baltimore, MD

“I

started painting outside in 2007. I began participating in plein air events in 2011. This event in Cape Ann will be my 20th. I’ve sold some paintings, won some awards, but best of all, made some wonderful friends.”

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ARTIST PROFILE

Thomas Kitts Portland, OR

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homas Kitts is inspired by how light plays across his subject and he has devoted most of his life to capturing it in oil. Thomas prefers to work directly from life for its honesty and immediacy, incorporating many alla prima techniques developed by master artists such as Sargent, Sorolla and Zorn.

Thomas is a signature member of the Laguna Beach Plein Air Painters Association, a member of the Oil Painters of America, American Impressionist Society and the California Art Club. He travels extensively and maintains a distinguished exhibition history that includes many professional organizations such as the American Impressionist Society, Oil Painters of America and the Arts for the Parks (Top 100). His work is actively collected throughout North America by private and public insititutions. Over the last 10 years, Thomas has been honored with numerous awards such as Best of Show (Carmel, CA), Best International Artist (Curacao), Artist Choice (Laguna Beach, CA), Hamilton Family Foundation Award (Laguna Beach, CA), First Place (Maryhill Museum, WA) and Best New Artist (Easton, MA) and numerous Honorable Mentions. Thomas has also been featured in several issues of PleinAir Magazine and has been named as an Artist to Watch by The Informed Collector. He is also a multiple Raymar Art and PleinAir Magazine Salon Finalist. Thomas was also a guest lecturer at three Plein Air Convention & Expos in Monterey, CA. Collections include Maryhill Museum of Art, WA; permanent collection, Fleischer Museum, AZ; permanent collection, Kaiser Permanente, OR; permanent collection, Mariott Corporation, CA; permanent collection, Paul Allen Foundation, OR; and many others.

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Ken Knowles Rockport, MA

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en Knowles has been painting in oils for 35 years.

He has won well over 30 awards for his landscape and marine paintings. He began painting at 15 years old, and he has clambered all over New England and the country with his easel since then. The Cape Ann Plein Air event is a great opportunity to meet other artists and enjoy their camaraderie. “My approach to art is to be carrying on where all the great plein air artists of the past left off.�

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ARTIST PROFILE

Kirk Larsen Hicksville, NY

“I

love nature: mountains, sea, sailing, kayaking, hiking, fishing and scuba diving; discovering new places, driving, exploring and I always want to paint what I see. I come alive when painting a scene I’m inspired by. I enjoy plein air competitions for the camaraderie, creativity and continually expanding artistically. The diverse weather, light and conditions reveal new chances to embrace the moment and connect with the land. I enjoy watercolor, acrylics, drawing, photography and oils and stone carving are my favorites. I’m recognized with over 147 awards including best in shows/grand prizes, and many plein air and quick draw awards, also known for my nautical works; a teacher, writer (nominated for Poet Laureate of Nassau County, NY), film and television actor and play blues harp. CAPA 2016 had and continues to have a profound and transformational effect on my art and my life.

I’m particularly honored, excited and grateful to return, as Cape Ann stays with me as I hope it does you. This event is a wonderful gathering of great talent, facilitated by people who share a love for this beautiful region.

“I dedicate my efforts at this event to my dear mother, Sondra ‘Sandee’ Larsen, an artist who always encouraged art in me and many others, and shared her passion for the fine arts and performing arts equally. Mom, thank you. I miss you, I love you.

“When painting, I have the feeling that all is right with the world…”

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Patrick Lee Pittsburgh, PA

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atrick Lee is an award-winning artist whose work has been collected both nationally and internationally. He was the Best in Show winner at the 2017 Wayne Plein Air Festival (Wayne, PA), the Artists’ Choice Award winner at Plein Air Easton’s “Paint Oxford Day” (Oxford/Easton, MD) and the Grand Prize winner at the 2015 Solomons Plein Air Festival (Solomons, MD). His work has been featured in PleinAir and Fine Art Connoisseur magazines. He lives in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania with his wife and son.

see more work at www.southstreetartgallery.com

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ARTIST PROFILE

Georganna Lenssen Honey Brook, PA

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eorganna Lenssen’s paintings are evocative and mysterious in nature; they merge instinct, memory and sensation, creating a visual language of mark-making, color interaction and ultimately a landscape of painted surface.

Her artistic career includes teaching classes at Wayne Art Center in Wayne, PA, and workshops along the East Coast, exhibiting regularly at various galleries including South Street Art Gallery in Easton, MD and Red Raven Art Company in Lancaster, PA. She also competes in plein air events including the prestigious Plein Air Easton and Paint Annapolis. Originally from Seoul, Korea, Georganna studied at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts and Villanova University.

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David Lussier Somersworth, NH

“I

am a painter in the purist sense of the word and my vision for the subject matter is expressive and from the heart.

I have a devoted passion for the landscape as well as a love for the oil medium. For me, the act of painting is a direct dialogue between artist and subject matter, with the end result being an intimate and personal account of a moment in time.”

David A Lussier is a nationally recognized landscape painter whose work has garnered more than 75 awards and is in numerous private and corporate collections throughout the United States. Mr. Lussier is also an official U.S. Open artist for the United States Golf Association. Lussier’s technique is characterized by a masterful use of color harmonies and poetic brushwork that bring his paintings to life. Mr. Lussier has exhibited his work in galleries and various national venues for more than 25 years. He has participated and competed in the top invitational and juried plein air events throughout the U.S. for more than a decade. He has also held outdoor workshops in various parts of the country spanning most of his career.

His annual Monhegan Island workshop, held in Maine, is now in its 19th year. David has recently moved to New Hampshire, where he shares a painting studio with his artist wife Pamela Lussier. His work can be found at the Todd Bonita Gallery, Ogunquit, ME; Landmark Gallery, Kennebunkport, ME; Wiscasset Bay Gallery, Wiscasset, ME; The Wild Radish Gallery, Clinton, NJ; and his own studio at the Salmon Falls Mills in Rollinsford, NH.

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ARTIST PROFILE

Alison Leigh Menke Clarksville, MD

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lison Leigh Menke is a conceptual plein air impressionist. Her subjects depict the natural beauty of light in the landscape, while emphasizing the rich colors our world has to offer. The vast majority of her work is created in open air, often backpacking to remote locations or navigating city sidewalks. Alison loves painting directly from real life and experience. Her approach stresses the importance of expressing a true sense of light and place while showcasing the qualities of oil paint and brushwork. Painting thick and thinking abstract design, she loves to use texture and color to move a viewer around her painting.

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Ned Mueller Renton, WA

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ed is a very accomplished and highly respected artist, having been drawing and painting for over 65 years. He is a designated Master Artist with both the American Impressionist Society and the Oil Painters of America. He is a graduate of the prestigious Art Center School of Design in Los Angeles where, still a student, he also taught drawing classes.

He has participated in many of the major invitational shows in the country, including the Artists of America Show, Great American Artist’s Show, Prix de West Show, Oil Painters of America, Laguna Plein Air Show, Pastel Society of America, The Autry Western Masters Show, The Northwest Rendezvous Show and the annual Plein Air Painters of America Exhibition. He has shown in some of the finest galleries in the country, has won numerous awards and is included in many private fine art collections. He is a Signature Member of the Oil Painters of America, Plein Air Painters of America, California Art Club, Northwest Pastel Society, Puget Sound Group of Northwest Artists and the Northwest Rendezvous Group. He continues to challenge himself to grow as an Artist and with his over 65 years of experience and knowledge he is asked to jury regional and national art shows and he loves to teach and share all of this by teaching classes and workshops regionally, nationally and internationally.

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ARTIST PROFILE

Elise Phillips Elverson, PA

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lise Phillips was born in Wayne, PA into a family with an extensive background in the fine arts. Her great-great-grandfather founded Newman Galleries in Philadelphia in 1865, and today she is the fifth generation of the family involved in the arts. A graduate of the Hussian School of Art in 1983, she was an accomplished illustrator and graphic designer with many successful commissions in the business community. With an inherent passion for painting, she enrolled at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts in Philadelphia, emerging well-schooled in the tradition of the Academy.

For many years, Elise has maintained a studio in Elverson, PA, where the bucolic countryside is a source of inspiration for many of her paintings, as is the Jersey Shore, Martha’s Vineyard, Nantucket, the coast of Maine and the Eastern Shore of Maryland, where she is a frequent visitor. An award-winning exhibitor, she is a signature member of the Philadelphia Water Color Society, a member of the Philadelphia Sketch Club, Oil Painters of America and the Mid-Atlantic Plein Air Painters. Sonoma Plein Air, Sonoma, CA, 2017; American Impressionist Society Show, Montgomery Lee Fine Art, Park City, UT; “Going Places,” Kneeland Gallery, Ketchum, ID.

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William Rogers Antigonish, NS

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illiam Rogers is a multi-media artist who is a signature member of CSPWC (Canadian Society of Painters in Water Colour), TWSA (Transparent Watercolor Society of America) and SCA (Société Canadienne de l’Aquarelle). He has been the recipient of many awards from these societies, including the AJ Casson Medal from the CSPWC. Bill also has been juried into many plein air competitions all over the U.S., Canada and beyond; he has won numerous awards including Second Prize from Mountain Maryland Plein Air in 2016 and an Award of Excellence from the Oil Painters of America Salon Show in 2016. His work has been published in numerous books and magazines, including “Splash,” “Strokes of Genius,” Southwest Art Magazine, PleinAir Magazine, Fine Art Connoisseur, among others. In 2014 Bill served as Royal Tour Artist for HRH Prince Charles and many of these works are in HRH’s private collection.

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Irina Rybakova Kostroma, Russia

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orn in Kostroma, Russia, Irina Rybakova is a well-known master of landscape and genre painting. Her hometown is the village known as Akademichka, base of summer school of Repin’s Academy of Art (St. Petersburg, Russia). The world of the Russian village, the image of a simple rural worker—these subjects are the closest to her heart, and she devotes her talent to tell the world about them. Works of this artist are a song of love to Russian nature, to “my little hometown,” to the roots of Russian character and culture. No wonder her work was widely recognized by colleagues, specialists in Russia, Europe and overseas. She participated in numerous plein air events in a number of countries from the U.S. to Japan, and has a great range of awards, from certificates of local events to the level of national awards from the government. By the president of Russia, she was given the title of Honored Artist of the Russian Federation.

Irina Rybakova actively promotes the modern realistic painting school in the media, appearing on television and in periodicals. She is one of the leaders of the International Plein Air collaborative project between the U.S. and Russia, started in 2013 to connect the cultures of these two great nations.

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Mark Shasha Swampscott, MA

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ark Shasha’s award-winning work has been seen in museums, galleries, books and other publications for almost 40 years. Millions have read his children’s books, which he has written and illustrated, and his paintings and prints are found in collections around the world.

Mark graduated from RISD in 1983 with a love of drawing and storytelling. Today his subjects are the light and textures of nature which he approaches in a traditional style, blending techniques of 19th and 20th century masters. His work frequently takes him around the country where he teaches and studies with similarly dedicated artists.

Shasha’s work in the arts is not limited to the canvas. He often appears on stage as an actor and singer. He has played dozens of roles from Caesar to Willy Wonka.

Mark is a member of The Guild of Boston Artists, The Copley Society and Rockport Art Association and Museum and other venerable art institutions where his work can be seen in most exhibitions. Mark Shasha is represented by Bonnie Crane of Magnolia, MA and a few select galleries.

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Chad Smith New Hartford, NY

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had Smith grew up in rural Indiana developing an unshakeable appreciation for the outdoors. Inspired by the specificity of light and weather conditions found outdoors, the artist devotes himself to the pursuit of painting en plein air. Smith participates in plein air events across the country, winning Best of Show honors in the Finger Lakes Plein Air Festival, Upstate Invitational and various other awards. Chad has enjoyed multiple solo and group exhibitions and holds an M.F.A. in painting from the Academy of Art University. Smith is currently represented in Naples, FL; Hillsboro, NC; and Saratoga and Old Forge, NY.

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ARTIST PROFILE

Richard Sneary Kansas City, MO

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started painting as a watercolorist, primarily en plein air, in 2011, after nearly 40 years as an architectural illustrator and architect. I’ve been drawing since I was 5 or 6 years old. Dogs and horses at first, later cars, planes, etc., and then buildings, which I still do today. Architecture was my first love, and has formed the foundation of my understanding of design, composition, freehand drawing, perspective, the built, the natural environment and many other aspects of my professional growth.

I became interested in plein air painting in the late ’90s when myself and 50–100 architectural illustrators would spend Saturdays at our annual conventions drawing or painting outside in some great places like San Francisco, Boston, Yellowstone and other venues, and although I only got to do it once or twice a year, it piqued my interest.

“I am a Signature Member of the National Watercolor Society, Missouri Watercolor Society, Outdoor Painters Society, President Emeritus of The American Society of Architectural Illustrators (ASAI) and Artist Faculty at the 2016 Plein Air Convention & Expo in Tucson, AZ. “Recent awards include Shadows-on-the-Teche, Second Place; Cape Ann Plein Air Neptune Harvest Award; Solomon Plein Air, Honorable Mention, Third Place Sunset Quick Draw and Honorable Mention; Paint The Pennisula, Best Architecture, Best Waterscape and Peoples Choice Third Place; Plein Air Easton, Best Architecture, Historic Preservation, Best Use of Light and Honorable Mention; and many, many more. I am currently represented by Charles Fine Arts, Gloucester, MA; Strecker-Nelson Gallery in Manhattan, KS; and McBride Gallery in Annapolis, MD.”

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ARTIST PROFILE

Susiehyer Evergreen, CO

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ttending art curriculums at Moravian College, The Baum School of Art, the University of West Florida, and the Art Students League of Denver, I continue to study and am always looking to expand my repertoire and abilities. I love the challenge of experimenting and pushing myself in new directions artistically, working from sketches, field studies and photos in the studio. Just as much, however, I am blessed to be able to travel in order to study and paint directly from nature.

The American Southwest landscape and subject matter is a particular favorite. Working as a professional artist since 1976, I have been extremely fortunate to have been the recipient of a number of scholarships, grants and awards, and was recently honored to become a signature member of Oil Painters of America. My work has been featured in a number of books, magazines and at my galleries. My home, studio, and multiple gardens, are in Evergreen, CO, where I live with my husband, sometimes one or two grown children, dog, cat, numerous elk, deer and other (large) wildlife who graze outside my windows…and occasionally walk into the studio.” Website: www.susiehyerstudio.com. see more work at www.thegalleryatroundtop.com 60 CAPE ANN PLEIN AIR 2018

ARTIST PROFILE

Gary Tucker Boston, MA

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hrough the media of watercolor and my process of painting I find power through brushwork, and subtlety through transparency. Watercolor differs from other media in that there is a performance aspect to it.

The fine pieces come out in one sitting and very often like a classic performance, something happens, a fusion of mind and subject, an improvisation that cannot be duplicated.

“To communicate through any media we need to understand how to employ our craft. We learn this through immersion. We study nature, we look to the great art of our predecessors, we train our eyes, our ears, our mind and our heart to become more perceptive and more sensitive that we may say something more. A good teacher will emphasize the fundamentals until the student becomes the artist. The fundamentals are constant through every culture, every medium and every masterpiece.”

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ARTIST PROFILE

George Van Hook Cambridge, NY

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eorge Van Hook was born and raised in Abington, PA, a northern suburb of Philadelphia. He began painting very early and was able to participate in the vibrant artistic culture of the region. George has spent many summers painting coastal New England, especially mid-coast Maine and North Haven Island where his wife’s family owned property adjacent to the famous Boston artist Frank Benson. Van Hook thinks of his paintings as primarily a visual response to the selected environment, be it landscape, figure or still life.

“I want the color to be beautiful and the drawing firm and secure,” he says. “The paintings are a marriage of external and internal forces. What emerges on the canvas should be a reflection of both the beauty of the world and the artist’s most inner response.”

Van Hook, a nationally recognized artist, has won numerous plein air competitions and awards from around the country for his oils and watercolors. George teaches plein air workshops around the country. Please visit his website at georgevanhookfineartist.com.

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ARTIST PROFILE

Tara Will Hampstead, MD

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ara Will grew up watching the creative hands of her grandmother, and had a love of creating from a young age. She attended Mount Saint Mary’s University in Maryland, double majoring in art and philosophy. She started plein air painting about five years ago, going to quickdraws and hoping one day to be on the “juried side” of these events she loved so much. She has since participated in several national plein air competitions painting from East Coast to West. Tara enjoys painting quickly, trying to capture the essence of the space using bold colors and strong marks. She predominantly works in pastels, but occasionally ventures into oils. In 2017, she achieved her Master Circle Status with the International Association of Pastel Societies. She is a Signature Member of Maryland Pastel Society and an Associate Member of Pastel Society of America. Tara has been featured in the Pastel Journal Magazine’s Pastel 100 in both 2017 and 2018. Tara recently exhibited work at the Mall Galleries in London for the annual Pastel Society of the U.K. juried exhibition. She had a successful year in Wayne last year, winning third place and is looking forward to painting this beautiful landscape again. She currently resides in Maryland with her husband and four small children.

WWW.CAPEANNPLEINAIR.COM

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