Cape Ann Plein Air 2023

Acknowledgments & Thanks

Welcome

to Cape Ann Plein Air 2023!

Our Plein Air competition is an unique opportunity for 38 nationally recognized Master Painters to paint for a week, vying for over $20,000 in awards. Our area has long been a destination for artists. We view this event as an opportunity for all of Greater 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. Most importantly, we celebrate these amazing artists from all over the world as they paint to compete for prestigious prizes and awards. And all the paintings they create will be for sale at the Gala!

We have tremendous support from the following sponsors, whose generosity and commitment to the arts made this year a reality: Master ($10K+) Glen T McLeod Cape Ann YMCA; Curator ($5K+) Applied Materials, Bazel General Contracting, Beauport Hospitality; Apprentice ($1K+) Cape Ann Savings Bank, BankGloucester, Leslie Ray Insurance, Building Center, Gloucester 400+ and M+T Bank. Our artist awards totaling more than $20K are made possible by the very generous donations from local businesses and our many patrons of the arts. Prize award money goes directly to the artists.

An important aspect of attracting competing and juried artists who travel from all over the United States 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. Many thanks!

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 Week 2023 possible. Thank you for your enthusiasm and participation on every level.

Plein air painting is alive and well in Greater Cape Ann and can be witnessed as you browse through the many art galleries in all five communities. We applaud the patrons of the arts! It’s because of you that the legacy lives on. Never stop investing in art!

Please visit CapeAnnPleinAir.org for news about the week, including a full calendar of events throughout the week.

Susan Gould Coviello, Executive Director Michael Storella, CAPA President 2023

Cape Ann Plein Air 2023 Partners

Hammond Castle

Crane Castle

Sharksmouth Estate

Greater Cape Ann Chamber of Commerce

Cape Ann Art Haven

Rocky Neck Art Colony

North Shore Arts Association

Rockport Art Association and Museum

Essex Historical Society and Shipbuilding Museum

Cape Ann Cultural Districts

The Communities of Greater Cape Ann

Supporters & Sponsors

Painting

ARTIST CHOICE (GREG LaROCK MEMORIAL)

BankGloucester ($1,000)

QUINTESSENTIAL ROCKPORT

Karen Berger ($1,000)

BEST AMERICANA

Awards Sponsors

$500 PRIZE EACH UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED

BEST BEACHES OF CAPE ANN (THE JOAN VAN RODEN MEMORIAL PRIZE)

John and Kathy Connolly

BEST MARINE PAINTING

Leslie Lobel and Eric Timsak

BEST NOCTURNE

Beauport Hospitality

Leslie Lobel and Eric Timsak

BEST SEASCAPE

Kelly Automotive

DAVID CURTIS MEMORIAL AWARD

Mike Storella EVENTIDE

Emerson Inn

IN

EDWARD HOPPER Greater Cape Ann Chamber of Commerce OFF THE BEATEN PATH

Pat and Glenn Alto

THE

Board of Directors

Mike Storella, President

Beth Buckingham, Clerk

Ken Riehl, Treasurer

Pat Alto

Christopher Griffith Traci Thayne-Corbett

Sara Harper

Erika Brown

Susan Levine

Bookkeeper: Marcia Hubbard

Social Media: Memory Layne Creative

Advisory Board

John Caggiano

Amy Huber

Amy Reilly

Annelise Morss

Blue Shutters

Beachside Inn, host Tony Sapienza

Carol Delaney

Dennis McGurk

Diane Lindquist

Ed and Sheila Becker

Ellen and Chester Clark

Executive Director: Susan GouldCoviello

Richard Ross

Housing Hosts

Emerson Inn, host Kimberly Voltero

Gary and Christine Gilbert

Holly and Ken Riehl

Jane Vanko

Jim Sanford and Matt Casey

Karen Berger

Kristin Bedell

Marcia Hubbard

Michele and Jim O’Neil

Mike and Sarah Dyer

Olga Hayes and Ken King

Pat and Glenn Alto

Rosemary and Matt Lundberg

Sara Poling

Susan and Roger Levine

Susan Gould-Coviello

Susan Hall

Suzanne and Mark Lynch

Ted Bidwell

The Vista, host Laura Dow

Oct. 8

Cape Ann Plein Air 2023 Festival Schedule

Schedule subject to change. For up to date information & details, visit CAPEANNPLEINAIR.ORG

ARTISTS ARRIVE!

Sunday Artists painting throughout Cape Ann!

Oct. 9

Monday

Oct. 10

3:30- 5:00PM

ARTIST DEMO

CHARLES SHURCLIFF

Sharksmouth Estate

Manchester-by-the-Sea

Free Signup Online

9AM - 3PM 3:30- 5:00PM

QUICK DRAW COMPETITION

Maritime Gloucester Gloucester Open to the Public

ARTIST DEMO

STAPLETON KEARNS

Hammond Castle Museum

Gloucester

Free Signup Online

12 - 1:30PM 5 - 9PM

Tuesday ARTIST DEMO

ROSALIE SIDOTI

Millbrook Meadow Rockport, MA

Free Signup Online

Oct. 11

6-9PM

PALATE TO PALETTE Dinner w/ an Artist

Shea's Riverside Restaurant Essex

No RSVP Required

CAPE ANN PLEIN AIR OPENING RECEPTION

Beauport Hotel, Gloucester, MA

Free Signup Online

12 - 1:30PM 6 - 9PM

Wednesday ARTIST DEMO

LEIGH H. SLINGLUFF

Tuck's Point

Manchester-by-the-Sea

Free Signup Online

Oct. 12

12 - 1:30PM 6 - 9PM

Thursday ARTIST DEMO KT MORSE

Castle on the Crane Estate Ipswich, MA

Free Signup Online

NOCTURNE PAINTING

Bearskin Neck Rockport, MA No RSVP Required

PALATE TO PALETTE Dinner w/ an Artist

Minglwood Gloucester

No RSVP Required

6 - 9PM

PALATE TO PALETTE Dinner w/ an Artist

Emerson Inn Rockport

No RSVP Required

Oct. 13

12 - 1:30PM

Friday ARTIST DEMO

HARLEY BARTLETT

Essex Shipbuilding Museum

Essex

Free Signup Online

Oct. 14

Saturday

10AM - 12PM 5 - 9PM

KIDS PAINT PLEIN AIR

Art Haven

Burnham's Field/ Pleasant St Entrance

Gloucester

Free Signup Online

Oct. 15

Sunday

GALA OPENING RECEPTION

Glen T McCloud Cape Ann YMCA

7 Gloucester Crossing Road

Gloucester, MA RSVP Required

9AM - 3PM 12 - 1PM

GALLERY OPEN

Glen T McCloud Cape Ann YMCA

7 Gloucester Crossing Road

Gloucester, MA

No RSVP Required

Schedule subject to change.

GALLERY WALKS & TALKS

Glen T McCloud Cape Ann YMCA

7 Gloucester Crossing Road

Gloucester, MA No RSVP Required

For up to date information & details, visit CAPEANNPLEINAIR.ORG

Cape Ann Art Haven

Cape Ann Art Haven has been serving our community since 2008. Our goal at CAAH is to provide equitable access to the valuable resource of art education. In doing so, we invite students into a community that supports them as artists and individuals. Cape Ann Plein Air funding ensures Cape Ann Art Haven will be able to deliver on our mission to bring art education to all our youth.

Classes

• Provide after school and vacation programming for elementary and middle schoolers, as well as year-round evening classes for teens and adults.

• Our curriculum is process led, encouraging experimentation, play and individual expression while teaching fine art skills.

• Our teachers are artists who create alongside the students, inspiring and supporting them.

Community

• Fifty percent of our classes are delivered free to those in need.

• Mobile Art programs brings art classes out into the community. We collaborate with other nonprofits to bring art to people where they are, removing the barriers of cost and logistics.

• Art Haven is a member of the North Shore Risk Prevention network, which provides a range of positive growthoriented experiences for local teens.

Cape Ann Plein Air

• Plein air painting is about artists interpreting their surroundings. Similarly, Art Haven inspires young artists to express their interpretation of their world.

• We are thrilled to be collaborating with Cape Ann Plein Air and look forward to building bridges with events throughout the year for all generations of artists.

Cape Ann COSMOS provides an omnibus of cultural events happening across Greater Cape Ann.

We keep our readers in the know, culturally on the go, with a curated list for this world class destination.

capeanncosmos.com

Photo: © Kathy Chapman 2017 | Artist: Neal Hughes, CAPA

Raw Art Works is a youth arts organization located in Lynn, MA. RAW offers a variety of free programming from painting to filmmaking, for kids in grades 4-12.

Young artists from elementary school group, RAW Energy, showcasing their 2023 exhibit pieces.

Raw Art Works 37 Central Sqare Lynn, MA 01901 www.rawartworks.org

Tonno offers Coastal Italian dishes, homemade pasta, grilled meats and more. Features an extensive wine list and signature cocktails.

www.tonnorestaurant.com

2 Main St. Gloucester, MA 978.879.4795

175 North Ave. Wakefield, MA 781.486.3606

Photograph by Dave Fernandes | Harbor’s Edge Photography

PaintingbyEricaHillier,GloucesterHighSchool

Tim Newton

Tim Newton is widely known in the art world and is respected by artists, collectors and art professionals alike. Often acknowledged for his discerning eye, Tim is a frequent judge of national and international shows and competitions and is a sought-after commentator on the subject of art and collecting.

An art collector for 32 years, he and his wife Cathi have amassed a notable collection of works. It is a collection of great diversity which includes pieces by many of the top artists working today. Included are pieces by Don Demers, C.W. Mundy, Richard Schmid, John Stobart, Sherrie McGraw, Christopher Blossom, Clyde Aspevig, Lanford Monroe, Dean Mitchell, Quang Ho, Joseph McGurl, Matt Smith and Scott Christensen.

Tim is, among other things, the founder and curator of American Masters, a major invitational art exhibition and fundraising show at New York City’s venerable Salmagundi Club, where he

subsequently was elected for eight years as Chairman of the Board and CEO.

Tim serves on the Board of Trustees of the Stobart Foundation, the Board of Advisors of the Buffalo Bill Center of the West, and the boards of the Clark Hulings Foundation and the Couse-Sharp Foundation in Taos, New Mexico.

Tim is a frequent judge of national and international shows and competitions. He has judged the Oil Painters of America Virtuosos (Master and Signature Members Show), the Mystic International Maritime Exhibition at Mystic Seaport, Plein Air Easton in both 2012 and 2016, Laguna Plein Air, Door County Plein Air and Plein Air Texas in both 2019 and 2020.

He has judged the Society of Animal Artists Member’s show as well as the Art Renewal Center Exhibition of 2018.

Tim has been the publisher of Western Art & Architecture magazine since July of 2019.

Patrick Lee

Patrick Lee takes a unique, creative approach to making paintings in the studio and en plein air. He draws heavily on intuition and imagination to develop an image, often altering the drawing, color and spatial relationships to create a mood and express a feeling about the subject. This often leads to strong elements of abstraction and suggestion in his work, rather than explicit detail. This gives the viewer an opportunity to connect with

each piece in their own way, inviting them to let their own imaginations make personal associations and connections.

Patrick is no stranger to Cape Ann, having participated and won awards at CAPA in past years. Additionally, he has participated in other nationally recognized plein air events across the country, winning awards in a multitude of categories. He earned his Bachelor of Fine Arts from Edinboro University of Pennsylvania.

David Bareford

Gloucester, ma

“From the start, I had an affinity for watercolor. I knew I could master this medium and over time, with great effort, I did. However, the tactile quality of the oil medium and the paintings left by masters who came before made me want to try my hand at oil painting. And once I did I was hooked!

“I’ve received many awards, including the Yachting Award at the 34th annual Marine Art Exhibit at Mystic Seaport in Mystic, CT. I am a member of the Rockport Art Association, the Copley Society of Art in Boston, the American Watercolor Society and Allied Artists of America. Also, I am a Fellow of the American Society of Marine Artists, where I have served as Managing Fellow. My work is available at the Christina Gallery on Martha’s Vineyard; in New York City; Greenwich, CT; and Nantucket at Cavalier-Ebanks Galleries.”

davidbareford.com

Beth Bathe

lancaster, pa

Beth Bathe is an artist residing in Lancaster, PA. After a long career as a graphic designer, her partner gave Beth an easel and paints for Christmas, which then sat in the basement for a little over a year. She eventually dusted off the easel and decided to take an oil painting class. After her first session (she painted a pear), Beth was hooked and 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 a year. Her paintings have won numerous awards and honors, including a recent a Second Place Overall (March) and a Best Vehicle (August) in the monthly 2023 Plein Air Salon Competitions.

Beth’s painting style is unique, looking somewhat like a watercolor—or is it an oil painting? She uses water-mixable oil colors in thin washes with a limited tonalist palette, using unconventional tools such as squeegees and cotton swabs 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,” including finding beauty in buildings, barns and old towns of a time gone by. She teaches workshops at Short Dog Studio that she shares with her photographer partner and their two Cardigan Welsh corgis.

Asignature member of the American Impressionist Society and member of the Oil Painters of America, Bob Beck has also been featured in PleinAir Magazine. He has won Best of Show in the Raymar Art Competition and has won many awards in national and international art competitions. Bob has been accepted into Oil Painters of America National Juried competition in 2022 and 2023. Bob finds the best way to express himself is painting on location. That’s where all of his senses kick into his paintings. His painting titled Minus One Degree—juried into the 2022 Oil Painters of America competition and awarded the honor finalist in the March 2023 Bold Brush painting competition—is an example of how cold it was, and demonstrated in the brush strokes throughout the painting. The brush strokes have to be quick and precise. Painting in this manner is risky, but to Bob it is the purest of painting. Painting in the summer is quite a bit different than the winter. There is no wearing of mittens and bulky clothes, but the same concept applies. Get your drawing down accurately and paint fast because the light changes fast and you don’t want to be chasing it!

Bob has painted extensively throughout the United States in many plein air art competitions. He has also painted abroad, in one of his favorite countries, France. He painted in Paris and then spent seven days painting the Monet Gardens in Giverny. Most recently, he spent 14 days and nights painting in another favorite place, Venice, Italy. Bob was born in Pittsburg and grew up in Florida and Illinois and eventually settled in Wisconsin. He received a B.F.A. with a concentration in painting. He has been the owner of I’ve Been Framed custom framing and the Bob Beck Art Gallery in Manitowoc for the past 30 years. Bob lives in Two Rivers with his wife, Linda. They have four grown children, in addition to being parents to their very sassy black lab pup, Ellie.

Christopher Best

crownsville, md

Christopher Best has a deep love and appreciation for the outdoors. Growing up sailing on the Chesapeake Bay, he spent the majority of his free time on the water and gained a deep affinity for the shoreline, where water meets the land. He would later develop this into a vocation through his landscape and marine paintings. His works have been displayed regionally and nationally in Annapolis, Baltimore and Eastern Shore, MD, and Indiana, as well as internationally in Sweden. His work has been featured in Fine Art Connoisseur magazine, as well as the HGTV program “Good Bones.” He lives in Crownsville, MD.

christopherbestfineart.com

Lon

Lon Brauer is an American artist of figure and plein air landscape. He paints every day. “They gave me crayons and paper early on and that opened the floodgates to creative mayhem. Then came paint and brush. Abstract painting is emotional; representational painting is all about story. The narrative may be about the paint application, or it may be about the subject conveyed. Or, at best, a combination of the two. That is where I find myself right now. Choose a subject, then hang paint on it! Figure, landscape, or still life…doesn’t matter. Just make it interesting and new! That’s the challenge. That’s my job.”

Lon has shown his work both nationally and overseas. He holds signature membership with Oil Painters of America, American Impressionist Society, Outdoor Painters Society and American Society of Marine Artists. He travels extensively with top plein air events each season. When home, he is in studio painting and sculpting. He holds frequent workshops where he teaches drawing and painting through figurative themes. Lon Brauer Studios is in Granite City, IL. where Lon lives with his partner, quillwork artist Djuana Tucker.

Brienne M. Brown

Much to her mother’s indignation, Brienne owned little clothing that was not covered in paint. From a young age, Brienne showed talent in art and music, but wanted to pursue a career in the sciences. She started her education at the University of Utah as a double major (art and chemistry), eventually receiving a B.S. in chemistry and finishing with a master’s degree in 2004. After graduation, Brienne worked in a toxicology lab. Though she painted some by taking an occasional class, as the years wore on, she realized she wanted more art in her life than a career in science would allow. She was surprised and delighted to find great fulfillment in painting. In fact, it became a necessity.

After leaving her job as a toxicologist to raise her first child in 2008, Brienne had the opportunity to paint more consistently. Prioritizing painting and taking workshops from artists she admired paid off. Soon she was not only exhibiting and entering shows regularly, but also winning awards. Brienne holds signature membership status for the National Watercolor Society, American Impressionist Society and several other watercolor societies. Every year, she participates is several national juried and invitational plein air events, teaches workshops all over the country and holds online courses. Her work has been published in Splash 17 Best of Watercolor: Inspired Subjects, PleinAir Magazine, Southwest Art Magazine and Watercolor Artist Magazine.

Brienne’s passion is watercolor and plein air painting. “I especially enjoy painting en plein air, where each painting reminds me of where I was, of the experiences I had, the sounds, smells and the people I met. As I try and capture the essence of a scene, my paintings are always more about a moment in time than about a particular location. I enjoy sharing how I see the world.”

Julian, pa briennembrown.com

Thomas Bucci camden, me

Introducing CAPA 2023 artist Thomas Bucci, whose Lobster Trophies received the Best Americana Award for a subject depicting an aspect of American life, during CAPA 2022! “I’m a watercolorist living in coastal Maine. I have a degree in graphic design and a Masters of Architecture. After working as an architect, I moved to painting full-time, focusing on plein air work.

“Some selected awards include Jurors Award and Best Architecture Award at Olmsted Plein Air 2022, Best Architecture Award at PleinAir Easton 2021, Jurors Award at Olmsted Plein Air Invitational 2021, John N. Lewis Memorial Award at the Salmagundi Club’s Annual Members Show 2021, Edgar A. Whitney Memorial Award of Excellence at the Transparent Watercolor Society of America 2020 and many others. My work has been featured in PleinAir Magazine, Fine Art Connoisseur and the Art Renewal Center publications.

“The joy of painting for me is working directly from life and on location, starting with small study sketches. I feel a painting is successful when I first envision the result, then make that happen. If a painting succeeds without a plan, I consider that to be luck.”

thomasbucci.com

John Caggiano

rockport, ma

John Caggiano been painting for 59 years. Art has always been in his blood, although he did flirt with the idea of pursuing a career in law. In 1980, John moved to Rockport, MA and opened a gallery on Bearskin Neck, now in its 43rd year. Every year, he participates in up to a dozen national plein air events. Some resulting honors are Life on the Farm Award, Easton Plein Air; Best of Show—Stobart Foundation Award, Mystic Maritime Gallery International Exhibition; twice, the Texas Ranchland Award and Best Architecture Award, En Plein Air Texas; Artist Choice Award, Finger Lakes Plein Air; Alden Bryan Gold Medal—Best in Show, “Land and Light” Show, Bryan Memorial Gallery, VT; Best in Show, Juried Members Show, Outdoor Painters Society, Texas; Second Place in the American Waters Exhibition; Lyme Art Association, CT; Top 100 Finalists, Plein Air Salon Competition—PleinAir Magazine; and, most recently, the Charles Movalli Gold Medal for Excellence in Painting, “Land and Light” Show, Bryan Memorial Gallery; Best Water Feature Award at Wayne Plein Air Festival; and First Place in the 102nd Elected Artist Exhibition at the Lyme Art Association. He had a featured artist profile in PleinAir Magazine and OutdoorPainter.com, and 22 additional editorial photo features in both PleinAir and Art Connoisseur magazines, including the most recent, “Drawing Us to See,” in Fine Art Connoisseur, February 2023.

John is an Elected/Signature Artist Member of the American Impressionists Society, American Society of Marine Artists, National Oil and Acrylic Painters Society, the Salmagundi Club, as well as Academic Artists, Hudson Valley Art, Lyme Art, North Shore Arts and Rockport Art associations. He holds Associate Memberships in Oil Painters of America, Outdoor Painters Society and Mid-Atlantic Painters Association. Interesting fact: John was an Extra (Supernumerary) in New York City Opera. Now his greatest joy is painting with friends and colleagues who live and breathe art.

JohncaGGiano.com

Henry Coe Parkton,

mD

“Iearned an M.F.A. from the Maryland Institute College of Art. I prefer to paint outside, in front of the subject matter, en plein air. While working as a teach and curator, I began painting seriously on the Eastern Shore of Maryland. I was drawn to the flat land and big sky, which reminded me of the landscapes opf Dutch painter Jacob van Ruisdael.

“I did a seven-month residency in China and three residencies in France and made many other painting visits there. My work has been featured in American Artist Magazine and the book 100 Plein Air Painters of the Mid-Atlantic. I did my first plein air event in 2016 and have done many similar events since then.

“While participating in Plein Air Easton 2022, my painting Hay Bales won the Life on the Farm Award. Recently, in May 2023, my painting Old Ridge Road won Best in Show at the Wayne Art Center Plein Air Festival in Wayne, PA. My work is represented by the C. Grimaldis Gallery in Baltimore and the Trippe Gallery in Easton, MD.”

Valerie Craig st.

davids, pa

Valerie Craig has drawn and painted nearly all her life. Known for her impressionist approach to color and light, Craig is inspired by urban and rural landscapes, and the beauty of ordinary moments. Like many artists, Craig is a lifielong student of art, always seeking, searching and growing in her painting journey.

Craig paints out of doors whenever she can and finds great inspiration in her familiar Pennsylvania landscape. Intrepid and fascinated by atmosphere, Valerie is happiest at her easel in the midst of a snowstorm, thick fog or even a nor’easter. She leads workshops both nationally and internationally and is a respected juror for painting exhibitions.

Valerie graduated from Georgetown University, and worked in psychiatric nursing and health care for many years before pursuing her dream to be a full-time painter. Like many artists, she is a lifelong student, always exploring and seeking out artistic challenges. She is a Signature Member of the American Impressionist Society. Special honors also includeBest Maritime, 2022 Cape Ann Plein Air; Best Landscape, 2023 PleinAir Magazine, January; Best of Show, 2021 American Impressionist Society Annual Small Works Show; Judge’s Award, 2020 Olmsted Plein Air Invitational; Artists’ Choice Award, 2019 Heart of the River, Gloucester, VA; Artists’ Choice Award, 2019 Olmsted Plein Air Invitational Petit Painting; Best of Show, 2019, LandArt Events; Marjorie Bradley Award, 2018 American Impressionist Society’s National Exhibition; Artists Choice Award, 2017 Ireland’s Art in the Open; Gold Award, 2013 Ireland’s Art in the Open; Best in Show, 2011 Wayne Plein Air Competition; and Artists’ Choice Award, 2010 Plein Air Easton.

Rhonda Ford

Rhonda is a native of Maryland, having grown up in Howard County, MD. She spent most of her time drawing, painting and exploring the woodlands around her rural home on foot or on horseback. Spending time outdoors was always top of the list. In high school, the art room was definitely her favorite class and space to spend any extra time between classes. After receiving the Wilhide Fine Arts Award at graduation, Rhonda went on to the University of Maryland at College Park to study studio arts as well as art history.

Rhonda moved to Easton, MD in 2017 and began taking classes and being mentored, diving into the art world full time. Easton and the surrounding areas on the Eastern Shore are the perfect environment for this renewed pursuit. The scenery has reinvigorated her childhood wonder of all that nature has to offer. She has also had the good fortune to enjoy the remote marshlands of the Eastern Shore in Virginia. The lighting and the weather changes in a salt marsh make for the most interesting subject matter. Easton has also sparked her desire to paint en plein air since the town hosts one of the most prestigious plein air events in the United States. It is hard to live there and not get bit by the plein air bug. She began applying to various events locally a couple of years ago to test out the waters. It quickly became obvious that she enjoyed the competitions and has received some accolades along the way.

Painting en plein air has definitely been a wonderful experience that Rhonda continues to enjoy. It has also become a way to see more areas of the U.S. at the same time doing what she loves to do the most.

Martin Geiger staunton,

va

Martin Geiger was born in January 1997 in Charlottesville, VA. He received an undergraduate certificate at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts in Philadelphia and has been living in Staunton, VA since graduation. As the son of two oil painters, oil paint was always the artist’s preferred medium, although drawing has become an indispensable companion as well.

To Geiger, the world itself seems almost like an immense playground of a kind. Everything in his surroundings feels and looks intensely interesting at all times. It seems always to be right on the cusp of revealing itself, somewhat like a piece of music leading up to a crescendo. It’s clear that there is something very important just beneath the surface for the artist and making art is his best attempt at excavating these ever-present patterns and showing them to the world. This nonstop sense of being called by reality means that the subject of his works vary widely from figure compositions to complex architecture to landscape, but the work itself generally gravitates towards light, space and design. These formal adjectives seem to most closely correlate with what Geiger wishes to communicate about the playground of life.

Marc Grandbois

l’anse saint-Jean, Qc

Aresident 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 colors. 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 is member of the Institute of Figurative Art. His works are found in fine galleries across Canada and several collections in Canada, U.S. and abroad.

marcGrandbois.com

Stephen J. Griffin

easton, md

Stephen J. Griffin is a professional artist that has been painting, fishing and living on the North Shore for the past 30 years.

“When I was a young boy, I worked in a boat yard and on my lunch breaks I would draw the boat that surrounded me. I pursued my art career starting out in art academies. I had the opportunity to leave school and apprentice with top portrait artists in the United States and the world.

“In Gloucester, I met Robert C. Gruppe’ from the famous Gruppe’ family of artists. We painted and fished every day, a simple life of family, fishing and art!”

Stephen’s light-filled canvasses command viewers and collector’s attention alike as his as his work hangs in corporate, government, private and public collections throughout the United States, Europe and the Caribbean.

stephenJGriffin.faso.com

Hai-Ou Hou

stevensville, md

Hai-Ou Hou was born in Beijing, where she received her B.F.A from Central Institute of Fine Art and Design. She earned her M.F.A. from Towson State University. She taught at the Hubei Fine Art Institute, China. She is currently owner and director of the Chesapeake Fine Art Studio. haiouhoufineart.com/about

Neal Hughes medford, nJ

Neal is a Fellow of the American Society of Marine Artists, a signature member of Oil Painters of America, American Impressionist Society and the National Oil & Acrylic Painters Society, a member of the Salmagundi Club and the Mid-Atlantic Plein Air Painters Association.His work is part of the permanent collection of the New Britain Museum of American Art and he has been accepted into numerous juried exhibitions, including the national exhibitions of the American Impressionist Society, Oil Painters of America, American Society of Marine Artists and the Portrait Society of America.

Recent awards include Award of Excellence—American Impressionist Society

National Juried Exhibition; Best of Show—Olmsted Plein Air Invitational; Artists Choice Award—Plein Air Easton competition; Best of Show and Artists Choice Awards—Cape Ann Plein Air; Best of Show and Artists Choice Awards—Paint Grand Traverse competition; Best of Show—National Oil & Acrylic Painters Society 2021

Fall International Online Exhibition; Artists Choice and Life of the Waterman Awards— Plein Air Easton competition; Award of Excellence—Oil Painters of America 2021

Salon Show; Best of Show‚Richeson75 Landscape, Seascape & Architecture 2020 competition; Gold Medal—Oil Painters of America Eastern Regional Exhibition; and Best Associate Award of Excellence—Oil Painters of America National Exhibition.

Ken Karlic

bel air, md

Contemporary artist Ken Karlic paints in watercolor and oil with a sense of urgency and passion that is about capturing the essence of a subject. Trained in graphic design, painting and architecture, Ken merges these disciplines in his fine art paintings with a style and voice that is uniquely his own.

Originally from Chicago, Ken Karlic exhibits regularly in the Mid-Atlantic region as well as painting in national juried plein air events. He was recently featured in The Art of Watercolour, PleinAir Magazine, Voyage Chicago, Fine Art Today and American Watercolor. For Daniel Smith Art Materials, Ken recently wrote Sophisticated Chaos with Daniel Smith Watercolors, Step by Step Painting Large Scale, which was distributed to its global client community.

Ken Karlic received a B.F.A. from the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign. He lives and works in Bel Air, MD.

Tim Kelly

baltimore, md

Tim Kelly, a lifelong Baltimore area resident, earned his B.A. from Maryland Institute, College of Art in 1992. A freelance illustration career followed for the next 10 years. Then a career shift took Tim into tractor trailer driving, something he still does. About 15 years ago his artistic interests were revived by plein air painting. He has been an avid practitioner ever since, participates in several plein air events each year and has won a number of awards. Recent first place awards include Olmsted in 2020, the 15th Art Renewal Center Salon (plein air category) and Easton this year. Tim’s paintings tend to center on observational fidelity, with urban and water scenes being frequent subjects. He is a member of the Portrait Society of America, the Mid Atlantic Plein Air Painter’s Association and has artwork in Crystal Moll Gallery in Baltimore, MD.

In a recent article for 518 Profiles Magazine, the author wrote about Ann Larsen: “When the journey to becoming who you are zigs and zags but eventually gets you to your rightful place, which is at an easel with a canvas and brush waiting for you, it’s a good thing.” Larsen further states that, “As far as a profession, I’ve probably been doing this for 35 years and anyone who is an artist will tell you it takes 35 years to get to that point where you say, ok, this is working.”

As a plein air landscape painter, Ann thinks the landscape process is more about what you don’t say than what you do say. Using bold brush strokes and textural paint, she interprets in an impressionistic manner what nature provides. Larsen states that “working from nature is both exciting and challenging, but ultimately there is a dichotomy between painting and creating a work of art that hopefully collectors respond to.”

Among the many awards Larsen has received are the Dickenson Signature Member Award at the 2021 American Impressionist Society National; Best Landscape, American Women Artists National; two Awards of Excellence, Oil Painters of America Eastern Regional; Master Signature Silver Medal, American Women Artists National; and an Award of Excellence at the Paso Robles California Plein Air Invitational.

Ann is a Signature Member of Oil Painters of America, Signature Member American Impressionist Society and an Out of State Artist Member of the California Art Club.

Kirk Larsen

One of the most compelling seascape artists ever, Larsen has been compared to Frederick Waugh and Winslow Homer. He has been awarded The Great painters of Cape Ann Award, Best Nocturne and The Artists Spirit Award at previous CAPAs. Local collectors say he’s one of the best to ever paint the true colors, feel and essence of the backshore, even during nor’easters. Personable, engaging and humorous, Larsen is known mostly for plein air landscapes and nautical works. His greatest artistic accomplishment: “bringing joy to others.” A passionate painter/sculptor/ writer/actor, he seeks to capture the serenity or drama he perceives and the emotional and experiential atmosphere of each location.

He has earned over 182 awards, including the Museum Purchase Award from the Mystic Seaport Museum of America and the Sea. This July, he receivied his fourth Citation for Art as Public Service from The Department of Homeland Security and the U.S. Coast Guard from Admiral Linda L. Fagan, Commandant, U.S. Coast Guard. He is a veteran of over 48 plein air invitationals and competitions, including Plein Air Easton, Easels in Frederick, CAPA, and multiple quick draw wins. “I enjoy the camaraderie, competition and creativity these events inspire.”

Recent awards and exhibitions: AIS Small works 2023; OPA National 2022: OPA Eastern 2022; Plein Air Salon 2022 HM Nocturne; AIS online show 2021 and 2022; featured in Fine Art Connoisseur, PleinAir Magazine and Art of the Southwest; HM in the Oil Painters of America 2018 fall online showcase; American Society of Marine Artists 40th Anniversary Marine Art Invitational; Virtuosos of the OPA 2019 at Cutter & Cutter Gallery, St. Augustine, FL.

He is a well-known speaker, demonstrator, workshop teacher, and his method accelerates the learning curve in art. He is also a film and TV actor, mentor, motivational speaker, harmonica player, Award-winning published writer, nominated poet laureate of Nassau County and is a member of OPA Signature, Salmagundi Club, ASMA and AIS.

Christine Lashley reston, va

From glittering pristine waterways to the glass reflections in cities, Christine Lashley is fascinated by how transparency and light can abstract a scene and transport the viewer to a new environment. Her paintings are an ephemeral moment captured within a frame—a synthesis of the ambiance she paints in person and the limitless creativity within her imagination.

Christine has been involved in the arts all her life, with early years sketching outdoors and watching her mother and grandmother create sculpture. She spent several years in the high fashion world of Europe, and then worked in graphic design and creating murals. With a B.F.A. from Washington University in St. Louis and prior study at the Sorbonne and Parsons in Paris, Christine continued her art education with workshops from prominent artists.

Christine began painting professionally with watercolors but moved to oils in 2009. Her awards include Best of Show at Plein Air Telluride, Bath County and Plein Air Texas. Other awards include the Bold Brush Award, ARC salon, Plein Air Salon Top 5 Annual Finalist, and numerous Oil Painters of America (OPA) awards. Publications include the cover of PleinAir Magazine. She has taught workshops and classes for over 25 years.

Jim Laurino

litchfield, ct

Jim studied painting, design and color theory at the University of Connecticut. Through additional workshops and selfstudy, Jim has cultivated a bold representational painting style that balances the impressionists influence with contemporary subject matter. His expressive application of paint, married with a keen eye for captivating scenes, charms the viewer and truly makes his work unique. Jim constructs frames for all of his paintings. The frames, which are made out of reclaimed wood material, fashion a rustic window into each piece, subtly complementing his work. The pairing of painting and frame makes Jim’s work instantly recognizable and distinctive.

Jim’s paintings are in numerous private collections throughout the U.S. and overseas. He shows his work in venues across the Northeast, and enjoys participating in competitive painting events.

Christopher Leeper canfield, oh

Christopher Leeper is a realist painter and workshop instructor painting in all mediums. His award-winning work has been shown in solo and juried exhibitions throughout the country.

He has illustrated four children’s books and has written and illustrated the book Realism in Watermedia (North Light). His work has also been featured in The Artist’s Magazine, PleinAir Magazine, Watercolor Magic and Ohio Magazine, and in the book Splash 14 (North Light). In 2021, he was a finalist in the PleinAir Magazine Salon and was featured in the August/September 2021 issue of the magazine. He participates frequently in national juried and invitational plein air events such as Paint Grand Traverse, Easton, Door County, Cape Ann and En Plein Air Texas. He is a consistent award winner. In 2022, his awards included Best of Show Quickdraw, Ohio Plein Air Society Competition; Best of Show Quickdraw, Paint Grand Traverse; Best Use of Light, Wayne Plein Air Festival; and third place, Artists on Location, Knoxville, TN.

He graduated from Youngstown State University in 1988 with a B.F.A. degree in graphic design. He is past president of the Ohio Watercolor Society and is a signature member of the National Oil and Acrylic Painters’ Society. He is on the Board of Trustees for the Ohio Plein Air Society and the Cliffside Artists Collaborative, Hinckley, OH. Since 2000, he has painted and taught full-time from his studio in Canfield, OH.

Georganna Lenssen

honey brook, pa

Georganna Lenssen’s paintings merge instinct, memory and sensation, creating a visual language of markmaking, color interaction and ultimately a landscape of painted surface.

Originally from Seoul, Korea, Georganna graduated from Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts and Villanova University. An intense passion for nature inspires her world and breathes life into her work.

Georganna has taught painting for more than 20 years through art centers and workshops regionally. She now teaches privately from her studio in Coatesville, PA. GeorGannalenssen.com

Susan Lynn rockport, ma

After earning her B.F.A., Susan Lynn spent the early part of her career working as an architectural illustrator, which was, as it turned out, a fantastic training ground for a realist painter. She eventually shifted her focus completely to fine art, and now works both in watercolor and oil, painting both en plein air and in the studio. In 2018, Susan moved from the Midwest to Rockport, having fallen in love with both the beauty of Cape Ann and with fellow Rockport artist John Caggiano. In 2019, she opened the Susan Lynn Gallery & Studio at 79 Main Street in Rockport.

Exhibited widely, Susan has earned Signature Membership in a number of national arts organizations, including the American Society of Marine Artists, American Women Artists, Outdoor Painters Society and the National Watercolor Society. She is an elected Artist Member of the historic Salmagundi Club in New York, the North Shore Arts Association and the Rockport Art Association & Museum, where she currently serves as a member of the Board of Governors. Her work has been included in recent notable exhibitions with the Oil Painters of America, the American Impressionist Society, American Women Artists, the Academic Artists Association, the Copley Society and the National Watercolor Society. Susan has participated in many of the top invitational and juried plein air events in the country, winning the coveted Grand Prize at En Plein Air Texas in 2020. Frequently featured in national art publications, Susan’s paintings have been the subject of feature articles in PleinAir Magazine and International Artist Magazine.

Maria Marino

sykesville, md

“It’s when I find myself in the landscape for the first time, a decision to capture a given moment always going back to go forward. The hope to leave the viewer with a lasting love and more importantly the desire to come back to it for that love.

“Many of my paintings begin with a simple sketch, keeping true to my instinct belonging to my singular voice, I paint looking at the essence a subject that hopefully in the end is fresh and clear. I’m settled now yet that could change. Enjoy my work!” mariamarinoart.com

Jonathan McPhillips graduated from Connecticut College in 1993 with a cum laude distinction in fine art. He is a full-time exhibiting artist and painting instructor residing in Saunderstown, RI with his wife and two daughters. He is grateful to live close to some of his favorite painting places throughout New England. Jonathan’s artwork has evolved into a celebration of our coastal marine environment. Working equally in the studio and on location, his work includes the harbors, beaches, vessels and architecture that draws us to the shore. To Jonathan, each painting is a problem to solve, or a puzzle to piece together—a playful yet serious endeavor, and a humble recognition of our surroundings. There is no greater reward than knowing that a painting has somehow captivated a friend or a stranger. We see many things everyday with heightened digital clarity, yet original artwork always conveys a sense of mystery and magic for us all. Jonathan approaches painting as an unspoken and unwritten way to connect our hearts and minds through depictions of shared experience. After 25 years of almost exclusively using oil colors, Jonathan has recently returned to his first medium, watercolor, as a complement to his oil painting. He is a member of many national and regional arts organizations. Some of Jonathan’s recent awards include 2022 Olmsted 200 Celebration Best Light in the Landscape Award, 2022 Cape Ann Plein Air Quick Draw First Place Award, 2022 Cape Ann Plein Air Honorable Mention Award, 2021 Cape Ann Plein Air First Place Award and the 2021 American Impressionists Society President’s Choice Award, Omaha, NE.

Charles Newman haddon township, nJ

Charles Newman received his master’s degree in fine art from the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts in 2008, focusing on plein air painting. Charles currently resides in Haddon Township, NJ and does en plein air painting around his neighborhood, in Philadelphia and wherever else he goes. He is also an accomplished craftsman and currently works at Provenance in Philadelphia, PA, specializing in architectural salvage materials and antiques. He is known for his hand-crafted frames made from salvaged wood, and doing custom home restorations. Charles has received numerous awards from plein air festivals along the East Coast, and was featured in the August/September 2018 issue of PleinAir Magazine, and Southwest Art Magazine for the “Five Artists to Watch.” He was also awarded First Place overall for the 2022 Cape Ann Plein Air Festival.

DK (Deke) Palecek

kaukauna, wi

“My fascination with art, with painting, is a fascination with brain science and the power and plasticity of the brain. I focus on the link between the eye and the brain. The brain assimilates volumes of visual information in every moment and can translates it into a feeling or an experience within seconds. For me, painting is this process in slow motion. The challenge is not to lose this glimpse, this feeling, this experience, in the translation. The challenge is to provide just enough information to capture that moment. I paint with this delightful, ceaseless challenge all around me. Art is a privilege. It thrills and crushes me every day. For many years I understood the pursuit— knew where I wanted to go. Now it mystifies me. This state of mystery is where I want to be, where I want to stay. It is uncomfortable, it is challenging and it is endlessly stimulating.”

Crista Pisano

nyack, ny

Born and raised in northern New Jersey, Crista began painting in oils in 1989 under the instruction of John Phillip Osborne at the Ridgewood Art Institute in Ridgewood, NJ. She graduated from the Lyme Academy College of Fine Arts in 2000, receiving a bachelor’s degree in fine arts painting, and in 2003, received a master’s degree in fine arts painting from the New York Academy Graduate School of Figurative Art. Crista paints landscapes mostly en plein air as well as in her studio in Nyack, NY, and is known for painting on a small scale. Influenced by the Hudson River School, she also loves the Macchiaioli, a group of Italian painters active in Tuscany in the second half of the 19th century. Some of her favorite artists are George Inness, Jean-Baptiste Camille Corot, Martin Johnson Heade and Edward Lear.

Aside from participating in various plein air events throughout the year, she exhibits throughout New England and New York. She has received numerous awards and honors, including Best in Show at the Adirondack Plein Air Festival in both 2012 and 2014. Crista also won Honorable Mention at Plein Air Easton in 2015 and 2016 as well as Best Nocturne 2019. She won three awards 2019 at Plein Air Annapolis, including second place overall and the Stobart Foundation Award at The Mystic Seaport International Marine exhibition 2019. PleinAir Magazine had included Crista as one of its featured artists in its December/January 2016 issue.

Crista currently lives and works in the Hudson River town of Nyack, NY. She is a member of Oil Painters of America and is represented by the Trippe Gallery in Easton, MD;the Sylvan Gallery in Wiscassett, ME; and the Box Heart Gallery in Pittsburgh, PA. cristapisano.com

Cynthia Rosen dorset, vt

Cynthia Rosen, a Vermont painter, is primarily known for her colorful palette knife paintings which bridge the gap between representation and abstraction. With a background in non-objective mixed medium, she can now often be found painting both plein air and in the studio using broken color as she endeavors to capture the nature of the subject without providing clearly defined parameters, thereby engaging and challenging perceptions. Her art is as interpretive as it is reflective. In addition to having won numerous awards at some of the most prestigious juried and/or invitational plein air events in the country, Rosen has been featured in PleinAir Magazine, Southwest Art Magazine, American Art Collector, Fine Art Connoisseur and Practique Des Arts, as well as in several reputable podcasts and online journals. She was invited by Streamline Art Video to create two instructional videos and has been and will be a demonstrating faculty member at the famed Plein Air Convention and Expo. With teaching as her second passion, upcoming events and workshops can be found on her website.

“What I see before me is but the jumping off point from which my work takes flight. There is no prescription, but rather an attempt to capture the essence of the scene, identifying the character and movement of the moment seen knowing that time will change it all within moments. Only through a touch of abstraction can I push the colors to embody the excitement of life’s ever-changing story.”

Kari Ganoung Ruiz

Kari Ganoung Ruiz was raised at the edge of The Finger Lakes National Forest in Central New York State, which set the stage for her deep connection to the natural landscape. After receiving her B.S. in fine art painting from Ashland University in Ohio, Kari and her husband, stereo photographer Diego Ruiz, opened a picture framing studio and gallery featuring fine art. An encouraging response to her work prompted more space at the boutique to be used to display paintings, and eventually the move to a much larger location. At this time, Kari began to focus on plein air work, feeling the need to learn about light and shadow directly from the natural world. In 2014, the couple moved the gallery online in order to allow both of them to travel and move forward with their artistic careers.

Kari and Diego now travel the U.S. capturing the landscape as they experience it. Whether having a stare down with a wolf in Yellowstone, camping outside a panadería in Santa Cruz for Champurrado, rolling down the palm tree- and sea grape-lined A1A in Florida or sleeping through a tornado in Missouri, it’s always an adventure! Awards include Grand Prize Two Rivers Plein Air Festival in Texas 2019, Grand Prize Adirondack Plein Air in New York in 2020, Grand Prize Monuments and Canyons Plein Air Colorado in 2021, Best in Show Paint Grand Traverse in Michigan 2022 and Best in Show Shadows on the Teche Louisiana in 2023. Kari’s work is held in public and private collections across the United States and Canada, most recently added to the collection of the Bureau of Land Management in Colorado.

Robert Simone

st. petersburG, fl

Robert J. Simone is known for his vibrant, colorful oils and dramatic portrayal of light. Artistically speaking, Simone constantly strives to strike a balance between the literal and the poetic, the rendered and the suggested, between unity and variety. He believes the greatest art strikes the greatest balance. It is in this pursuit that Simone’s art arrives at its high degree of harmony and beauty.

Robert lives and works in St. Petersburg, FL and is drawn to all manner of coastal scenery. He is a Signature Member of the National Oil and Acrylic Painters Society (NOAPS), the American Society of Marine Artists (ASMA) and the Outdoor Painters Society (OPS). He is an Associate Member of the Oil Painters of America (OPA)and the American Impressionist Society (AIS). Simone is also a member of the prestigious Salmagundi Club in New York City.

Simone’s paintings have received numerous awards, including Best Interior at Plein Air Southwest 2023 in Galveston, TX; Best of Show at Plein Air Southwest 2019 in Galveston, TX; Artists’ Choice for Best Tilghman’s Island Painting at Plein Air Easton in 2016; Best Vanishing Landscape at Cape Ann Plein Air Festival in 2017; First Prize at Lighthouse Plein Air Festival 2017 in Jupiter, FL; Second Prize at NOAPS “Best of America” Small Works Exhibition 2020, Annapolis, MD; Honorable Mention at Stems National Plein Air 2021, Oakland Park, KS; and Award of Merit at Plein Air Southwest 2021, Galveston, TX.

Simone’s art is included in numerous private and corporate collections throughout the United States.

robertJsimone.com

Richard Sneary

kansas city, ks

Richard has been painting en plein air since 2011, after more than 40 years as an architect, teacher and architectural illustrator. He is a signature member of AIS, AWS, NWS, MOWS, OPS and MVIS. Recent awards include Grand Prize at Lighthouse Plein Air 2022, Second Place at Paint Annapolis 2022 and Estes Valley Plein Air 2022, Body of Work at En Plein Air Texas 2021, Best of Show at Stems Plein Air 2020 and Second Place Artists Choice at Telluride 2018. Richard was a faculty artist at Streamline’s Third Annual Watercolor Live 2023 and PACE in 2016. He has been published many times in various periodicals, including PleinAir Magazine’s February/March 2022 “Playing Within the Lines,” June/July 2020 “Deep in the Heart of West Texas,” June/July 2016 and August/September 2014 Special Feature in Watercolor Magazine. Richard is represented by Art Gallery Prudencia, San Antonio, TX, and McBride Galley, Annapolis, MD.

Gary Tucker lives and teaches watercolor in and around Boston, MA, and leads workshops domestic and abroad. Gary paints both in plein air and in the studio with equal passion if fact he feels they feed each other. Gary was trained in oil painting at the Boston Museum School, but discovered watercolor in his final year and has spent his life mastering this media.

“Through 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”

Gary has been published in numerous art publications, most recently in Splash Awards Best of Watercolor’s “Delayed.” Gary paints a variety of subject matter but is distinguished by his work on urban themes and the working man. At Cape Ann Plein Air, Gary won Best Working Harbor and the People’s Choice Award with a painting of Gloucester Harbor. Gary exhibits regularly in Boston and the North Shore, is an Artist Member of the Salamagundi Club New York City and The Copley Society, Boston, MA, and a signature member of the New England Watercolor Society. Recent awards include Ogden Pleissner Memorial Award—Member Exhibition 2021; North Shore Arts Association Best Watercolor, Our Lady of the Fortunate Voyage; November—Plein Air Salon, Merchant of Venice, Best Watercolor, juror Brian Blood; November—Bold Brush Competition, Cicchetti and Friends; October—Plein Air Texas 2021, Artist Camp Award, selected by fellow artists, First Light.

This year, Gary was appointed Juror of Selection California Watercolor Association National Show, followed by the position of Lead Juror, 3 River Plein Air event, Marietta, PA, and awarded the Hugh P. Botts Award in Salmagundi’s 14th Annual Black and White exhibition for 2023.

Durre Waseem corona,

ca

“Igrew up in a large family that loved to draw and color, with some taking art as a career. My formal art training started when I took art in college then earned a master’s degree from Punjab University, where I taught painting and art history for the next seven years and later three at a girls college. It was during my teaching years that I explored myself as an artist with better understanding of seeing and omitting. I enjoy the process of painting in several mediums like oil, water and pastels, etc. Like the preferred medium, my choice of subject matter also has a wide range. I guess I rather be a Jack-of-all-trades than to be a master.”

Stewart White is an artist from Easton, MD. He works as a freelance illustrator specializing in architectural illustration. The flexible nature of watercolor painting can impart both precision and illusion; for that reason it is extremely useful in conveying as yet unrealized concepts with great efficiency. Besides illustration, Stewart is always out and about painting “en plein air” or in studio.

Stewart studied at the Pratt Institute in Brooklyn and, after serving three years in the U.S. Army, he received a B.F.A. from UC Berkeley with a minor in art history. As a carpenter of many years, his interests found a perfect balance between art and architecture in a career in architectural illustration. His skill in both oil, egg tempera and watercolors have garnered many awards. He is a grand prize winner of several of the country’s most prestigious plein air competitions, which in a field dominated by oil painters is a significant accomplishment.

Stewart is a past President of the Mid-Atlantic Plein-Air Painters Association (MAPAPA). He exhibits his paintings in juried and gallery exhibitions throughout the U.S. Stewart is a member of the American Impressionists Society (AIS), a signature member of the National Watercolor Society (NWS), a signature member of the American Watercolor Society (AWS), as well as the American Society of Marine Artists (ASMA) and past President (2012) of The American Society of Architectural Illustrators (ASAI). He has spent many years as a mural painter with commissions that include the Smithsonian Institute, The U.S. Naval Academy, The Texas Rangers Baseball Club and prestigious homes too many to list.

Stewart White is represented by Folly Cove Gallery in Rockport, MA, and by McBride Gallery in Annapolis, MD.

stewartwhitestudios.com

Jeff Williams stillwater, ok

Jeff Williams is a retired professor of architecture from Oklahoma. While working on his master’s degree, he won numerous national and international architectural design competitions. These awards provided an opportunity to spend extensive time traveling through Europe, allowing him to experience various cultures as well as develop his drawing skills. In 1985, he relocated to Oklahoma to begin his teaching career with a focus on design. His greatest joy came from interacting with students, especially when he could share his love of sketching. For 31 years, he taught design, often leading student groups on summer Europe excursions.

After 31 years, Williams retired from teaching to pursue watercolor painting and travel. Inspired and encouraged by workshop leaders Tony Van Hasselt, Thomas Schaller, Andy Evansen and, most notably, Joseph Zbukvic, he is currently creating paintings both in studio and “en plein air”; is an invited member of the well-known Rattlesnake Gang, painting annually in Big Bend National Park; and has rapidly become a regular on the professional “plein air circuit,” winning numerous awards, including Third Place at Plein Air Easton, multiple awards at En Plein Air Texas, the Nocturne Award at Cape Ann Plein Air, multiple awards at Shadows on the Teche Plein Air events and multiple awards at previous Paint Annapolis events. His watercolor Rockin’ Bass Rocks was recognized as the outstanding watercolor in the international Boldbrush Competition, and he has been an invited participant multiple times at the Olmsted Plein Air Invitational, the Winter Park Paint Out and Bath County Plein Air. Jeffwilliamswatercolor.com

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