JOSHUA BEEN
Joshua Been, born in 1974, had no shortage of outdoor adventures that cultivated 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 US Army. Been then went on to pursue his BA in Fine Art at Fort Lewis College in Durango, Colorado. As a Magna Cum Laude graduate from this small liberal arts college, Been found interest in more than just art classes. He was active in theatre and performing arts, while studying Earth Sciences as well. This interdisciplinary foundation is evident in the intricacies and truthful fascination of his landscape as well as his figurative work. After graduation, Been relocated to the Los Angeles area where he worked for several years 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. It wasn’t long, however, before Been craved a more liberating artform, and enrolled in some figure painting classes at the California Art Institute. While simplifying his life in order to pursue the more nomadic life of a painter, Been moved back to his native land in Colorado. For a short time in order to get his feet on the ground and further hone his teaching ability, Been taught art and design to inmates at the Buena Vista Correctional Facility. He now lives and paints full time in Salida, a place known as the “Heart of the Rockies”.
JoshuaBeen.com 10th ANNUAL
SedonaPleinAirFestival.org Presented by Sedona Arts Center
OCTOBER 18-25, 2014
SHONTO BEGAY
Shonto Begay was born on a Navajo reservation sheep camp to his mother, a traditional rug weaver of Tonalea storm patterns and his father, a respected medicine man. In addition to being a prolific painter, lecturer and author, Shonto is a spokesperson for environmental rights. He uses acrylic paint on canvas to convey memories and his concerns about the environment and encroaching development. Shonto’s impressionistic brushstrokes depict moments in time. From images of hogans to the government boarding school he was forced to attend, to paintings of hitchhikers and mesas that seem to go on forever, his art balances the harsh realities of reservation life with the amazing beauty found among its people, canyons and mesas. A professional artist since 1983, Shonto spends his time painting and speaking to audiences of all ages. His art has been shown in more than 50 shows in galleries and museums including The Wheelwright Museum of the American Indian in Santa Fe, the American Indian Contemporary Arts ‘s museum in San Francisco and Phoenix Art Museum.
ShontoGallery.com 10th ANNUAL
SedonaPleinAirFestival.org Presented by Sedona Arts Center
OCTOBER 18-25, 2014
MITCH BAIRD
Mitch Baird was born in 1972 and grew up in the Pacific Northwest near Seattle, Washington. At an early age he displayed talent in drawing and painting and with the encouragement of his parents developed a love for art. His true passion for painting matured while pursuing his BFA at Brigham Young University. It was here that he studied under the great draftsman Ralph Barksdale, whose inspiration and wisdom quickened his abilities, knowledge and desire. “It was Ralph Barksdale’s patient direction and willingness to share the mysteries and insights into design, drawing and painting that opened my eyes and mind. I will forever be indebted to him.” As 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’s landscape 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 with his wife and children. His national recognition continually expands and was recently granted several awards including Signature Status with the Oil Painters of America, First Prize & Honorable Mention in the Plein Air Magazine 2012 Salon Competition, as well as 10th ANNUAL Best of Show & Southwest Art Magazine’s Award of Excellence in the American Impressionist Society Exhibition.
MitchBaird.com
SedonaPleinAirFestival.org Presented by Sedona Arts Center
OCTOBER 18-25, 2014
BETTY CARR
Betty Carr was born and raised in Santa Cruz, California, and developed a love of art from visiting museums. In 1980, she married landscape painter, Howard Carr, and they have devoted their lives to painting. She and her artist husband, Howard Carr, travel several months of each year, from Oregon to South Carolina in a specially equipped mobile home. In numerous locations, they teach artist workshops. She advises her students to draw continually because ‘drawing is critical to good painting.’ From the time she was a young girl, Carr has been represented by galleries. She has been featured in numerous publications including Art of the West, Southwest Art, American Artist, Art Talk, American Artist and Vitality magazines. She is extremely proud of her acceptance into the exclusive Knickerbocker Association of New York City. “What catches my eye is the effect light has on form in unique situations whether fleeting, spilling over, striking, subtlety changing, etc. I challenge myself when painting to capture the essence of the spirit of the light. The spontaneous qualities of watercolor and the quick moving action of the oil brush lends itself perfectly to my impressionistic style of painting when capturing light. I strive for confident, enthusiastic brushwork, the maximizing of color’s value and intensity range and a fresh painterly approach, the result appearing effortless. “
BettyCarrFineArt.com
10th ANNUAL
SedonaPleinAirFestival.org Presented by Sedona Arts Center
OCTOBER 18-25, 2014
BILL CRAMER
Growing up in southern California, Bill always had an interest in exploring nature and creating art. As an experienced rock climber, he spent much of his youth enjoying the more vertical places of the American west. This gave him a perspective of the world that few others would ever experience. He received a fine arts degree from California State University Long Beach in 1989, and later moved to Prescott, Arizona with his wife Michelle to be closer to the scenery they both enjoyed. It was there that Bill discovered the joys and challenges of landscape painting, his outdoor experiences providing much of the insight and inspiration expressed in his art. “Any landscape worth painting is more than the obvious visual elements. The push of an evening breeze, the feel of sun baked sandstone, the scent of sagebrush or the sound of a raven suddenly overhead are examples of the many unseen elements that inform my work. I’m satisfied when a painting is as rich as the landscape that inspired it. My goals are to keep exploring the southwest’s wild places, search for new ideas and express what I find exciting about landscapes and about painting.”
BillCramerPaintings.com 10th ANNUAL
SedonaPleinAirFestival.org Presented by Sedona Arts Center
OCTOBER 18-25, 2014
ROBERT DALEGOWSKI
Robert Dalegowski was born in Flagstaff in 1948. The oldest of five brothers, he roamed the forests and canyons of Northern Arizona as a child, developing a deep love and respect for the solitude of wilderness which surrounded his rural home in Doney Park. At that time amenities were limited, without electricity, and water was pumped from a cistern. In this environment, his father instructed the boys in the practice of drawing as entertainment, using fireplace charcoal on old newspapers. From the earliest days, artistic expression was associated with family and relaxation, leading eventually to a very personal meditative process involving plein air watercolor painting. Many years of experimentation with watercolor and plein air painting has achieved a unique style of controlled and colorfully expressive brushwork to develop a final vibrant image. Combined with the inspiration and solitude of the wilderness, this technique can capture the essence and light of moment and place. Usually, a short day hike will reveal a compelling perspective, other times more extensive effort is expended. Nothing Robert paints is an exact representation of what is seen, rather an edited vision to express the glow of light and complexity of mood. Grand Canyon is a favorite place- rock, sky, water – a vast wilderness of intimate oases accessed by foot, rope, river, or art. Through his art, he shares the beauty, geology and mystery with others
GrandCanyonWatercolors.com
10th ANNUAL
SedonaPleinAirFestival.org Presented by Sedona Arts Center
OCTOBER 18-25, 2014
ROBERT BURRIDGE
In 1985 Robert Burridge turned his passion into his second career. He retired from industrial design and became a full time, contemporary fine art painter, moved to California’s Central Coast and prepared to paint the rest of his life. Today, besides painting, he is an invited juror for international art shows, a college and national painting workshop instructor, and teachs a fine art mentor program in central France. Recently selected as the Honorary President of the International Society of Acrylic Painters, he holds a signature membership with them and with the Philadelphia Watercolor Society. His original paintings can be seen in six international galleries, on Starbucks Coffee mugs, Pearl Vodka bottles, eight tapestries and on fine art edition prints in upscale retail stores and cruise ships. His work has received lifetime honors, including The Franklin Mint Award and recently the Philadelphia Watercolor Society’s prestigious Crest Medal Award for achievement in the arts previously awarded to Pablo Picasso, John Singer Sargent and Georgia O’Keeffe. It is said, “Your heart doesn’t know how old you are.” For me, it’s true. Painting everyday in my small studio overlooking the Pacific Ocean, I feel like a kid again playing with color, design, paint and canvas, which reminds me of the saying, “It’s never too late to be what you always should have been.” Follow your bliss!
10th ANNUAL
RobertBurridge.com
SedonaPleinAirFestival.org Presented by Sedona Arts Center
OCTOBER 18-25, 2014
CHRISTINE DEBROSKY
Encouraged by her parents at a young age, with oil painting lessons, and a professional water color set while growing up in NY’s Hudson Valley, Christine Debrosky always knew that she would be involved in art. Besides the access to world class museums and galleries for study and inspiration, living in the Northeast meant that she learned much about color. The blank canvas of snow over the winter landscape was a way to learn about the hues of light as it changes during the course of the day. In deep summer, surrounded by every shade of green imaginable, she learned how to work with this “difficult “ hue. Her work has been featured in several magazine articles,such as American Artist, the Pastel Journal, and Pratique des Artes, a French publication, as well as on a television and a movie set. Her work is published by Winn Devon, and is available world-wide. Wanting to share her accumulated experience, she has taught extensively in the US, as well as workshops in Tuscany, Venice, and Burgundy, France. Currently she lives in North Arizona, with her husband Wayne, in a completely renovated home , complete with a custom designed dream studio. There, overlooking the red rock glow of Sedona, the abundance of sunlight , richly hued shadows, and nuanced greys of the high desert allows for continued learning and inspiration.
ChristineDebrosky.com
10th ANNUAL
SedonaPleinAirFestival.org Presented by Sedona Arts Center
OCTOBER 18-25, 2014
KATIE DOWLING
Katie grew up in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado. She discovered her love of painting at age 18 when a family friend invited her to paint out of doors with oil paint. For someone who had never considered painting before, she was excited to find that it came more naturally than anticipated. So when the same friend told her she must sign up for a workshop given by Don Sahli, a nationally recognized plein air painter, she did. On the third day the entire process clicked and there began a new love and a new career in the fine arts. Katie began to win awards in local art festivals and then was included in Southwest Art magazine’s section, “21 Young Artists To Collect Now.” Most recently she was featured in the exhibition “Legacy of the Russian Masters” with Filmmaker and painter George Gallo in connection with his film ‘Local Color.’ A collection of Katie’s paintings was displayed along side Don Sahli’s and George Gallo’s work to demonstrate the continuing legacy of Russian Impressionism. In earlier years Katie felt very strongly about painting only in the field or “plein air” but as she has grown, she has discovered the importance of both the outdoors and the studio. This has enabled her to explore the elements of design, structure and balance in pieces painted from her field studies. As a native of the Vail Valley in Colorado, she searches out places that are uniquely typical of the area. However, she equally enjoys painting the southwest, particularly Monument Valley in Utah, Santa Fe, New Mexico and Sedona, Arizona.
10th ANNUAL
KatieDowling.com
SedonaPleinAirFestival.org Presented by Sedona Arts Center
OCTOBER 18-25, 2014
TRACEY FRUGOLI
Born in 1966 in Chicago, oil painter and photographer Tracey Frugoli has always known she would be an artist. Growing up in a creative household, she enjoyed unusually intensive art training in her suburban high school. She went on to earn a BFA in fine art, and a MA in Art Therapy. She has been painting in her current style since 1998 and done portrait photography since 2011. Inspired by light and beauty, Frugoli apologetically eschews novelty and shock in favor of authenticity. She views the painting process as a humbling endeavor that seeks to reflect and, thereby, enhance the most noble of our ideals. Her painting and photography cross pollinate to keep her work fresh and vital. Frugoli has won numerous art awards including First Place “Wayne Plein Air” 2012 in PA along with Second Place Quick Draw and Award of Excellence “Sedona Plein Air” 2012 in AZ. In addition, she was awarded Artist’s Choice “Paint Annapolis” 2012; Second Place and People’s Choice “MAPAPA Dueling Brushes” 2009, Museum Purchase Award and Honorable Mention “Plein Air Easton” 2007; First Place “Havre de Grace Plein Air ” 2006; First Place Quick Draw and Best Architectural Painting “Plein Air Easton” 2005 all in MD. She has exhibited throughout the country, and has been accepted into Greenhouse Gallery’s “Salon International” 2005-6, and 2009-12 in San Antonio, TX and won Jury’s Top 50 award in 2011. Frugoli’s artwork hangs in the permanent collection at the Academy Art Museum in Easton and in numerous private collections. It has appeared in American Artist and Plein Air. She has written freelance for Workshop Magazine, Plein Air, and Fine Art Connoisseur (FAC). She is the current Illinois/Midwest Regional Editor for FAC, and her most recent article, about the 10th ANNUAL Hoosier Salon, appeared in the November/December issue. She is a founding member of the Central Illinois Artists Organization (CIAO) in Peoria, IL.
TraceyFrugoli.com
SedonaPleinAirFestival.org Presented by Sedona Arts Center
OCTOBER 18-25, 2014
MICHELE BYRNE
Michele Byrne is recognized for her figurative plein air work. She lives and works in Reading, Pennsylvania where she was born. However, she travels extensively, painting in various locations including, Manhattan, Paris, California, Colorado and Key West, Florida. Michele was a Faculty Demonstrator for the Annual PleinAir Convention in Monterey, CA in April 2014. Byrne has won numerous awards in her plein air and studio work including a top prize in the prestigious Salmagundi Club in New York City. Painting in plein air is not just a passion for Michele it is a dedication. The on the spot challenge means that the artist cannot copy from photographs or other materials. The artist must make decisions about time of day, direction of light and inclusion of figures despite that in front of you everything is changing. The decisions allow the artist to paint dynamically with light and air as a part of the final image. This is hardly possible when the artist is constrained to a studio. “Painting plein air allows me to create a more fluid diary of the ever-changing activity of a café or street scene.”
MicheleByrne.com 10th ANNUAL
SedonaPleinAirFestival.org Presented by Sedona Arts Center
OCTOBER 18-25, 2014
BRUCE GÓMEZ
“Bruce A. Gómez has been working in pastels for twenty-six years and has been working solely with pastels full-time for the past seventeen years. Born in Denver in 1957, Gómez was educated at Colorado State University and the University of Colorado at Denver where he received his degree in political science as well as in Romance languages. Entirely self-taught in pastels, Bruce works exclusively in that medium on cold-pressed watercolour paper. His artistic influences include Maxfield Parrish, Gustav Klimt, and his cousin Ernic Gallegos. He has participated in more shows than he can recall and has been featured in Southwest Art’s Artist to Watch. Bruce has been with the Abend Gallery of Fine Art for around eighteen years and with the Telluride Gallery of Fine Art for twenty-five. His work has been featured on the Telluride Jazz Festival poster in 1991 and in 2000, as well as the Chamber Music Festival poster for the past four years. You can literally find Bruce often painting into the wee hours at Abend in Denver, where he lives, walks his grown children’s dogs, and waters the cat.”
BruceGomezArt.com 10th ANNUAL
SedonaPleinAirFestival.org Presented by Sedona Arts Center
OCTOBER 18-25, 2014
STAN FELLOWS
Stan Fellows has been a highly regarded and award-winning illustrator for thirty five years, painting for magazines, corporate clients, and children’s books. Recent clients include: Martha Stewart Living, Sports Illustrated, Harper’s Magazine, The Atlantic Monthly, The New York Times, Smithsonian Magazine, Audubon, National Geographic, Field & Stream, The Chicago Tribune, The Boston Globe, NYU, Notre Dame, United Airlines, Delta Airlines, Southwest Airlines, (what’s with all the airlines?...) Kiplinger’s, Arts & Antiques, Simon & Schuster, and for six years he has worked monthly for the Wall Street Journal’s Friday wine column. Stan has illustrated several books, most recently The Cuckoo’s Haiku and John Muir: America’s First Environmentalist. In his native Minneapolis he taught watercolor painting and illustration at the Minneapolis College of Art and Design. He is currently teaching workshops nationally and in the Denver area, where he lives with his daughter.
10th ANNUAL
FineArtAmerica.com
SedonaPleinAirFestival.org Presented by Sedona Arts Center
OCTOBER 18-25, 2014
DEBRA JOY GROESSER
Nebraska artist Debra Joy Groesser received her BFA degree in art in 1978. She has studied with such renowned artists as Kevin Macpherson, Scott Christensen, Kim English, John Cosby and Kenn Backhaus. Debra is passionate about plein air painting in oils. Her landscape paintings have garnered national recognition and awards. Being outdoors in God’s creation, whether in her perennial garden, in the mountains or by the sea, provides her endless inspiration for her work. Debra’s ability to capture mood, emotion, atmosphere and a sense of place in her work attracts collectors, both private and corporate, worldwide. Debra also paints portraits and figurative works. In 2011, she was commissioned by Omaha Performing Arts to create a large portrait of Richard and Mary Holland, which hangs at the Holland Performing Arts Center in Omaha, Nebraska. Debra is a signature member and 2014 President of the American Impressionist Society, a signature member of American Plains Artists, a signature member and board member of Plein Air Artists Colorado and an associate member of Oil Painters of America. Her work has been featured in several national art publications including Art of the West, American Art Collector and Southwest Art magazines. She was named a finalist in Southwest Art Magazine’s Artistic Excellence competition in December 2012.
10th ANNUAL DebraJoyGroesser.com
SedonaPleinAirFestival.org Presented by Sedona Arts Center
OCTOBER 18-25, 2014
CHARLIE HUNTER
Over the last two years, Charlie Hunter has burst onto the national plein-air scene. He was awarded the 2013 Vanishing Landscape Award and the 2012 Best New Artist at Plein Air Easton (MD), and has racked up an impressive number of awards at other plein air events. He was the subject of a feature in PLEIN AIR magazine in 2012, featured on the main stage of the 2014 Plein Air Expo and received a very special shoutout from no less a luminary than Richard Schmid in the new edition of ALLA PRIMA: “No master of the pure line can surpass what Charlie, almost matter-of-factly, does when he takes pencil in hand.” He was raised in rural New Hampshire and Vermont, where he lives today. He is a member of Schmid’s “Putney Painters” salon and, in his spare time, runs long-distance train trips featuring live music. Curiously, his cats remain entirely unimpressed with these accomplishments. “I live in Vermont on the banks of the Connecticut River in an old mill town, and paint what nature does to what man creates. I tend to use a monochromatic ‘earth palate’ blend of ultramarine blue, viridian and burnt sienna, with maybe some unbleached titanium and Naples yellow. My goal is to paint beautifully that which is not traditionally considered beautiful, with aspirations toward a less-grotesque Anselm Keifer in a considerably better mood.” - Charlie Hunter
10th ANNUAL Hunter-Studio.com
SedonaPleinAirFestival.org Presented by Sedona Arts Center
OCTOBER 18-25, 2014
CAROLINE JASPER
Contemporary Impressionist Caroline Jasper’s paintings are “always about the light”, says the artist. “It can dramatize the most ordinary places.” Red is her trademark. Each of her colorful landscape and water scenes begins on red ground, which serves to invigorate visual interaction against loosely applied color marks. Caroline Jasper is an exhibition juror, and currently teaches in art workshop venues nationwide.Her areas of expertise include advanded color theory for artists; color coordination and communication as it pertains to visual art, interior/exterior design, fashion, and business; art education curricula; artists’ media, composition, methods, etc. Her juror credits include the 2014 7th Annual Signature Member Exhibit, International Society of Acrylic Painters and the 2013 Celebrating Viva Florida 500, Elliott Museum, Stuart, Florida. For a complete list of Jasper’s areas of expertise visit Areas of Expertise. She is a Maryland native, has an MFA from Maryland Institute College of Art, Baltimore. During over forty years of teaching experience, Jasper has been high school art department chair, Maryland College of Art and design Admissions Advisory Board member, gallery and college lecturer.
10th ANNUAL CarolineJasper.com
SedonaPleinAirFestival.org Presented by Sedona Arts Center
OCTOBER 18-25, 2014
MICHAEL CHESLEY JOHNSON
An award-winning plein air landscape painter noted for his expressive use of color, Michael works in both oil and pastel. He paints primarily outdoors, choosing locations from the American Southwest, Downeast Maine and the Canadian Maritimes. He has been an Invited Artist at the Sedona Plein Air Festival (20062011) and in 2011 also participated in the Plein Air Southwest, Grand Canyon National Park and Zion National Park invitationals. In 2012, he was an invited artist in PleinAir Magazine’s First Annual Plein Air Convention & Expo and again at the Grand Canyon event. He has been invited again for the Grand Canyon and Sedona events for 2014. Michael was awarded Master Pastellist status by Pastel Artists Canada in 2008, and he is a Signature Member of the Pastel Society of America and the Pastel Society of New Mexico as well as a juried member of Oil Painters of America and the American Impressionist Society. His paintings have appeared in The Artist’s Magazine, Pastel Journal, American Artist and Fine Art Connoisseur (PleinAir Magazine) and are in both corporate and private collections. He was featured in The Artist’s Magazine in September 2013. Michael’s ability to talk about the act of painting in easy-to-understand terms has made him a popular teacher and writer. He gives workshops across the U.S. and in Canada to all levels of students, from beginner to professional. He is a Contributing Editor for The Artist’s Magazine and writes regularly for The Pastel Journal. He is the author of several books, including Through a Painter’s Brush: A Year on Campobello Island, Through a Painter’s Brush: The American Southwest, and Backpacker Painting: Outdoors with Oil & Pastel. He has two 10th ANNUAL art instruction videos available through ArtistsNetwork.tv and NorthlightShop.com as well as an online video course, Plein Air Essentials, at www.pleinairessentials.com. Three more videos for ArtistsNetwork.tv are in the works. MichaelChesleyjohnson.com
SedonaPleinAirFestival.org Presented by Sedona Arts Center
OCTOBER 18-25, 2014
SHELBY KEEFE
Shelby Keefe is a contemporary impressionistic painter, teacher and performance artist. Born in Whitewater, WI, in 1958, she graduated in 1981 with a BFA from Cardinal Stritch University in Milwaukee, WI. After retiring from a career in graphic design in 2005, she operates her own art studio and exhibition space in Bay View, on the south side of Milwaukee. Her award-winning urban landscape paintings have earned her participation in prestigious national juried shows, plein air painting competitions, and arts festivals as well as garnering commission work for a variety of corporate clients and private collectors. Her oil paintings are found in collections such as The Bradley Foundation, Acuity, Northwestern Mutual, Ozaukee Country Club; WE Energies; University School of Milwaukee; and other businesses around Milwaukee, and in private collections in Wisconsin and around the country. “I am influenced by Impressionism and the brighter Fauvist palette and generally specialize in urban architectural subjects. I use my own photographs as reference as well as painting “en plein air”. My creative intentions are to put the viewer in the scene; transporting them to the location and transforming their mood through color and composition. I’m attracted to scenes where the subjects are dramatically lit, which adds a vibrancy and a sense of immediacy to the paintings. I like to apply the oils freely and liberally over brilliant acrylic underpaintings, creating a juxtaposition of contrasting colors that vibrate and illicit emotional engagement as well as excite the eye. I believe that a work of art has a longer lasting, “multigenerational wall life” when the viewer continually finds something new in the work, and the paint, itself, is allowed to do the “talking.”
10th ANNUAL
StudioShelby.com
SedonaPleinAirFestival.org Presented by Sedona Arts Center
OCTOBER 18-25, 2014
BECKY JOY
Born and raised in Oregon, Becky moved to Scottsdale in 1993. Soon after arriving she started taking workshops at the Scottsdale Artists School and continued her education traveling around the country to learn from prominent plein air artists. Becky is an exhibiting member of Oil Painters of America, a signature member of American Women Artists and the American Impressionist Society, where she is now serving as the 2014 show chair. Her work has received numerous awards in national exhibitions and has been collector by corporate clients. She was a speaker and demonstrator at the National Plein Air Convention in Carmel in 2013 and will again be demonstrating at the convention in 2014. Becky has achieved signature status in Plein Air Painters of Hawaii, the Outdoor Painters Society, Plein Air Painters of Colorado and been invited to participate in plein air events, including Art in the Open in Ireland in 2014. Several national publications and books have featured Becky’s paintings. She also teaches workshops across the US and Europe. Becky’s work has been exhibited in galleries in Arizona, Colorado, Wyoming, Texas, Montana, Pennsylvania and California. “Painting en plein air is an exhilarating experience of being present in the moment and experiencing the nuances of your surroundings.”
BeckyJoy.com
10th ANNUAL
SedonaPleinAirFestival.org Presented by Sedona Arts Center
OCTOBER 18-25, 2014
GRETCHEN LOPEZ
Gretchen majored in advertising and design, when she attended Ventura College, then went on to study fashion design and illustration at the Fashion Institute of Design and Mechandising in Los Angeles. She completed her studies at the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California. As a tenth generation native of California, Gretchen has a rich family heritage. She is a descendant of the first Spanish settlers of what was to become the Mexican Rancheros, her colorful family background includes Chumash and Apache Bloodlines. Gretchen’s works are greatly inspired by her ethnic heritage. Being experienced in many mediums and techniques allows her to express a feeling of freedom, vibrancy and spontaneity through color and design to depict the varied faces, fabrics and gentle beauty of Native and Hispanic women in her paintings. She combines traditional as well as comtemporary elements in her works, from the figurative to still lifes. Gretchen resides with her husband in Northern Arizona, where she pursues her love of painting. A teacher of painting, life drawing and portraiture at the Sedona Arts Center in Sedona, Arizona, Gretchen was nominated for the Viola Award for Excellence in Art Education. Her works are included in numerous private collections both nationally and internationally, and can be seen in select galleries throughout the Southwest.
10th ANNUAL GretchenLopezArt.com
SedonaPleinAirFestival.org Presented by Sedona Arts Center
OCTOBER 18-25, 2014
ROBERT MASLA
Robert Masla is an internationally exhibited fine artist with over 35 years of full time professional experience as an easel painter and muralist serving fine art galleries, collectors, art consultants and designers. His canvases, murals and portraits can be found in private residencies, corporations, the hospitality and health care industries, public institutions, restaurants and on film. Masla brings his talent, technical expertise, imagination and masterful craftsmanship in whatever he puts his heart and hand to. During all this time Masla has also remained dedicated to art as an educator, teaching and lecturing in various settings with a wide range of populations, from schools to colleges, museums and workshops. He was the Artist in Residence for the City of Springfield, MA where he created the A4E, (Art for Everyone) program, which received three consecutive grants from the Massachusetts Cultural Council for bring art into inner city schools that had no previous art program. The Council has honored him with the title of “M.C.C. Teaching Artist”. Masla continues to offer workshops from his studios North, in rural Ashfield, MA, where he lives with his wife Monica and there 3 children, and his studios South, “Casa de los Artistas”, located in the small fishing village of Boca de Tomatlan, on Mexico’s gorgeous Pacific coast, as well as conducting workshops by invitation at different locations. For over 35 years the energy fields of Maslas’ paintings have been manifesting most prolifically thru landscapes. A passion that still occupies the artist to this day. Filling the common daily setting with an aura of mystical divinity and the suggestion of other worldly experiences has been one of his goals. One of the joys he has found in painting the landscape around him is to, -”take things that we might pass by every day and bring them into focus. To see them again as if for the first time. Art affords us the unique opportunity to see the world afresh, 10th ANNUAL with wonder, as with the eyes of a child.”
MaslaFineArt.com
SedonaPleinAirFestival.org Presented by Sedona Arts Center
OCTOBER 18-25, 2014
JAMES MCGREW
From his earliest childhood memories, James McGrew remembers his inspiration to draw/paint and photograph the beautiful world of the Western U.S. His family camping/backpacking trips to Yosemite, Tahoe, Trinities, Southern Oregon and the Coast were a major influence. Though he began with watercolors, gouache, pencils and crayons, he quickly picked up pastels at the age of 8 and oils by age 10. He grew up with a love of nature, sports and performing arts. Today those all influence his painting and photography which goes beyond creating pretty representations. James explains: “I use my art as a vehicle to communicate to a wider audience than I can via an interpretive naturalist program. My goal is to inspire others to appreciate natural beauty to hopefully generate a sense of stewardship.� James paints en plein air and later orchestrates his field studies with photography and strong visual memory to create his refined studio paintings. Such works often tell stories or serve as complex metaphors. His style is most influenced by a combination of the Hudson River School, California Impressionists and French Impressionists, and Romantics.
JamesMcGrewFineArt.com 10th ANNUAL
SedonaPleinAirFestival.org Presented by Sedona Arts Center
OCTOBER 18-25, 2014
RACHEL PETTIT
“It doesn’t get any better than this”...my motto when I am painting outdoors, taking in the visual feast and discovering the subtleties of nature right before my eyes. I feel extremely fortunate to be able to freely pursue this passion. At a young age, I moved with my family to Scottsdale, Arizona and spent my childhood in the southwest, traveling, camping and exploring. This instilled a great love of the outdoors which later was continued as a love of landscape painting. The spirit which resounds in each of my works comes from a personal heartfelt love of the natural world and the peace and balance which can be derived from it. Who could know that plein air painting (‘in the open air’) would become a means to capture that elusive freshness and keen color that is only witnessed first hand? Speed and a well-trained eye and hand are needed to capture the most appealing and fleeting light of early morning and late afternoon. These paintings are often filled with expressive brushwork and spontaneity. Twenty years of painting in the field has given me the experience to paint the subject with integrity and authenticity, even in the studio. I hope that my paintings will present to you a sense of place; one that lifts the spirit as each one does for me.
10th ANNUAL RachelPettit.com
SedonaPleinAirFestival.org Presented by Sedona Arts Center
OCTOBER 18-25, 2014
CARL ORTMAN
Carl’s affinity for art began at an early age when he was accepted into Western Reserve Academy boarding school to study fine arts. Though his next step was to go to college, he knew from his initial moments there that he would not end up with his ideal life if he followed the predetermined degree outlines. He viewed college as a means to help sharpen who he was as an artist and person, not a place to follow a systematic course schedule en route to receipt of a degree. He proceeded to take an assortment of college classes dealing with psychology, design, and traditional art skills. After he finished his formal education, he pursued career paths in graphic, interior, and conceptual design and fulfilled entrepreneurial interests by starting two businesses. Carl also sought out mentors and life coaches over the next several years in an effort to continue bettering who he was as both an artist and a human being. These people’s gracious efforts and time investments have forever molded and shaped his life. His background in art and psychology, through formal education and mentored apprenticeships, has helped to form the artist you see now. In 2004, Carl had an epiphany that came when he found that he could couple all of his earlier pursuits into a single rewarding career by producing gallery quality art. The years since that breakthrough have demanded tremendous faith on his part that his work could succeed and that the path he took to follow his heart’s desire would be the right one. Looking back, Carl can honestly say with confidence that he made the right decision. His life has never been richer or fuller now that he has allowed himself to do what seems to be intrinsically a part of who he is. Carl spends part of the month in Salida colorado and the other half of the month in NYC where he studies at the New York Student Art League.
10th ANNUAL
CarlOrtman.com
SedonaPleinAirFestival.org Presented by Sedona Arts Center
OCTOBER 18-25, 2014
SUSAN PITCAIRN
Susan Pitcairn’s light-filled imagery is both particular and universal, expressing special moments of insight in which the outer beauty of nature reflects the inner beauties of spirit. Raised in Arizona, Pitcairn paints the Southwest landscapes she has loved all her life. Fluent and versatile in several media — oils, acrylics and pastels, she also writes poetry to complement her paintings and has published two books and created a number of inspirational exhibits and events that combine these expressions. In addition, Pitcairn teaches studio and plein air classes for the Sedona Arts Center and has written “Awaken To Beauty,” a treatise on three core principles of art and life. She has participated for three years in the Sedona Plein Air Festival. Her paintings have won a number of awards, including recognition in the national Paint the Parks competition, and they hang in collections from Italy to New Zealand. Earlier in her life, she co-authored the best-selling Dr. Pitcairn’s Complete Guide to Natural Health for Dogs and Cats (Rodale Press, 1981), now in its third edition with over half a million copies sold.
SusanPitcairn.com 10th ANNUAL
SedonaPleinAirFestival.org Presented by Sedona Arts Center
OCTOBER 18-25, 2014
SUSIEHYER
Susiehyer has been drawing and painting since she was a child. “I remember drawing a pair of ceramic flamingos my mother used to keep on her dining room table when I was four years old”, she says. “I knew from that moment I would be an artist when I grew up.” Attending art programs at Moravian College, The Baum School of Art, and the University of West Florida in the 1970’s, she continues to study and expand her repertoire and abilities, attending the Art Students League of Denver and participating in workshops whenever she can, with artists such as Quang Ho, Kim English, Jay Moore, and Kevin Weckback. In 2001 she completed the Denver Botanical Gardens Certificate in Botanical Art and Illustration. This award winning artist has been working professionally since 1976 and has been the recipient of a number of scholarships, grants, and awards for her work, including two international design awards. Her work has appeared in numerous galleries and national exhibitions, hangs in many private and corporate collections, and has been published in the celebrated book “Landscapes of Colorado”, Southwest Art Magazine and Fine Art Connoisseur Magazine as a feature artist, on the covers of Art Life, Evergreen Living , and Mountain Country Life. Most recently she was included in American Art Collector Series of books. She has been a National Vice President of the Women’s Caucus for Art, President of the New Orleans Chapter, and is involved in several other professional organizations such as Plein Air Artist of Colorado and Oil Painters of America.
10th ANNUAL
SusiehyerStudio.com
SedonaPleinAirFestival.org Presented by Sedona Arts Center
OCTOBER 18-25, 2014
DAVE SANTILLANES
A native of Colorado, Dave Santillanes began oil painting after graduating from Colorado State University with a BFA in graphic design. His early painting explorations quickly merged with his love of the outdoors and, naturally, oil paint and a field easel became part of his outdoor gear. His explorations into oil painting and the wilderness continue. Dave’s work is characterized by a realistic rendering of color, light and atmosphere. To capture these elusive elements, each studio painting begins in the field with a plein air study. This direct approach allows Dave to achieve a realism unattainable through photographic studies alone. And while direct observation is important to studying the physical aspects of color and light, Dave also believes that “painting outdoors brings a spiritual intimacy with the scene” allowing him to ‘speak’ with complete sincerity in the final painting. Dave’s passion for painting has led to a number of recent awards including the Bronze Medal at the 2010 Oil Painters of America National Show and the Judge’s Award at the 2010 Grand Canyon Celebration of Art.
Dasanti.com 10th ANNUAL
SedonaPleinAirFestival.org Presented by Sedona Arts Center
OCTOBER 18-25, 2014
LORIANN SIGNORI
“I spend a considerable amount of time studying the landscape. I paint small plein air pieces and make color notes. My goal is to understand the essence of the landscape. Later, when I return to the studio, I allow this “information gathering” to work like a seed. I fertilize it by creating more small paintings - offshoots of the plein air piece. For me these new pieces, color harmony studies, work to help me understand the possibilities of color. Like a writer composing a poem, the colors are my words, and when I rearrange these words I hear/see a different experience. The studio is the place where the real work begins. I build my paintings on ideas, and the multitude of color combinations available to me is my language. My goal is never to record a place, rather to understand the poetry of color through the landscape. Each painting goes through a process that begins with an underpainting and progresses with thin layers of glaze. Oftentimes it is necessary to scrape, rub or sand the surface in order to maintain the translucence I desire. Like an opal, each layer of color affects the other layers. This constant alteration is not an intentional process but the byproduct of my striving to make something better. I find that after all my planning I must always surrender some measure of control and pursue the unanticipated. The painting speaks, and I respond.”
10th ANNUAL
LoriannSignori.com
SedonaPleinAirFestival.org Presented by Sedona Arts Center
OCTOBER 18-25, 2014
WILLIAMSON TAPIA
The landscape paintings of Williamson Tapia are primary examples of ‘definitive plein air’ ... that is to say, ‘open air’ compositions made via ‘direct-study’ means, without even minimal use of secondary reference material (cameras and such) to complete the work: “For me, the real challenge and lure of landscape painting has always been the ‘full experience’ of working at the point-of-view ... where my paint strokes are influenced directly by nature, start-to-finish, through active study of a living outdoor subject.” Most of Will’s work is produced over the course of days when the shadows and highlights on a given subject are recurring and similar ... during the same 2 to 4-hour period within a 24-hour cycle. Revisitation makes the full ‘direct-study’ aspect possible ... and depending on weather and other factors, the completion of up to 3 definitive ‘open-air’ compositions in a week’s worth of successful painting. Please ‘feel free’ to observe, and perhaps even ‘wish him well’ in his efforts ... do not mistake any silence for snobbery, however, as there is simply a limited amount of time for him to work as outdoor light is progressively changing. If you like, don’t hesitate to take pictures of Will working ... and as he does not carry or use cameras, please consider forwarding images to his email at willtapia50@gmail.com. Photos posted online, or ‘in print’ will credit the photographer ... and would also be very much appreciated!
WilliamsonTapia.com
10th ANNUAL
SedonaPleinAirFestival.org Presented by Sedona Arts Center
OCTOBER 18-25, 2014
DAWN SUTHERLAND
I began painting in Wisconsin but really fell in love with the beauty of the American Southwest. I am active in plein air painting groups, and when not painting in the studio, I can usually be found outdoors with pochade box and backpack, capturing first-hand the beauty of the desert, the mountains, and especially Grand Canyon. Plein aire painting uniquely captures the depth and definition of the landscape; these qualities can be lost when working from photographs alone. I feel there is almost always a near perfect composition provided by nature. I love to look for that when selecting a site to paint. Sometimes a scene calls out loudly to be painted; other times I hear only a whisper. Those are the images from the landscape that find their way to my heart and to my canvas. There is no substitute for spending time with your subject, whether it’s a landscape or a beloved pet. In this way, the emotional ties are developed which are then reflected in the finished work. Born and raised in rural northeastern Wisconsin, I pursued a career in teaching followed by a master degree in counseling graduating from UW-Green Bay and UW-Whitewater, respectively. In 2001, I took a first-time painting class from the Wustum Museum of Art in Racine, Wisconsin and credit my teacher, John Parsons for his persistence, patience and believing that I could somehow figure out this painting-thing. Moving to Arizona in 2003 I landed in a community of fine plein air painters who have been a great influence. Combining that with classes and teachers from other walks of life, I find myself, now in Flagstaff, close to the earth, doing what I love most, painting, hiking and gardening.
10th ANNUAL
DawnSutherlandFineArt.com
SedonaPleinAirFestival.org Presented by Sedona Arts Center
OCTOBER 18-25, 2014
10TH ANNUAL SEDONA PLEIN AIR FESTIVAL OCTOBER 18-25, 2014 ARTIST BIOGRAPHIES
10th ANNUAL
SedonaPleinAirFestival.org Presented by Sedona Arts Center
OCTOBER 18-25, 2014