12th Annual Wayne Art Center Plein Air Festival: Artist Statement Book

PleinAir Festival wayne art center 2018

Festival: May 6 through May 12, 2018 Exhibition: May 13 through June 30, 2018

12 th Annual Wayne Art Center Plein Air Festival May 6 - June 30, 2018

Wayne Art Center Executive Director: Nancy Campbell Wayne Art Center Director of Exhibitions and Events:

Karen Louise Fay

12th Annual Plein Air Festival Presenting Sponsor

Wayne Art Center Š 2018 Wayne Art Center All images courtesy of the artists Event photographs courtesy of Brenda Carpenter, Laura Ducceschi, Jill Frechie, Susan Scovill and Wayne Art Center All Rights Reserved

Calendar of Events 2018 Wayne Art Center Plein Air Festival May 6 - May 12, 2018

Plein Air Exhibition and Sale May 13 - June 30, 2018

May 6 May 7 - 12 May 11 May 12 May 12 May 13 May 14 - 16 May 18 June ?

June 6 June 14 June 21 June 23 - 24 June ?

Welcome Dinner for Artists & Sponsors at Willowbrook Farm Artists paint within 25 miles of Wayne Artists paint at Special Disgnated Location(s) Community Paint Out in Wayne Collectors’ Soirée and Sale Juror’s Lecture and Painting Demonstration with John Cosby Painting Workshop with John Cosby Reflections Thru the Lens: An Exhibition of Landscape Photography Artists’ Reception French Wine Pairing Dinner Barnes Foundation Docent Tour Painting Demonstration with Mick McAndrews Special Murder Mystery Dinner & Theater Benefit Sponsored by West Laurel Hill Painting Workshop with Tara Will Orchestra Concordia Ensemble Plein Air Concert

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What is

Plein Air?

Pierre Auguste Renoir, Monet Painting in His Garden at Argenteuil. 1873. Oil. Wadsworth Athenaeum.

En plein air is a French expression meaning “in the open air,” and refers to the act of painting outdoors with the artist’s subject in full view. Plein air artists capture the spirit and essence of a landscape or subject by incorporating natural light, color and movement into their works.

The high point of plein air art came with the emergence of Impressionism in the mid-tolate 19th century. Artists of that period included Monet, Renoir, Pissarro, Cezanne and Van Gogh. Interest in outdoor painting has remained constant since the 20th century. Today’s artists carry on the traditions of these past masters by capturing light and movement in landscapes that can only come from seeing the subject outdoors in its natural form.

The last twenty-five years have seen a resurgence of interest in plein air painting in the United States. During this time, groups of plein air painters began gathering together to paint at single locations or within certain geographic boundaries. These “paint outs” are now very popular and give artists a chance to share their talents and creativity with the public and with one another.

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About Wayne Art Center

Plein Air

Modern plein air painting with an audience.

The Wayne Art Center Plein Air Festival is an exciting opportunity to bring valued talent to our community. Over half of the artists come from other regions stretching up and down the East Coast, Midwest and California. This year with the growing awareness of the Wayne Plein Air Festival, there was a record-breaking number of applicants and the festival is attracting artists from across the United States.

The first Wayne Plein Air Festival was held in 2007 with the intention of making it an annual event. Artists had to mail in slides or CDs with their artwork for juror Sara Linda Poly to review. The 33 participating artists were primarily from the East Coast, although a few came in from the Midwest to paint in Wayne. The paintings were displayed in the newly-completed, bright and spacious Davenport Gallery, and the Preview Party was held in the new Vidinghoff Lobby, taking full advantage of our 2007 renovation and expansion.

With each passing year, Wayne Plein Air Festival has grown to be one of the most wellrespected painting events on the East Coast. The application process is now fully online, attracting the foremost plein air artists from across the country. The paintings produced are displayed across the Art Center in the Davenport, Vidinghoff and Outer Galleries, and over 250 guests attend the Collector’s Soirée for the first chance to view the new artwork.

Thanks to generous sponsors and patrons, we are now able to offer ever-increasing awards in recognition of the artists’ talents.

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Natalia Andreeva Tallahassee, FL

Natalia Andreeva is a professional Florida artist working with oil and watercolor media. Natalia’s work is influenced by the fusion of Eastern and European schools of art, and by the philosophies capturing a harmonious marriage between spontaneous expressions and classical realism.

Originally from Siberia, Natalia holds a diploma from Novosibirsk State Pedagogical University. Her education also includes postgraduate studies at the Department of Painting and Composition at the Moscow State Pedagogical University, and numerous workshops and studio work throughout Russia, Europe and the United States of America. She held a faculty position at Novosibirsk State Pedagogical University and, since 1996, taught many classes and workshops around the United States.

Natalia’s works have been distinguished with honors and fellowships and are featured in multiple public and private collections. Additional information and latest news regarding her work can be found at andreeva.com.

Shrimp Boat Oil 6

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Olena Babak Hartland, ME

Olena Babak is a classically trained artist who has recently moved to Maine from North Carolina, where she attended a private art atelier. She is trained in the academic traditions of the French and Russian schools where significant emphasis is put on direct observation and pushing the limits of lighting and color in the process of capturing mood and enchantment in ever-changing surroundings.

Olena Babak is an award-winning artist whose landscapes and figurative works can be found in the Albin Polasek museum and number of private collections and galleries in the U.S. and abroad.

Formerly teaching graduate students at the Academy of Classical Design, Olena now offers private workshops and classes in her Bangor, Maine, studio. Her private studio and residence is on the peaceful Great Moose Lake in central Maine.

Morning in the Harbor Oil 8

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Joanna Barnum Abingdon, MD

Joanna Barnum is a fine artist and illustrator based in Harford County, Maryland, working in watercolor. Her work balances the energetic qualities of watercolor and expressive color with careful observation of light and form.

Joanna recently received Second Place at Harford Plein Air 2017 and First Place Quick Draw at Floyd, Virginia, Plein Air 2017. She has also competed at Easels in Frederick, Paint Annapolis, Mountain Maryland, Piedmont Plein Air Paint Out, and Paint It Ellicott City. Joanna was selected for the James Webb Space Telescope artist project with NASA Goddard, painting the telescope from life and creating work inspired by it for recent exhibitions in Maryland and Texas. She was a 2016 artist in residence at Catoctin Mountain National Park.

Joanna is a Signature Member of the National Watercolor Society and serves on the boards of the Baltimore Watercolor Society and the Mid-Atlantic Plein Air Painters Association. She earned a BFA from the Maryland Institute College of Art and is also an accomplished illustrator and portrait painter. She teaches watercolor at Chesapeake Fine Art Studio in Stevensville, Maryland. Additional information can be found at joannabarnum.com

Blue Bus, Grey Day Watercolor 10

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Barbara Berry Pottstown, PA

From the rising sunlight reaching across the woodland streams in Pennsylvania to the late afternoon light stretching over the foothills of the Bighorn Mountains in Wyoming, the ever-changing beauty of Barbara Berry’s fragile home is her inspiration. With her paintings, she hopes to prompt a nostalgic memory or inspire another to pause and appreciate the surrounding beauty.

After having had a rewarding career as a soprano soloist in the opera in Germany, Barbara returned to America and enrolled in art classes and workshops with some inspiring and wonderful artists, including Kenn Backhaus, Barbara Courtney Jaenicke, Jon Redmond, Valerie Craig, Tony Allain, Jen Evenhus, Charlie Hunter, David Shevlino, Ellen Cooper, Randall Sexton and Mike Beeman. She now lives in a rural area in Pennsylvania, where she is surrounded by a lifetime of incentive to get outside and paint.

Barbara is a signature member of the Maryland Pastel Society and the Philadelphia Watercolor Society, a member of the Oil Painters of America, the Pastel Society of America, the Connecticut Pastel Society, the Pastel Society of the West Coast, the International Association of Pastel Societies, and the Portrait Society of America.

Winter Grazing Oil 12

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Zufar Bikbov Oakville, CT

Zufar is a plein air artist known nationally for his lyrical landscapes, paintings of sea scenery and little towns. After over a decade of traveling and painting in the United States, his style still leans towards Russian Realism.

Being born and raised in Russia during the Soviet era, Zufar absorbed the spirit of that nation and of that time. After moving to the United States, Zufar found that the language of love to the land and to the people is universal and has no borders.

Spurred by an interest to paint in plein air in the United States, the artist entered national level competitions, where he won a number of awards coast to coast, including Easton, Finger Lakes, Wayne, Laguna Beach, Atlanta, Texas.

Zufar was featured in Plein Air Magazine and Southwest Art Magazine.

His works are widely present in private collections in the United States, UK, Spain, and of course in Russia. Zufar has a number of followers of his art and considers teaching art as an another significant point of his artistic career.

Made in the Shade Oil 14

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George Bodine Covington, KY

George Bodine paints landscapes, cityscapes and people, working both in plein air and the studio. Recently, he has been travelling extensively in Europe, and his paintings reflect his unique vision here and abroad.

George paints almost exclusively in oils, many of which are from small, niche manufacturers. George often hand stretches Belgian linen, sized with rabbitskin glue and primed with white lead ― techniques dating from the 16th century. He has begun painting on sun-bleached Belgian linen, again primed with white lead, but glued to either sealed Birch board, or archival quality Artist’s board.

George Bodine’s goal is to produce work that will transcend time. His distinct vision, coupled with careful, proven techniques ensure that his work will be permanent and able to be handed down within families or collections over centuries.

George’s subject matter, and especially style or “voice” in painting, is unique. His varied subjects keep his works from being labeled within a single genre. Consequently, his work is owned by diverse collectors, varying from a U.S. Senator, a contemporary Art Museum and a U.S. Embassy, in addition to hundreds of collectors in the U.S. and Europe.

George is a member of Oil Painters of America and has recently held 10 consecutive one-man shows, almost all of which have sold out.

Afternoon Sun Oil 16

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Lon Brauer Granite City, IL

Lon Brauer is American artist known for his work in figure and plein air landscape.

Born in 1955 and coming of age in the 1970’s, Lon has roots in the abstract expressionist movement. His work is a mix of the abstract with the representational, bringing an impressionistic use of paint and materials to create images that challenge the viewer with new perspectives on the figure and landscape genre.

“I had a long and successful career as a studio photographer before getting back into painting. That experience ― working with photo images ― has influenced my approach to painting. The camera is mechanical but the artist’s mind is fluid. I’m always looking to find new ways to interpret perceptions of the world around me.”

Cotton Oil 18

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Michele Byrne Wyomissing Hills, PA

Michele Byrne is recognized for her figurative plein air work and in recent years for her dynamic palette knife paintings. She lives and works in Reading, Pennsylvania; however, she travels extensively, painting in various locations including, New York, Paris, California, Colorado and Florida.

Painting in plein air is not just a passion for Michele, it is a dedication.

The artist must make decisions about time of day, direction of light and inclusion of figures despite the constantly changing subject matter. The decisions allow the artist to paint dynamically with light and air as part of the final image.

“Painting plein air allows me to create a more fluid diary of the everchanging activity of a café, city sidewalk or a beach scene.”

Michele has won numerous awards in her plein air and studio work including most recently an Award of Excellence with the Rocky Mountain Plein Air Painters in 2016. Michele’s new instructional video was released through Liliedahl Productions in 2017 titled Painting Impressionistic Figures. Two books of her paintings are published and she is working on a third book. The titles of the published books are: The Art of Conversation with an introduction by Constance Battle MD.; The Art of Conversation: Manhattan with an introduction by Meredith Lewis. Michele has also had her works included in sales at Freeman’s Auction House in Philadelphia and she is a nominated member of the Salmagundi Club in New York City, a Signature Member of the American Impressionist Society and Oil Painters of America.

Byrne’s work was featured in an eight-page article written by Steve Doherty in the June/July 2013 Issue of Plein Air Magazine.

Urban Lunch Hour Oil 20

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Valerie Craig Villanova, PA

Valerie Craig has drawn and painted nearly all her life. Known for her impressionist approach to color and light, Valerie’s subject matter includes urban and rural landscapes, as well as intimate still life paintings and figures within a landscape.
To date, she has had more than twenty years in the field, painting in both watercolor and oils. Like most artists, Valerie continues to be a student of art, always reaching for a higher level of excellence while discovering and expressing her own voice.

In 1998, Valerie left her career in nursing administration to pursue her passion for painting on a full-time basis. She feels that her best expressions happen when she is on location and can directly sense the mood and atmosphere of a particular scene. Whether painting vast open areas or more intimate spaces, she finds that capturing light and color is best accomplished through close observation and careful study.

Valerie teaches workshops and has been invited to be the juror for professional art exhibitions. Her work is represented in corporate, private and museum collections across the country.

Valerie is a faculty member at Wayne Art Center.

Starbucks Run Oil 22

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Eileen Eder Guilford, CT

An avid painter for 20 years, Eileen Eder began as a studio painter of figures and still life. Eventually, she decided to try painting outdoors.

Instead of models or bowls and fruit sitting still with a fixed light, she fell in love with the challenge of catching a constantly changing world ― juggling composition, design, color, light, bugs, wind ― all while standing for hours at the mercy of a parade of onlookers.

Eder has an MFA from The New York Academy of Art. She has studied at the New York Studio School, Rhode Island School of Design, Hudson River School, and with numerous professional artists including Israel Hershberg, T. Allen Lawson and Don Demers. Eileen currently teaches at the Lyme Academy College of Fine Art and Lyme Art Association in Old Lyme, CT. She is a member of the Salmagundi Club, Oil Painters of America, American Impressionist Society, Hudson Valley Art Association and Lyme Elected Artists.

Eileen has won numerous prizes for her still life and landscape paintings in competitions, both locally and nationally. 2016/17 awards include: First Prize, Guilford Art League Annual Juried Show; Certificate of Merit “Radiant Still Life,” Salmagundi Club, New York, NY; Second Place, Oil Painters of America, Summer Online Show 2016; and Best in Show, Connecticut Academy of Fine Arts 2016. Recently, Plein Air Painting Magazine gave her a five-page article in the June/July 2017 publication.

Previous awards include being a finalist for five years running in American Artist Magazine. Her work can be seen at eileeneder.com

Meigs Point Rockstar Oil 24

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Paul George Ipswich, MA

Paul George is a nationally recognized artist with 69 award-winning works. He is a Signature Member of Rockport Art Association and Museum, Northshore Art Association, National Watercolor Society, and New England Watercolor Society, Paul has received an Award of Excellence twice at Maritime Gallery at Mystic Seaport’s Marine Masters exhibition. He has also been a painting teacher for over 20 years.

Overland Station Oil 26

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Neal Hughes Moorestown, NJ

A former illustrator, Neal Hughes has been painting professionally for over 30 years. His work has been accepted into many local and national juried exhibitions such as the American Impressionist Society National Exhibition and Oil Painters of America National and Regional Exhibitions.

His work has also been juried into the ARC Salon and the National Exhibition of The American Society of Marine Artists.

Plein air painting awards include: First Place, Lighthouse Art Center Plein Air Festival 2018; Artists Choice Award, Door County Plein Air Festival 2017; First Place, Wayne Art Center Plein Air Festival 2017; Second Place, Cape Ann Plein Air Festival 2017; Best Nocturne, Solomons Island Plein Air Festival 2017; Third Place, Lighthouse Plein Air Festival 2017; Best Plein Air painting, December/January 2016 Plein Air Salon; First Place and Artists Choice Award, Plein Air Rockies 2016; Second Place, Cape Ann Plein Air 2016; Artists Choice Award, Mountain Maryland Plein Air Festival 2016; First Place, Bath County Plein Air Festival 2015.

Other awards include an Award of Excellence from Oil Painters of America, the Maritime Gallery Yachting Award and Awards of Excellence at the prestigious International Marine Art Exhibition at the Gallery at Mystic Seaport. He was also awarded a Certificate of Excellence by the Portrait Society of America. In addition, Neal was the grand prize winner of the Utrecht 60th Anniversary Art Competition, winning the top prize out of over 12,000 entries and his work has been featured in Plein Air Magazine, Southwest Art Magazine, Fine Art Connoisseur Magazine, American Artist Magazine and other publications.

Neal was elected a “Fellow� of the American Society of Marine Artists and is also a member of the Salmagundi Club in NY, the American Impressionist Society and the Mid-Atlantic Plein Air Painters Association.

Castle Roxx Oil 28

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Tim Kelly Baltimore, MD

Tim Kelly from Baltimore, Maryland, has been a frequent participant in various plein air events in the Mid-Atlantic region since 2011. He has numerous awards to show for it, including four Best in Show awards ― one of which was at the Wayne Plein Air Festival in 2016.

Tim started painting outdoors from direct observation about ten years ago, and this method has become his primary artistic pursuit. Prior to that, he focused on freelance illustration and portraiture. Recently, figurative painting has peaked his interest through direct observation of live models.

Tim earned his BA from Maryland Institute College of Art in 1992. He is also a licensed tractor trailer driver and an utterly amateur guitar player.

Fairmount Dam Oil

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Michael Kotarba Baltimore, MD

Michael Kotarba is an award-winning plein air painter and graphic designer living in Baltimore, Maryland. His return to landscape painting came by chance on a vacation to the seacoast of Maine. Painting outdoors became an avocation. After a career in publishing design and illustration, he made the decision to focus on plein air and studio work as a full-time pursuit.

Michael has been accepted to participate in Paint Annapolis, Plein Air Easton, Wayne Plein Air Festival, Easels in Frederick, Paint It Ellicott City, the Hampton Art Initiative, Cylburn Celebration of Art, and the MidAtlantic Regional Exhibition of the Baltimore Watercolor Society. He was also selected to exhibit in the American Watercolor Society’s international exhibition at the Salmagundi Club.

He is a Signature Member of the Mid-Atlantic Plein Air Painters Association, an associate member of the American Watercolor Society and a Signature Member of the Baltimore Watercolor Society. He received his Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the Maryland Institute College of Art where he received Graduate training in illustration and poster design.

For more information, please visit kotarba@cavtel.net.

Waiting for the Palmetto Watercolor 32

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Patrick Lee Pittsburgh, PA

Patrick Lee is an award-winning artist and plein air painter from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He attended Edinboro University, receiving a degree in Painting with an Art History minor. He feels the greatest part of his artistic education has come from interacting with and learning from fellow artists and from studying others’ artwork. Patrick primarily works in oils, charcoal and watercolor (gouache), choosing subject matter that ranges from figurative works and landscapes to still life and interiors.

Patrick has participated in many solo and group exhibitions, including the Butler Institute of American Art in Youngstown, OH, the State Museum of Pennsylvania,The Hoyt Institute and the Westmoreland Museum of American Art. An internationally collected artist, he has been involved in numerous group and solo exhibitions. He was the Grand Prize winner at the 2015 Solomons Plein Air Festival (Solomons, MD) and was awarded the Best in Show award at the 2017 Wayne Plein Air Festival. Lee was a featured artist in the November 2016 issue of Plein Air Magazine.

Using thick applications of paint, he likes to look for the design and form possibilities in nature, which sometimes leads to strong elements of abstraction and suggestion in his work, rather than explicit detail.

Cruisers Oil 34

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Christopher Leeper Canfield, OH

Christopher Leeper is a realist painter working in all mediums. His awardwinning work has been shown in solo and juried exhibitions throughout the country. He participates in several plein air competitions each year.

In 2017, he won awards at five different events, including Second Place at Wayne Art Center’s Plein Air Festival.

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 Ohio Magazine, The Artist’s Magazine, Plein Air Magazine, Watercolor Magic and Splash 14 (North Light).

A popular instructor, he teaches numerous workshops each year. He is a member of the adjunct faculty in the Department of Art at Youngstown State University. He is a member of the Oil Painters of America, Ohio Plein Air Society and is past president of the Ohio Watercolor Society.

You can see his work at christopherleeper.com.

Porter Creek Acrylic 36

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David Lussier Somersworth, NH

David Lussier is an award-winning contemporary impressionist and nationally recognized plein air painter and workshop instructor. He is a painter in the purist sense of the word. In his poetic and intimate oil landscapes he strives to capture the essence and sense of place of his subject matter. His use of bold broad brushwork brings the surfaces to life and begs the viewer to return for a second look.

David started his career as a commercially trained illustrator, but he quickly realized that his passion was in the fine arts. He has been painting professionally for more than twenty five years, has garnered more than 75 prizes for his work and is in numerous private and corporate collections throughout the United States. His work has been featured in many art journals and he is a professional member of some of the finest art associations and groups in the country. David is also an official U.S. Open artist for the United States Golf Association. Four of his paintings hang in the permanent collection of the USGA Museum in Far Hills New Jersey.

By the Sea Oil 38

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Chuck Marshall Wilmington, OH

Chuck Marshall (Charles W. Marshall, Jr.) was born in Wilmington, Ohio, on December 7, 1957. The small town of New Antioch, about seven miles outside of Wilmington, became home to Chuck, his one brother, five sisters, mother and father.

The surrounding area was known for its agriculture ― mainly hogs and corn― so Chuck grew up working farms and spending time in his father’s construction trade, but Chuck knew he wanted to do something different with his life ― he knew he was going to be an artist from a very early age.

He would spend hours each day sketching images of fields, hillsides and animals that he would see while roaming the countryside.

He studied one year at the Art Institute of Cincinnati before studying at the California Art Institute in Southern California. His art career includes many years as an illustrator and graphic designer as well as his fine art.

Chuck has been invited to and has participated in many national plein air events as a guest artist, such as Olmsted Plein Air Invitational, Atlanta Georgia; Door County, Wisconsin; Great American Paint Out, the Apalachicola/Panhandle Florida area; En Plein Air Texas; Paint The Penninsula, Washington; Wayne Art Center Plein Air Festival, Pennsylvania; Finger Lakes Plein Air, where he recently won best of show; and Cape Ann Plein Air. His work has been published numerous times in International Artist Magazine, American Artist Magazine, American Art Collector, Fine Art Connoisseur and Plein Air Magazine.

Chuck has won numerous local and national awards, and has also performed as a judge in many juried art shows.

For more information, please visit chuckmarshallfineart.com.

The Little Red River Oil 40

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Mick McAndrews Downingtown, PA

Mick’s award-winning paintings strive to capture the mood and atmosphere of a subject, combining the magic of watercolor with reverence for the principles of design to create works of sophisticated simplicity. He is a signature member of the Philadelphia Watercolor Society (Crest Award), the Pennsylvania Watercolor Society (Sylvan Grouse Guild) and the Baltimore Watercolor Society. He is also an Artist Member of the Mid-Atlantic Plein Air Painters Association.

“I am a passionate painter who believes that time spent painting is precious. My goal is to draw and paint every day and I believe that the fastest way to artistic growth is through the activity of painting. I enjoy painting outside to take advantage of surroundings, natural light, and the sights and sounds that influence each painter’s creative nature. Outside in nature’s studio is where I find the greatest challenge and the greatest reward. I am challenged to capture the moment because light and its effect, reflection and cast shadow changes continuously. I am forced to simplify, to reduce the overwhelming complexity of what’s in front of me into only the most important shapes and values. I believe that with watercolor there is a partnership between artist and medium to find a balance between the knowledge, technique and skill of the painter while leaving room for the magic that makes watercolor so distinctive.”

For more information, please visit mickmcandrewsfineart.com.

Eden Mill Watercolor 42

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Kirk McBride Berlin, MD

Kirk McBride developed an interest in American painting as a young man when he first saw the work of Edward Hopper and Winslow Homer.

The images they painted depicted life in our country during their times and led him to make paintings of people, places and moments that he experiences today. Exposure to the work of masterful painters, Emile Gruppe, Edgar Payne, N.C. Wyeth and Frederick Mulhaupt inspired Kirk to develop a style of reduced realism in his oil paintings that emphasizes the masses, light and mood more than the details. He has studied with modern day American masters, Ken Auster, Kim English and Randall Sexton.

After college at the University of Maryland, Kirk won Best in Show at the first local art show he entered, encouraging him to make painting a lifelong pursuit. He has been at it since the 1970’s, part time while teaching and raising a family, and full time since the early 90’s. A switch from watercolors to oils 18 years ago led to plein air painting. This led to travels where he has met and shared experiences and knowledge with painters from all over. He has been elected a “Signature Member” of the Mid Atlantic Plein Air Painters Association and has participated in many painting events. Kirk has been invited to and painted in the Laguna Beach Plein Air Invitational four times, Plein Air Easton four times, and Paint Annapolis six times, winning awards, including Artist’s Choice in Annapolis. Kirk’s love of water and boats has led him to being selected as a Signature Member of the American Society of Marine Artists.

Kirk is known for the interaction of light and shadow in the images he portrays. The fleeting light of early morning or late evening creates a mood that unifies paintings of a variety of subjects. Travels beyond the East Coast to the deserts and mountains have inspired his much collected paintings of aspen trees, rock formations and rusty trucks. He often uses plein air studies along with sketches and reference photos to create larger paintings when back home in his studio.

Beach Bug Oil 44

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Kathie Odom Knoxville, TN

Kathie Odom’s art-journey has taken her through hills and valleys, twists and turns ― laced with great encouragement from family, friends, fellow artists and collectors! Over a lifetime her creativity was fueled by an everpresent attraction to things of God, childhood memories of a family in the building trade, and a high school art teacher that uncovered Kathie’s love for beauty and a wide variety of artistic abilities.

After graduating from The University of Tennessee in Art Education and Fine Arts, Kathie received early recognition for pastel works. But it was 2009 when her artistic endeavors soared, setting her on a course for a career as an oil painter.

“I call myself a ‘Nostalgic Impressionist’ as a way of identifying the subjects and style of painting that interest me most. Also, I am really passionate about plein air painting, and I allow myself to get lost in the wonderful process of it all!”

Kathie resides with her husband and maintains a studio in Knoxville, Tennessee. She travels extensively and spends much of her time oil painting in the great outdoors. Teaching workshops and participating in plein air events occupies much of her calendar. Kathie’s original works have sold internationally, and she is quite proud of her fine art gallery representation.

Time Passages Oil on Linen 46

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Elise Phillips Elverson, PA

Elise Phillips was born in Wayne, Pennsylvania, into a family with an extensive background in the fine arts. Her great-great grandfather founded Newman Galleries in Philadelphia in 1865, and today she is the fifth generation of the family to exhibit there.

A graduate of the Hussian School of Art in 1983, Elise was an accomplished illustrator and graphic designer with many successful commissions in the business community. With an inherent interest in painting, she enrolled at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, emerging well-schooled in the tradition of the Academy.

Elise has for many years maintained a studio in Elverson, Pennsylvania, where the bucolic countryside is a source of inspiration for many of her paintings, along with the Jersey Shore, New England and the Eastern Shore of Maryland, where she is a frequent visitor.

An award-winning exhibitor, Elise is a signature member of the Philadelphia Water Color Society and a member of the Philadelphia Sketch Club, Oil Painters of America and the Mid-Atlantic Plein Air Painters.

Rise of the Flower Moon Oil 48

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Julie Riker Camp Hill, PA

Pennsylvania artist Julie Riker received her BFA from the University of The Arts in Philadelphia, and after graduation she worked on the restoration of the PA State Capitol for 6 years recreating original decorative finishes.

In 1996 she started her own interior decorative painting business, specializing in murals, faux finishes, and handpainted decoration and has painted in countless homes, churches, and businesses in the Harrisburg area and in locations from New York to Florida.

When not working for a client, Julie enjoys painting outdoors. Often these plein air paintings serve as inspiration for larger studio pieces, but some stand on their own as observations of the beauty and variety of nature. She has participated in many national plein air events and won several awards. Recent accomplishments are Artist’s Choice Award at Paint Snow Hill, First Place at Paint Annapolis, People’s Choice Award for Quick Draw at Finger Lakes Plein Air, Plein Air Magazine Award at the Wayne Plein Air Festival, Plein Air Salon Finalist, and Feature Artist juried into Plein Air Easton. Her work is featured in the Feb/March 2018 issue of Plein Air Magazine.

Julie is a member of the Mid Atlantic Plein Air Painters and the Susquehanna Valley Plein Air Painters. Her work can be seen at julieriker.com.

Remenisicing Oil 50

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Claudia Rilling Sellersville, PA

Claudia Rilling is a professional fine artist. Her art is represented by Elins Eagles-Smith Gallery in San Francisco. She teaches at the Wayne Art Center as well as maintains an associate professor position at the Academy of Art University- onsite and online. Her current work consists mainly of cityscape, landscape, and still-life. The work is based on the relationships of planes, light, and form, placed within carefully constructed compositions.

Originally from Bucks County, Pennsylvania, Claudia began studying classical drawing and design at the age of 16 and dedicated herself to learning these principles. Claudia graduated from Boston University’s College of Fine Arts where she further developed her drawing and painting skills. After college she moved to Philadelphia where she worked full-time for Anthropologie Corporation as the assistant to the art department. Following this, she relocated to San Francisco to obtain her MFA degree in painting from the Academy of Art University. Now back in the Philadelphia area, Claudia is enjoying the new landscape and visual influences enabling her to continue to develop her painting in fresh ways.

A Farm in Bucks County Oil 52

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Kari Ganoung Ruiz Interlaken, NY

Kari 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 earning her Bachelor of Science in Fine Art from Ashland University in Ohio, she worked as a decorative painter, faux finisher, and occasional muralist. Kari and her husband Diego Ruiz opened a picture framing studio featuring fine art and gifts in 2007, and she began making studio paintings soon after. An encouraging local 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. Due to the increased visibility of the new gallery, the draw on their time became much greater and began to cut into studio hours. 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.

Diego was honing his craft as a stereo photographer, also needing to be outside during gallery hours. A decision had to be made: push the business to the next level by hiring employees, or downsize lifestyle to allow both of them to be able to travel and move forward with their artistic careers. The choice was made and the plan set in motion to close the storefront location and move to an online only gallery. Kari and Diego have since sold their village home and moved back out to the finger lakes countryside where open fields, forests, lakes, streams, and farms can continue to inspire their work.

Kari is an associate member of the Oil Painters Of America, the New York Plein Air Painters, and the Ohio Plein Air Society. Her works are held in public and private collections throughout the US. For more information, please visit kariganoungruiz.com

Which Way to the Bay Oil 54

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Jason Sacran Fort Smith, AR

Jason Sacran is an Arkansas artist/painter born in Nashville, Tennessee, most known for his outdoor work. He has been invited to many exhibitions and awarded many times. Some of Jason’s more recent accomplishments includes Best of Show awards in the 2017 American Impressionists Society, 2017 Bucks County Plein Air, 2016 En Plein Air Texas, 2016 Maui Plein Air Invitational, 2015 Plein Air Easton, 2015 Olmsted Plein Air Invitational, 2015 Easels in Frederick and 2014 Door County Plein Air. Jason has also had featured articles with publications such as Southwest Art Magazine, International Artist, Artist Magazine, and PleinAir Magazine.

For more information, please visit jasonsacran.com

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Barbara Tapp Kensington, CA

Barbara Tapp graduated in Interior Design from Sydney, Australia, and moved to San Francisco in the 1980’s with her architect husband, Richard. Her career spans 36 years as an architectural renderer. Drawing and sketching is a key foundation in Barbara’s watercolors. Her vibrant Plein Air urban and seascape paintings are perspective driven works, her focus is telling an authentic story and often a title will come to mind when she selects a scene. Barbara is an award winning painter who continues to paint daily, exhibit and compete in Plein Air Events.

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Lena Thynell Port Matilda, PA

Lena Thynell, born and raised in Sweden, now resides in Port Matilda, a small town outside of State College, Pennsylvania. Her passion for watercolor painting began more than twenty years ago. After a long career as a Registered Nurse, Certified Nurse Midwife and Department Head at various Hospitals in Sweden, Lena began painting more consistently after her move to the U.S. in 2011. She also started painting en plein air and entered various shows. She holds Signature status in Pennsylvania, Baltimore, Philadelphia and Pittsburgh Watercolor Societies. Lena has participated in the Finger Lakes Plein Air Event, Harford Plein Air Event and Warm Springs Plein Air Event.

Being outdoors, painting is very inspiring, and she loves it. It is a challenge to paint outdoors where one is exposed to wind, sun, rain and even snow. Her paintings come alive in a way that is quite different from those paintings created in her studio. What started as a hobby has now become an important part of her life. When she paints, her aim is to express a feeling or a mood of the object rather than to create an exact picture.

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Jill Stefani Wagner Saline, MI

Jill Stefani Wagner’s watercolor and pastel paintings have been exhibited in solo and group exhibitions throughout the United States and are included in various corporate and private collections.

Eleven of Jill’s paintings have been accepted into the prestigious International Association of Pastel Societies Exhibits and she has been honored with multiple awards in the Pastel Society of America. The Pastel Society of North Florida recently honored Jill with Best of Show Award in their National Exhibit. Pastel Journal Magazine has awarded her five Honorable Mentions in their Pastel 100 Shows and she has been juried into various Great Lakes Pastel Society National Competitions and Annual Michigan Watercolor Society Exhibitions.

Ms. Wagner has mounted solo exhibitions at The University of Michigan, The University of Michigan Health System, The River Gallery and Pfizer Corporate Headquarters.

In 2016, Jill’s painting appeared on the cover of Plein Air Magazine.

Fine Art Connoisseur Magazine highlighted Jill’s artwork and career in an article titled “Today’s Masters, Artists Making their Mark,” and Pastel Journal included her pastel paintings in an article on art inspired by travel. The best selling French magazine, Practique des Arts, has also highlighted her “skyscapes”.

In Michigan, her work is represented by Tvedten Fine Art in Harbor Springs, J. Petter Galleries in Saugatuk and WSG Gallery in Ann Arbor.

Recently Jill was awarded Master Circle status in the International Association of Pastel Societies. A Master Pastelist in the Pastel Society of America, she also belongs to Degas Pastel Society, Great Lakes Pastel Society, Oil Painters of America, Great Lakes Plein Air Painters Association and Ann Arbor Women Artists.

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Stewart White Baltimore, MD

Stewart White is a member of the American Impressionists Society, and a signature member of The American Watercolor Society, the National Watercolor Society and past President of the American Society of Architectural Illustrators (2012). He was previously the President of the Mid-Atlantic Plein Air Painters Association. He also organized CITYSCAPE 2016, a national competition. Stewart is a Senior Associate at Design Collective, Inc., working as an architectural illustrator in Baltimore, Maryland.

Stewart has painted murals in major museums and sports facilities in the US, including the National Museum of American History and the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History. Awards of note include Best of Show in Wayne Plein Air Festival 2013, Second Place from Plein Air Richmond 2013 and the only watercolor painter to win the Grand Prize in Plein Air Easton 2009. He is also the Grand Prize winner of the Plein Air Salon 2013-2014 Annual Competition and received the 2014 Members Choice Award from ASAI. Most recently Stewart won The Best of Show Award from the Olmstead Invitational for an oil painting.

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Tara Will

Hampstead, MD

Tara Will was born and raised in Maryland. She has always had a strong love for art, stemming from watching the creative hands of her grandmother. This love of art grew into pursuing her B.A. in both Visual Arts and Philosophy from Mount Saint Mary’s University in Emmitsburg, Maryland. She recently joined the plein air movement, painting predominantly in plein air the last three years. Plein air painting offers a limitless studio space full of fresh air and opportunity, which is perhaps why Tara has such a fondness for the fresh, quick outdoor painting experience.

Tara tends to paint quickly with deliberate strong marks that lend well to the transient nature of painting outside. As the sun changes, the shapes, colors and mood change drastically. Tara has a great love of color and light, and she attempts to capture the essence or feeling of a location rather than a photo-realistic copy. She hopes that her work evokes feelings in viewers that bring them joy and, perhaps, encourages them to see beauty in a place that may otherwise seem ordinary.

Tara currently lives in Carroll County, Maryland, with her husband and four small children. Carroll County, Maryland, offers a wide variety of outdoor subjects that excite and inspire her.

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Peter Yesis Searsport, ME

Peter works from his home studio in Searsport, Maine, painting beautiful still-life arrangements and diverse scenes from nature in a soft realistic style. “I look for an expression, a scene or a moment that tells an unfinished story. Art is not only about magnificence, but about the unexpected simplicity and honesty of our immediate surroundings.”

His paintings find the balance between detail and atmosphere intentionally leaving space for thought and reflection. “When I am painting a still-life, a figurative or a landscape, my goal is to draw the viewer’s attention to the underlying beauty of the subject, but then leave them with a desire to discover more.”

His work is currently represented by The Gallery at Somes Sound in Somesville, Maine, The Camden Falls Gallery in Camden, Maine, and the Roux & Cyr Gallery in Portland, Maine, the Geary Gallery in Darien, Connecticut and the Todd Bonita Gallery in Portsmouth, NH. And the True Grit Gallery in Middleborough, MA More information can be found at peteryesisart.com.

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