"The artist's philosophical approach to creating paintings of the landscape is one of simplicity and reverence. During the process of developing the image, she works with the concept that interrelationships and dynamics in nature reflect the human experience. Themes of spirituality, interdependence, and sensual awareness are explored and expressed.

A painting knife is used to apply pure paint to a linen or cotton surface, which is prepared with a burnt sienna ground to provide a contrasting undertone. This technique allow color relationships and gradation of tone and hue to serve as dominant elements in the final image. Abstract elements of the work are emphasized to support conceptual themes and references."

http://jenniferkaneart.com

“Everything in nature has a story to express, and I see my role as an artist is to tell that story with honesty, sensitivity, and a bit of poetry. I have always had a particular love for the landscape, and a need to be out in it. Thus, most of my paintings are begun en plein air, where the quality of light, atmosphere, and season can be experienced by all my senses.”

Mary paints landscapes and still life in acrylic, oil, and pastel and is a member of the Washington Society of Landscape Painters. She is represented by Chesapeake Gallery in Prince Frederick, MD and exhibits in American Painting galleries in Washington, DC, Ellicott City, MD, and New York City.

http://www.marykokoski.com

Mike Barret Kolasinski is a nationally recognized pastelist. An award winning artist, he is a Signature Member of the Pastel Society of America and one of the founding Signature Members of the Chicago Pastel Painters. Having studied Illustration and Design at the Chicago Academy of Fine Arts, Mike is largely self-taught in his current career of producing fine art paintings called WildScapes.

In a relatively short period, his work has won numerous awards, including placing in the Second 100 of the Arts for the Parks Competition, placing in the Top 100 of the 2007 PaintAmerica Competition, taking First Place in the Pastel Category of the American Artist’s 70th Anniversary Competition, being named a Finalist in the Landscape Category of The Artists’ Magazine Annual Art Competition, having a feature article written about his work in the February, 2006 issue of American Artist, and appearing in the International Artist publication, “How Did You Paint That? 100 Ways to Paint Seascapes, Rivers and Lakes, Volume 1”.

Using the medium of soft pastel to achieve an understanding of the philosophy of nature as a whole and integral entity of ourselves, Mike Barret Kolasinski is a visual activist for nature.

http://www.mikebarretkolasinski.com

Karl Eric Leitzel is a lifelong resident of central Pennsylvania. Born in 1957, he has been painting most of his life. He currently works primarily in oils and acrylics, concentrating on landscapes and rural life. He also human and animal portraits. Karl is a signature member of International Plein Air Painters (IPAP), as well as belonging to Oil Painters of America (OPA) and the Farmland Preservation Artists of Central PA . He has had work included in the prestigious Birds in Art annual exhibition at the Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum in Wausau, Wisconsin. Several of Karl's paintings were included in the book, "Wildlife Painting Step by Step," by Patrick Seslar, published by North Light Books.

His site features tips on painting techniques, philosophical ramblings, and a frequently updated gallery of paintings. Commissions are always welcome.

http://keleitzel.com

I graduated from The Fashion Institute of Technology and Design. Although my pastels ultimately reflect the color, the design, and the subtle forms of nature, I build these effects on solid, formally precise drawings.

I have won awards from many pastel societies throughout the States, and have won the first of two awards given by the International Pastel Societies/ Urania Christy Tarbet. I am a member of the American Impressionist Society, where I have won awards two years in a row; The Pastel Society of America, where I have won an award; The Degas Pastel Society, The Plein Air Painters of the Jersey Coast; and a Signature member of the Pastel Society of Cape Cod. Although I have worked in many media, including etching and lithography, my landscape paintings in pastels have allowed me the fullest artistic expression of my love for plein air painting.

http://mlevine.artspan.com

http://www.natalielevinestudio.com

The art of Carolyn Lewis is inspired by nature, wildlife, and people. It is sensitive without being overly sentimental. Her commissioned portraits of individuals and animals, and her powerful landscapes, are steadily gaining acclaim in national art circles.

In September 2005, Carolyn's first book entitled Land and Light Workshop, Painting Mood and Atmosphere in Oils was released by North Light Books, and an accompanying video/DVD demonstration entitled Painting Mood and Atmosphere in Oils was released by Teaching Art, Ltd., UK. Her work is also published in The Ultimate Guide to Painting from Photographs; Artist's Photo Reference - Landscapes (both published by North Light Books); Paint Magazine (Society for All Artists), UK; and The Artist's Magazine.

She enjoys teaching her weekly classes as well as teaching workshops and jurying exhibitions. Her awards are many, including local, regional and national competitions.

http://www.lewisstudio.com

http://www.cecelialyden.com

As a painter I am interested in all types of subject matter realistic to abstract. I have a particular interest in landscape, especially how man inserts things into the landscape.  In addition to that concept I am refining and I hope expanding my control and use of color as a formal quality in my work. Currently I am striving for more simplicity and a freer brush stroke. That last goal is my focus for 2010!

http://www.michaelvlynnefineart.com

Cathy Mabius is a professional fine artist known for her landscapes painted in a style that has been described as a blend of impressionism and painterly realism.   In each painting, her most important goals are to capture the light, color harmonies, as well as the atmosphere or sense of place that is unique to each scene.

The artist has earned signature membership in the International Society of Acrylic Painters and the American Impressionist Society, as well as associate membership in the Oil Painters of America.  She maintains a studio near Harrisburg, PA that is open by appointment.  Information about visits and more information about the artist, her artwork, and galleries representing her work can be found at on her website.

http://www.cathymabius.com

http://www.Michaelmalzone.com

Gordon Matheson is a painterly realist specializing in beautiful open vistas of the Hamptons on the eastern end of New York. Potato farms, world famous golf courses, salt marshes, ponds, bays and beaches dominate the landscape here with water from the Atlantic Ocean and Long Island Sound surrounding the area on 3 sides. The water makes for beautiful morning and evening atmospheric light, around which Matheson concentrates his plein air work. Besides the usual small plein air paintings, he works outside on large canvases which can take quite a while to complete.
 
Because the beauty of the Hamptons attracts so many people to the area, the farms are disappearing and being replaced with “weekend houses” 8-10,000 square feet in size. Matheson founded Plein Air Peconic, a group of plein air painters and landscape photographers who work with the Peconic Land Trust to preserve farmland and keep the open spaces open.

http://www.gordonmathesonstudio.com/

Art has always been in my life however it was basically dormant while pursuing a career in a non-art related position in the pharmaceutical industry. Upon retirement I returned to art and in 2001 took my first watercolor class with Bryan Atyeo, a wonderful Canadian artist and instructor. I continue to take watercolor workshops with well known American and International instructors. My style is inspired by the California watercolorists of the 1940's and 50's and I have a huge collection of their instruction books.

I belong to several art associations and continue to exhibit, sell and win awards in many local and national shows . My paintings are in several private collections. Starting in 2008 I'll be conducting demonstrations and workshops in watercolor.

http://www.JinnieMay.com

Born in Massachusetts in 1971, Jonathan McPhillips has spent most of his life in Southern New England. He resides in Rhode Island, and his artwork reflects the varying scenery of New England. From the coast, to the urban centers, to the studio, his paintings can be spacious and dramatic, or intimate and subtle. Jonathan has instructed painting and drawing, and has put forth his artwork to many community auctions and fundraising projects.

Recently, Jonathan was approached by the United States Department of State to participate in The "Art In Embassies" Program. A painting of his was chosen to stay at the embassy residency in Vilnius, Lithuania. Jonathan's roster of private and public collectors is rapidly growing. A complete list of awards, exhibitions, and affiliations can be found on his regularly updated website.

http://www.jonathanmcphillips.com

Born and raised in Pittsburgh PA, I received my Baccalaureate Degree from Point College now Point Park University.

My Artistic Education is derived in large part from studying the works of the great American Landscape Artists, Emile Gruppe, John Carlson, Edgar Payne, Chauncy Ryder, Fern Coppedge, Ernest Lawson, Granville Redmond, Arthur Goodwin and a host of others. They have opened my eyes to the endless possibilities of perception. It is with their help that I have been able to achieve my current level of artistic ability and with continued study I hope to someday join their ranks. I am currently serving as president of the Pittsburgh Society of Artists Guild.

http://www.gmerola.com

Ronda Lynn Michel is a life long resident of the Valley Forge area.  A creative person her entire life, she took up painting as a career after retiring from dental hygiene.  Initially self taught, she has been classically trained by teachers from New York and at local schools.  Her work reflects her love of nature and the landscape.  She has three sons and lives in Valley Forge with her husband and has a young granddaughter who is a delightful,  flourishing artist.

Ronda approaches her work from an emotional, intuitive place rather than a technical perspective.  She must be engaged on an emotional  level in order to create,  trying to be open to the creative spirit allowing it to be her guide.   She  finds that working quickly and wet into wet helps harness the energy to paint the painting that wants to be painted.  Ronda also finds it difficult to take full credit for works produced as they are quite mysterious to her.  Life has many mysteries and art is one of them.

http://www.RondaLynnMichel.com

Nancy Moskovitz is a professional artist who celebrates the quiet beauty of everyday life in layers of rich luminous colors. In 2007, three of her pieces won Best of Show in juried regional competitions. As 2007 artist-in-residence for Georgia State Parks and Historic Sites, she painted the unspoiled beauty of Sapelo Island, GA. In 2006, Nancy Moskovitz's paintings hung in the Appleton Museum of Art's prestigious Biennial Exhibit. Her work was featured in the Dec. 2001 issue of Ocala Style Magazine.
Nancy's inspiration comes from  the quiet places around us....from the simple things....from the corners. Her landscapes are an intimate look at our world. Skilled in oil, acrylic, pastel, and watercolor, she has been painting treasured commissioned portraits of children, pets, and places from life or photos since 1980. Nancy  lives in the beautiful horse country of Ocala, Florida.

http://nancymoskovitz.com

http://www.joannamurphy.com

Born in Marianao, Cuba, Luis has lived in Florida since 1960. 

While holding a degree in Electrical Engineering and working as an engineer he taught himself to paint. After a while he decided to broaden his artistic horizons and joined Florida International University as a visual arts student where he graduated with the degree of Bachelor of Fine Arts.

Currently Luis is exclusively dedicated to his painting. His Everglades, Biscayne Bay, Big Cypress and Florida Keys paintings capture the light, colors and mood of South Florida’s beautiful and unique landscape.

http://www.lnunez.com/

Known for her inviting landscapes, award winning artist Barbara Nuss is inspired by the rolling hills, picturesque creeks, and historic areas near her home in rural Maryland. Through both plein air and studio paintings, she gives a contemporary response to the landscape with consideration to environmental issues in the still undeveloped areas that reveal the heart and soul of her home state.

Most recently she has had three paintings included in the Top 100 Paint the Parks 2010 and received the Best Landscape Award in the National Oil and Acrylic Painters Society (NOAPS) Best of America 2010.

Barbara credits her artistic development to many sources: her BFA from Syracuse University, the Schuler School of Fine Arts in Baltimore MD, various workshop instructors, her students, and her membership in the Washington Society of Landscape Painters, where she is president for the seventh year. She is also a member of the Salmagundi Club, Oil Painters of America and an artist member of the International Guild of Realism.

Her website reveals many facets of her landscapes, still lifes and genre paintings. Enjoy!

http://www.barbaranuss.com