My name is John O'Keefe. Like every other artist I have loved viewing and creating art since as far back as I can remember. Growing up I was always drawing with pencils, colored pencils, watercolors, and I tried just about everything I could get my hands on. I received formal art training during my primary school years and I have placed within the top 5 at the state level student art competitions. I have studied watercolor painting with Connecticut artist Cathy Singer and I received training at the Pierre School of Art in New Haven, Connecticut, all before graduating high school. I’m currently affiliated with the Cheshire Art League (Cheshire, Connecticut).

What direction am I heading in with my oil painting? I love the early American painters from the Hudson River School and Victorian era. Most of my landscape oil paintings are directed toward the styles of those early artists.

http://www.okeefe-arts.com

http://Raeosheaart.com

Ryan Orewiler was raised in the German Village district of Columbus, Ohio. Settled in the late 1800's the beauty of the German Village's brick streets and homes influenced his admiration of historic neighborhoods and architecture.

Orewiler graduated from Columbus College of Art and Design where he studied Illustration and painting. After graduation, Ryan dedicated his life to understanding art as a whole. He is inspired by all forms of art especially contemporary, cityscapes, and landscape paintings. Although he is known for his cityscapes from his travels throughout the world, he enjoys the challenge in creating his series of abstracts.

Orewiler's work is in corporate and private collections throughout The United States and Europe.
Coming from a family of artists and craftsmen, at age six Orewiler painted his first cityscape - New York's Central Park.

http://www.ryanorewiler.com

Marty, a native Memphian, now resides at Rogers Springs Lake, TN.  Her paintings incorporate watercolors, rich oils, mixed media, and collage which are inspired by her lakeside residence views.  The artist received a Bachelor of Arts degree from UT, and post graduate work at Rutgers.  She is a platinum star Artist with the Memphis/Germantown Art League and a member of the Tennessee Watercolor Society.  Her work is represented in many private and corporate collections across the U. S.  She has received numerous awards and purchase prizes in regional and national shows.  Her works are currently displayed at Palladios and Market Central in Memphis, TN.

http://www.martyparker.com

http://www.clivepates.com

Combining a love of people and nature, you can find Barbara almost always painting en plein air, feeling just as much at home in the city, at the beach or deep into the landscape. She began her art career as a classical portraitist and switched to landscape.  Barbara is proficient in the mediums of oil, pastel and acrylic. Barbara has a regular following of students, and is often on the road teaching workshops and taking part in plein air invitationals.  She is listed in Who's Who in American Art and was photographed painting out on location for the premier issue of Plein Air Magazine. Commissions are welcome.

My first concern in painting is to establish abstract rhythms; that is when I can feel the music begin.  As I push toward reality, my thoughts are focused on consistency of stroke,  the simplicity of the impression and above all else, my love of painting.

http://www.barbaraperrottistudios.com

"I love pleinair painting under the warm summer sun."

Many of Donna's paintings echo her childhood explorations of hills, meadows, and wooded areas in the southernmost regions of her home state, Ohio.  Visits along the Atlantic seascoast, have inspired paintings of rocky cliffs, waterfalls, serene beach scenes, and lighthouses.  As a result of recent travels, her paintings are now taking on the vivid colors of the southwest 4 Corners areas of AZ, NM, CO, and Utah.  Glen Canyon Canyon Dam, depicted here, was painted in 1 hour just outside of Page, Arizona.

http://www.donnapierceclark.com

http://www.americanimpressionism.net

Elizabeth Pollie received her B.F.A. from The College For Creative Studies, where she later taught. For years she worked as a freelance illustrator and has had her work published nationally. Captivated by the landscape, her studies of art have taken her to Italy, France, Greece, Turkey, Mexico, China and across America where she has worked with many renowned painters. Today she resides primarily in the waterside town of Harbor Springs, Michigan where she paints full time.

http://www.elizabethpollie.com

Known for her sweeping skies and landscapes, award winning artist Sara Linda Poly is inspired by local eastern scenes and the many other locations to which her love of plein air painting has taken her.
 
Though she grew up in the Philadelphia area she spent several years living in  California and the west.  She currently lives in Arlington, Virginia and is a full time painter and instructor, teaching workshops here and abroad.  Winner of numerous awards and participant in local and national plein air competitions, she is making her mark, both in the plein air movement and in the studio.

• The Washington Society of Landscape Painters
• Mid Atlantic Plein Air Painters of America
• Oil Painters of America (Associate Member)
• Landscape Artists International
• National Association of Women Artists

“I have always been at home under the open sky, loving the outdoors and nature.  I love the subtle and dramatic atmospheric changes caused by the weather and the seasons and how that affects the quality of light.”

http://www.saralindapoly.com

Lori enjoys working in many mediums. Her most recognized works are in oil, and embody creative composition, skillful brushwork, and masterful use of color.  Lori’s subjects, whether in studio or en plein air, can be anything that catch her eye or spark her imagination. Lori says, "It's about interpreting a moment. Painting from life and capturing light directly translates into form, mood, and meaning.”

The artist’s line of tutelage can be traced to Sargent, Carlson, and Dumond. World-class artists such as Scott Christensen, Michael Shane Neal, Dawn Whitelaw, and Everette Raymond Kinstler instruct and support her.  Lori carries on the tradition by teaching similar principles to her students. She is a member of many respected professional organizations, and a charter member of The Society of Master Impressionists. Her work is in the permanent collection at The Academy Art Museum in Easton, MD, in private collections, and in galleries worldwide.

http://www.loriputnam.com

Jim Rahn grew up in Haddonfield, New Jersey. He now makes his home in Cherry Hill, New Jersey with his wife and two sons.

His interest in art started at an early age, always knowing he wanted to become an artist. He majored in art in high school, going on to study illustration at Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, New York.

Being a life-long resident of South Jersey, he uses the land and people of this region as the subjects in many of his paintings. A representational artist working mainly in watercolors, Jim has an illustrative style using both image and feeling to convey his messages in his paintings. Attracted to strong design and light patterns, he works from sketches and photographs taken in the field and completes the painting back in the studio.

http://www.thirdagestudios.com

Artist Sandra Randall is a well known and respected New England painter. Her artwork depicts dreamy landscapes, bucolic meadows, riveting rivers, shimmering streams and rolling hills. Much of her inspiration originates in observations of her favorite places; the New England coast, picturesque little towns, shimmering lakes, quaint winding country roads, meadows, babbling brooks, and signature rolling hills. She's a free spirit at heart, a native New Englander, who easily connects with the deeper self and accompanying feelings when in the midst of a "typical" New England day. In addition, she shares with us her impressionistic paintings of the Caribbean, lovely florals, and sensitive still-lifes.

This award winning plein aire artist works in oil, watercolor and pastels.

http://SandraRandall.com

James Redding is a popular Pennsylvania landscape artist. He is well known for the painstaking detail and realism found in his watercolor depictions of landscapes and historic buildings. Never content to just create an attractive picture, Redding strives to capture and express the unique character of his subjects through the careful balance of composition, color, lighting and mood.

Recently, Redding expanded his subject matter to include some of the simplistic scenes found in the rich tapestry of the Pennsylvania countryside.

“Spring Rain” which is featured, took shape in the soft light of a sunny morning, right after a spring rain. There was a puddle that had accumulated in the foreground of the piece and there was a dewy quality to the leaves and the grass that just glistened.  I knew immediately that I had to try and capture it on canvas, says the artist.”

http://www.jamesredding.com

John Richards is a retired High School Physics teacher of 35 years who was born, raised, and lives in the Berkshire Hills of Western Massachusetts.  He is self taught as an artist and prefers to paint oils on canvas, landscapes in the style of the Hudson River School and still life in the tradition of the Dutch painters of the 16th and 17th centuries.  More recently his landscapes have been highly influenced by the work of Swiss landscape painter, Alexandre Calame.

His main focus in painting is the realistic portrayal of light and shadow in compositions.  Being able to capture only about 20% of the natural intensity of light with paint forces the artist to fool people’s perception in order for them to see a scene realistically in observing a painting.  It is this ability that Richards strives for.

Richards has participated in many New England Art Exhibits over the last few years, including juried shows such as Vermont’s Deerfield Valley “Art on the Mountain” Exhibit and is represented by the Lenox Gallery of Fine Art (Lenox, MA.). He is a member of Artisans of the Berkshires, the Housatonic Valley Art League, and West River Artists of Vermont.

http://www.jrichardsjr.com

L. H. Richichi  travels the world painting "en plein air" ( in open air). Whether in the breathtaking Hudson Valley, NY, near castles in Tuscany or on a warm beach in Maui, her intention is to capture the brilliance of creation and a love of life. 

Her unique style of working using rich colors and abstract marks enables her to create works that  lift the spirit.  You may share in experiencing this peace filled energy in your home or office when you include a Richichi original or print in your collection.

* Signature Status with the International and New York Plein Air Painters
* Juried membership in the Pastel Society of America
*  International Artist Magazine included her under Master Painters of the World in 2005

http://lindarichichi.com

http://www.yellowskygallery.com

Larry received his BFA from the John Herron School of Art and worked for more than 35 years as a graphics designer and illustrator in Indianapolis and Louisville. He did not pursue his fine art's career until the late 90's, entering his first Hoosier Salon in 2000. Since then he has won numerous awards and was one of the artists featured in the book Hooiser Painters of the 21st Century. He is a member of the Madison Art Club, the Hooiser Salon, the Indiana Plein Air Painters Association, and the Cincinnati Art Club. Larry's only goal for painting is simple, have the viewers feel his work more than see it.

http://www.rudolech.com

http://www.philipsalvato.com

http://www.marshasavage.com

Painting outdoors has always been a part of my lifelong ambition. Finding scenes in nature has let my vision open to new vistas everywhere I look, the sky and the marshlands around me reveal new colors that one does not see in the studio. I make quick vibrant strokes of many colors that are integrated in my paintings. I now stretch to see how far one can push the palette of color and yet make the scene pleasing to view. Plein air is the only way I can achieve the needed vibrancy and spontaneity in my work.

http://www.schaeferartstudio.com

Early in my painting career, I met artist Ted Smuskiewicz and went out painting and discovered nature's music, her beauty, her complexities, her rapidly changing weather. I was hooked. Perhaps it was the challenge of painting outdoors using my knives and brushes to communicate my feelings, my colors being the catalyst to connect to the canvas.

After being influenced at an early age by my father's interest in art, I went to the American Academy of Art in Chicago.  Later, I painted at the Palette and Chisel Academy using the model.
 
My paintings have been widely exhibited in shows such as Oil Painters of America, American Impressionist Society, Women Artists of the West, Mountain Oyster Show, and Old West Museum.  Galleries have included Hilligoss Gallery, Long Grove, Illinois; DeLind Gallery, Milwaukee, Wisconsin; and Rosequist Gallery, Arizona.

Organizations include International Plein Air Painters, Women Artists of the West, and Indiana Plein Air Painters.  I also teach oil painting at the Studio in Mt. Prospect, Illinois.

http://www.DorothySchildknecht.com

http://www.floridalandscapes.com

"I have always lived close to a major metropolitan area. I grew up in northern New Jersey, just outside New York City and currently live in McLean Virginia, just over the Potomac from Washington DC. World renowned museums and galleries of those cities have introduced me to artists who have inspired me since I was a child. Those who influenced me the most taught me that there is no better teacher than nature. Being outdoors, observing and experiencing the beauty of light and the color it brings to life in the landscape is the thread that connects me to these artists of the past and to more of my contemporaries than I can count."

Jean’s paintings are in numerous private collections and on loan to the U.S. Embassy in Ankara Turkey. She is a member of Oil Painters of America, The Art League of Alexandria, Falls Church Arts and Landscape Artists International.

http://www.jeanschwartzpaintings.com

Wisconsin-based American fine artist Marie Scott’s large-format oil paintings and limited-edition prints are intended to convey a sense of color, light, contrast, & beauty as she strives to capture an ordinary scene or object in a fresh way. She paints the things she sees and experiences that make her smile — you’ll notice that there are only sunny blue skies, abundant fields, and sparkling bodies of water in her landscapes.

“I want my artwork to communicate a sense of serenity, warmth, and optimism. My goal as an artist is to spread beauty into the lives and homes of those who don’t mind looking at the world through my eyes. Whether it’s a brilliant red maple leaf waving in the breeze, or a cliffside view of a sparkling coastline, my paintings should cause people to feel as if time has stopped in the midst of a near perfect day.”

http://www.mariescottstudios.com

About Liron-

Liron's oil paintings have been featured in more than 40 shows in New York City and throughout the Northeast, won multiple awards, and have been the subject of over 40 press articles and reviews. Her works are collected by corporate collectors and by individuals in the US and abroad. Liron is listed in Who's Who in America and in Who's Who in Visual Art.

Landscapes as Visual Metaphors-

In life we catch glimpses of our ideal. At times it is right behind the corner, so visible it is believable, almost reachable. Our proximity translates into a sweet promise. Using water as a symbol of life, serenity, and that promise, my trees may either represent a barrier, yield to define a path, or provide a mere glimpse. My landscapes, like my flowers, are not merely intended to reflect nature but rather to project an inner reflection, a metaphorical landscape.

http://www.Liron.com

Colette Odya Smith works primarily in soft pastels to create her ‘intimate landscapes’ that convey a sense of the mysterious and the profound.  She is a signature member of the Pastel Society of America, the Pastel Society of New Mexico, Wisconsin Painters and Sculptors, and the League of Milwaukee Artists. She has received numerous awards in national exhibitions, multiple prizes in The Pastel Journal, International Artist (formerly Pastel Artist International), and was featured in the July/August 2005 issue of American Artist magazine. She is in the permanent collection of the Wichita Center for the Arts.

Ms. Smith majored in Fine Art, Humanities and Education at Macalester College and studied soft pastels at the Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design.  She is represented by the Katie Gingrass Gallery in Milwaukee, Woodwalk Gallery in Door County, WI, and the Jack Richeson Gallery in Kimberly, WI.

http://www.coletteodya.smith.net

"Painting outdoors for me is all about communicating with my subject in a very personal manner. Perhaps it is because of the unique quality of natural daylight, but making contact with something outside through my painting provides an exceptional experience for my being and somehow recharges my creative energy. I think that every painter should regularly work outside if not for any other reason than to get a good 'eye wash'.”

For the past forty-five years, Ted Smuskiewicz has been actively involved as a painter, teacher and as an author in the field of fine art. Exhibiting throughout the country, his work is in both private and public collections. Recently retired from teaching, he was a faculty member of the American Academy of Art in Chicago, IL since 1979, where he taught oil painting and chaired the fine art department. He has written two books on painting and contributed to several others.

http://www.tedsmuskiewicz.com

As a child growing up in coastal New England, I was very aware of the sensory world that I occupied. The clean, fresh smell of salt air and ocean, the fresh mown lawn, the crisp autumn leaves that crackled as they were raked into piles. These smells and their visual counterparts compelled me to draw and paint images that would remain fresh in my mind for a lifetime.

Although I started painting at the age of 11, it was while living in Louisiana in the early 80’s that I had the opportunity to pursue my art in earnest. There, while attending Louisianna State University, I encountered a group of nurturing, supportive artists who were committed to the creative process and the artistic growth of others.

As I continue along the creative path I seem to choose subjects that bring me a joyful spirit or encircle me with warm loving feelings.

http://www.marystgermain.com

http://www.toddstarks.net

A native of Rochester, NY, Phyllis earned a BFA from Syracuse University majoring in Art Education. She has lived in many places but now calls Salisbury, North Carolina home. Oils are her passion, though she also paints with watercolors and pastels. She and her husband share a common interest in the outdoors. The fly fishing gear and the plein air supplies are always readily available.

"Subtly influenced by the Fauves, I use expressive brushstrokes and vivid colors to enhance my subjects. My goal is to capture the qualities of the light, to give the viewer the sense that they have caught a glimpse of a familiar scene."

She is a member of the Waterworks Visual Art Center where she is a painting instructor, an Associate member of Oil Painters of America, and a founding member of Plein Air Carolina. Her paintings can be found in private and corporate collections.

http://www.steimelstudio.com

http://www.stingerfineart.com

As far back as Gina can remember she has had a brush in her hand and a vision in her mind. While the familiar forms of her landscapes, street scenes and still life’s reflect that which we see in nature: Gina chooses vibrant hues and colors that bring out the excitement of their natural beauty. Interpreting a moment in time with confident brushwork and masterful color is her signature style. Her award winning works are produced both in the studio and en plein air. Gina is particularly drawn between the light and shadows of her subjects and wants her work to be as intense, beautiful, and spiritual as life itself, always offering a wealth of emotion for the viewer to consider.

Gina exhibits in numerous galleries and her art is collected by many corporate and private collectors and is a member of The American Impressionist's Society and Landscape Artist International.

http://www.GinaStrumpfStudio.com

Falon Stutzman is currently a senior at Columbus College of Art and Design (CCAD) majoring in Illustration and minoring in Fine Arts. Growing up in the rural mountains of Garrett County, Maryland provided Falon with seasonal colors and textures native to the region. For her, the sensitivity  of color found in atmospheres and weather patterns are a constant source of intrigue.

Falon is currently the coordinator of Art of Illustration ( a student run gallery exhibit at CCAD), as well as student representative for the Illustration department. Among her achievements, she was excepted into the R.S.V.P Portrait exhibit in New York City at the Society of Illustrators, featured in the 2004 and 2005 3X3 Magazine student competition, and won first place for her banner in the Bexley Pathway of Color for 2006. Most recently, Falon was excepted into the American Juried Art Salon Fall 2006 show for two of her landscapes.

http://www.eloqui.com