Today's Featured Artists: Bonnie Casey and Johne Richardson

Bonnie Casey has established herself as a painter of Southwest landscapes since moving to Arizona in 1984. She paints as she feels it, fluid and rhythmical. Her subjects vary from cowboys to cacti to arroyos.  Her canvasses are filled with light and color and yet her works are straightforward depictions.

Bonnie has won more than 100 awards in juried competitions since moving to the Prescott, Arizona area. She has won four Grambacher medals, two of them, Gold. Bonnie placed two paintings in the 2009 PaintAmerica show. "Canyon DeChelley Magic" (20"x30" $2,150) is an oil that finished in the Top100. "Irma" (10"x14", $800) was a portrait that finished in the Mini Top50. Bonnie's paintings can be found in private and corporate collections in the United States and overseas.

Johne Richardson has been a constant fixture in PaintAmerica shows from the beginning, earning Master Circle status in 2009. He was the 2008 PaintAmerica Top100 Grand Prize Winner with his painting, "Shadow Upon the Land".  He had two paintings in the 2009 PaintAmerica Top100. "Wash Day" (21"x28", $3,000) and "Nary Such a Thing as a Fair Sea" (18.5"x28", $3,000).  Both of these paintings are the fantastic watercolors Johne is known for.  Johne has been painting in watercolors for more than 25 years. Jurors regularly score Johne's work among the highest of all entries in PaintAmerica shows.

Contact PaintAmerica Association for purchase information on these and other PaintAmerica paintings, 816.806.3340.

Ukrainetz Donates Painting to PaintAmerica Collection

We were surprised recently with an amazing donation of a beautiful painting by Montana artist Ron Ukrainetz. The painting is an 18 x 36 clayboard and acrylic entitled "Loons and Lilies, and was included in the 2009 Paint the Parks show, along with another Ukrainetz piece entitled "Drink at Dawn." Says Ron, "I talked it over with my business manager (wife, Echo) and we decided this was something we really wanted to do to express our thanks and appreciation for all PaintAmerica has done for artists.  PaintAmerica has given my work much more exposure, and that's really helped my career and the careers of other artists as well."

We can't adequately express our thanks to Ron and Echo - this is a wonderful donation and a significant addition to the PaintAmerica collection.

New Signature Society Members Added!

PaintAmerica Association recently added nine new Signature Society Members. The PaintAmerica Signature Society(PAA) and Masters Circle (PAA-M) have been created to honor those artists whose work has been recognized for continued excellence in PaintAmerica’s National Competitions. Artists attaining this designation have supported PaintAmerica and its mission, and national juror panels have deemed their work to be worthy of this important distinction. We are featuring 3 more of these Signature Artists today.

Robert L. Hunt, PAA.  Pennsylvania artist Robert L. Hunt is a realist painter working in oil on canva. With a strong sense of color and use of light in his original paintings, he creates striking fine art that features landscapes of the American west, vintage railroading, period pieces of the American Civil War, French and Indian War, and aviation art as well as other subjects. Fine detail, masterful use of light and composition, and historical accuracy are hallmarks of his work. This piece, "Laguna Beach" ($3,200) is a 27x20 oil from the 2009 PaintAmerica Top100 show. Robert was the Johnstown Flood Memorial Purchase Award Winner in the 2007 Paint the Parks show, and his work has been included in several PaintAmerica competitions.

Susiehyer, PAA.  Colorado artist Susiehyer is a full-time, professional oil artist who paints landscape, figure, still life, interiors and more. She works both in the studio and en plein air creating everything from quick field studies to large finished paintings. Living in Evergreen, Colorado, Susiehyer often paints the Colorado landscape. She also likes to challenge herself to take on new subjects and environments. Each year she visits several new locations around the US and has traveled to Europe and the south Pacific to paint and study. This piece, "Mountain View Geraniums" ($975) is a 16x12 oil from the 2009 Paint the Parks show.

Mike Barrett Kolasinski, PAA.  Illinois artist Mike Barrett Kolasinski is a nationally recognized pastelist. He is a Signature Member of the Pastel Society of America, and one of the board founding Distinguished Members of the Chicago Pastel Painters. Having studied Illustration and Design at the Chicago Academy of Fine Arts, Mike is largely self-taught, but in a relatively short period, his work has won numerous awards, including the Gold Medal Award at the 2008 Bosque 23rd Annual Art Classic; the Silver Medal Award at the 2009 Bosque 24th Annual Art Classic; placing in the 2008, 2009, and 2010 Paint the Parks 100 Competition; placing in the 2003 Second 100 of the Arts for the Parks Competition; placing in the Top 100 of the 2007, 2008, and 2009 PaintAmerica Competitions; 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 in 1999 and 2010.  This piece, "Burning Sensation" ($1,200) is a 12x24 pastel from the 2009 PaintAmerica Top100 show.

Preview

2010 Paint the Parks Grand Prize Winners Announced!

The 2010 Paint the Park judging is complete. After a long week of final judging through several hundred submissions, our winners are ready to be announced. The $10,000 Grand Prize Purchase Award in the full-size competition goes to Will Maller of Los Altos, California for his oil painting of Yosemite National Park entitled "Gold Country Sundown". The $5,000 Grand Prize Mini50 Purchase Award goes to Dan Stouffer of Bosque Farms, New Mexico for his watercolor painting of White Sands National Monument entitled "Rolling Dunes" For a complete list of all winners, including the Second100 and the SecondMini50, click here. We will post the images of the Jurors awards and Regional Awards shortly.

We want to extend our tremendous appreciation to jurors Karen Vance and Yeqiang Wang who worked long and hard to score every entry in the final judging. They worked several days and late into the night to finish scoring. They took great care to be fair, thoughtful and thorough with every piece. They were professional, and consistent throughout the long process.

As always, some very high quality work just didn't make it into the final show. The amazing talent and work submitted is unbelievable, and we wish there were enough spots in the final grouping to include those that were so close to being in the final 100 or second 100. Thanks to all of the artists who submitted this year!

Nine New Signature Society Members Added!

PaintAmerica Association added nine new Signature Society Members earlier this year. The PaintAmerica Signature Society(PAA) and Masters Circle (PAA-M) have been created to honor those artists whose work has been recognized for continued excellence in PaintAmerica’s National Competitions. Artists attaining this designation have supported PaintAmerica and its mission, and national juror panels have deemed their work to be worthy of this important distinction. We will feature 3 of these Signature Artists each day for the next 3 days.

Lana Carter, PAA. California artist Lana Carter has appeared frequently in PaintAmerica exhibitions over the past few years. This piece, "MetLife Tower" (acrylic, $1,000) was juried into the 2008 PaintAmerica Mini Top50. New York city architecture is a frequent subject of Carter's paintings.

Judith Corning, PAA. Since 1999, her work has been exhibited each year in National Park exhibitions, first with Arts for the Parks, and now with Paint the Parks. She spends most of her time in the studio doing oil painting of landscapes inspired by beautiful places she has spent time in. This piece, "Kehoe Cliffs Looking South, Sunset" (18"x32" oil, $2,025) was juried into the 2008 Paint the Parks show.

Mel Grunau, PAA.  Mel's palette is infused with subdued colors. He paints realistic as well as abstract images. When portraying realistic images, he works to convey not only the image itself but also the subtleties of light, sound and smell surrounding the image. The colors he chooses are often soft shades of gray, blue and green. This piece, "Rock Ledges", (31.75" x 13" oil, $1,995) was the Region I Winner of the 2009 Paint the Parks100 show.

These works and others by these Signature artists are available at www.paintamerica.org, or by calling us at 816.806.3340.

Today's Featured Artists: Lana Carter, PAA and Ron Sanders, PAA

California artist Lana Carter has appeared frequently in PaintAmerica exhibitions over the past few years. This piece, "Late Winter, New York" (acrylic, $900) was juried into the 2009 PaintAmerica Mini Top50. Lana has recently been named a PaintAmerica Signature Society artist. New York city architecture is a frequent subject of Carter's paintings.

Florida artist Ron Sanders is a Signature Member of the Paint America Association and an Associate Member of the Oil Painters of America. "Fishing Off the Rocks (24" x 30" oil, $2,800) was juried into the 2009 PaintAmerica Top100.  His work is found in private and public collections throughout the United States, including the Indiana State Museum Collection. He is author of the book "Color Mixing/Color Matching: How to mix clean bright colors and beautiful neutrals." Experienced in oil, watercolor, and acrylic, Ron has also worked as a commercial illustrator represented by agents in New York and Chicago. 

Both of these paintings are available for purchase through PaintAmerica Association, 816.806.3340.
 

Today's Featured Artist: Sharon K. Schaefer

Nevada artist Sharon K. Schaefer has a varied background ranging from painter and photographer, to wildlife biologist and river guide. As a full-time artist, she combines two loves - nature and art.
Her excellence as a wildlife painter has been recognized by both the international Society of Animal Artists and Artists for Conservation. Her wildlife paintings are sought after by collectors and displayed in museums across the country. She placed an amazing four paintings in the 2009 PaintAmerica Top100, as well as a painting in the Mini50. These included: "Eyes of Warning: Red Tail Hawk in Ponderosa Pine"(19x24 gouache, $5,500); "On the Front Porch" (11x22 gouache, $2,900); "Golden Moment" (21x30 gouache, $6,500); "Raven's Cry" (10x19 acrylic, $2,280). Her mini award winner was "Spring Promise: Gambel's Quail and Beavertail Cactus" (8x8.5 gouache, $850).

Using her skills as both an artist and biologist, she has developed natural-resource-related educational exhibits and images for many organizations including the U.S. National Park Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Forest Service, and the Bureau of Land Management.  Her sense of adventure and unflagging curiosity about the natural world has led her to every continent and to the very ends of the earth, where she has worked extensively as an artist, photographer, and videographer in the Arctic, Antarctic, and the Sub-Antarctic Island.

Purchase any of the above paintings through PaintAmerica Association by calling 816.806.3340.

Featured Artists: Phil Starke and Beverly Carrick

Known for his strong use of light and color, Phil Starke has gained attention among galleries, museums, and invitational exhibitions.    Now being collected on an international level, Phil continually strives for the excellence his collectors have become accustomed to.  His formal studies covered seven years, attending the Art Institute of Chicago and the American Academy of Art, in Chicago, where he received his degree in 1981.  Traveling several times a year to paint has allowed Phil to grow and mature as an artist.  From early on his interest took him to many parts of the West and Southwest, where he soon grew to love the culture and the landscape.  "The goal is to paint so the viewer can appreciate the beauty of the scene and "see" it through the artist's eyes," says Starke.  "If I've done my job right, anyone looking at my work will be able to feel the emotion and mood of the moment and will want to spend some time with the piece -- taking in all the things I had to say." His first appearance in a PaintAmerica show is this wonderful oil painting, "Sycamores and Snow" (20" x 24", $4,500).


Beverly Carrick is an artist with a unique sense of color and light. Whether a desert landscape, or a vibrant seascape, Carrick's eye for color, and wonderful mastery of light and reflection, touch your senses and emotions. A native Californian, Carrick was well on her way to becoming an outstanding ballerina when she lost her leg to bone cancer at the early age of twelve. She turned to art as therapy, and soon discovered her talent for oil painting. Her fame as a painter of Southern California seascapes characterized by rolling waves, frosted surf, distant hills, and rugged rocks, soon spread. Today her work encompasses a wide range of vistas and themes. A founding Signature member of the American Academy of Women Artists, her work can be seen in established galleries throughout the West and Southwest and in many celebrity collections. This painting, "Dreamy Shore" (16" x 20", $2,400) was juried into the 2009 PaintAmerica Top100.

These and all  other paintings by many of the most notable artists in the country are available for viewing and purchase at www.paintamerica.org  PaintAmerica is a non-profit organization to support the visual arts and artists.

Featured Artists: Mark Stewart and Pat Devane Burns

People often see the style of master watercolor artists like Winslow Homer, Edward Hopper and Andrew Wyeth in Mark Stewart's original watercolor paintings of landscape, portrait, and still life subjects. The unique character and stunning subjects of Mark's watercolor paintings have caught the eye of collectors since 1980. This painting, "Wilderness Ridge" (14" x 21", $3,500) was juried into the 2009 PaintAmerica Top100.  Mark has had many One Man Exhibitions and is currently represented by MorrisWhitesideTrailside Gallery in Jackson, Wyoming, and Riverbend Fine Art in Marble Falls, Texas, Whistle Pik Gallery in Fredericksburg, Texas, and Morton Street Gallery in Richmond, Texas. He has been featured in Southwest Art, American Artist, and Art Talk Magazine. Along with commercial exhibitions, Mark's paintings have been shown at the Museum of the Art of the American West, the University Center Galleries at Texas A&M, Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center, Tucson Museum of Art, Albuquerque Museum of Art and the Autry Museum of Western Heritage.  Galleries of Hilton Head, S.C.;

Pat Devane Burns recent paintings are influenced by what she calls ‘slice of life’ venues. She says "Perhaps it simply took a lot of living to really notice the nuances of living. Not grandiose, not glorified… simple, honest. Not dark, not negative… sometimes tongue-in-cheek, always upward. And juxtapositions... organic shapes against strong geometrics, saturated color against muted neutrals, bright light against strong shadows. There is beauty in the everyday. Our ability to see it and share it forms a human connection that is, at once, timely and ageless."This work, titled "Tethered" (20" x 20" acrylic, $1,200) captures the nuances of a construction site.  Pat attended Governors' Honors at Wesleyan College, entered Berry College on a full-tuition art scholarship and has studied since then under Art Werger, Scott Duce and Marlin Adams. Currently her work can be seen in Georgia at Art on the Avenue and Macon Arts in Macon, Glynn Art Gallery on St. Simons Island and Monroe County Arts in Forsyth. She is also represented in Scottsdale, AZ at Xanadu Gallery.

Both of these paintings may purchased through PaintAmerica at 816.806.3340.

Featured artists: Naomi "Rios" Brown and Charles Syvertsen

Naomi "Rios" Brown is a very talented painter who loves to paint western and country scenes. This year, she had two paintings place in the PaintAmerica Mini Top50. "Enjoying the Sun" ($1,200) is an 11" x 14" oil.  "Desert Mailboxes" ($1,200) is an 11" x 14" acrylic / colored pencil. Naomi's work has also previously been juried into the Paint the Parks show.

Charles Syvertsen started painting in his teens. After graduation from high school, he followed in his family's footsteps and went to sea. After his retirement, he began painting full time, receiving instruction from noted marine painters Tom Nicholas, N.A. and Marshall W. Joyce. This painting, "Old Faithful" ($1,800) is an 11" x 14" oil. Syvertsen is an artist member of the North Shore Arts Association, Gloucester, MA; Academic Artists Association, Springfield, MA; and the Hudson Valley Arts Association. He has won awards in the juried exhibitions of these associations in addition to The American Artists Professional League, Mystic Maritime Gallery, Mystic, CT, and the Northeast Watercolor Society. He became and artist member of the American Society of Marine Artists in 1999 (ASMA).

Today's Featured Artists: Amery Bohling and Ann Templeton

Arizona artist Amery Bohling's work is best described as "Old World meets New West."  She prefers remote, rugged and often complex terrains for her subjects, with “a desire to paint the landscape in its natural state and to preserve these beautiful locations for others to enjoy.”   With a fine arts degree from University of Arizona, a year abroad at the Marchutz School of Art in Aix en Provence, France, plein air landscape studies under the tradition of French impressionists and studies at the Scottsdale Artists School, she has a strong art foundation. This painting, titled "Calling in the Mule Parade" ($2,400) is an 18" x 24" oil, juried into the 2009 PaintAmerica Top100. Bohlings' recent honors include the Allied Artists of America Fall 2008 Exhibition’s Alden Bryan Memorial Medal Award and in 2007 their John Young Hunter Memorial Award.  She has received California Art Club's 95th Annual Gold Medal Show Emerging Artist Award sponsored by American Artist Magazine.  She was featured as a rising young star in American Artists June 2006 issue. She is featured in American Art Collector's February 2006 issue on Leading Ladies, and recognized in Southwest Art Magazine's 21 artists under 31 with promising careers. Bohling teaches art at the Scottsdale Artists School in Arizona and is involved in several prominent art clubs including a mentor membership with the California Art Club (CAC), and artist memberships in the Arizona Plein Air Painters Society, Oil Painters of America and Landscape Artists International.

Texas artist Ann Templeton is an oil/pastel-conceptual impressionist who likes to describe her paintings as "symbolic expressions." She landed two paintings in the most recent PaintAmerica show - one in the Top100 and one in the Mini50 portion of the show.  "Evening Splendor" ($1,900) is a 16" x 20" oil.  "Aspen Dignity" ($1,400) is a 12" x 12" oil.  Ann has been painting since 1969 and currently teaches 15+ art seminars each year in as many as 10 states and countries including Hawaii, Italy and  Mexico. She also lectures and teaches for art guilds and college classes, and she juries competitive art shows several times a year. Ann was a top seller in the Desert Caballeros Western Museum's "Cowgirl Up" show in Wickenburg, Arizona. She also won the People's Choice Award in the recent quickdraw event with the Outdoor Painters Society in Dallas. Ann's style and enthusiasm are rapidly winning her awards across the country, and she is highly recognized for her teaching expertise and color usage.

PaintAmerica Featured Artists: Doug Bloodworth and Timothy Tepe

Florida artist Doug Bloodworth's art is heavily influenced by his rural upbringing, Sunday funnies, Saturday morning cartoons, B.B. guns, cowboys and Indians, dinosaurs and a little warping at a young age from Mad Magazine.  His work bounces back and forth from Western to Pop art. His painting from the PaintAmerica Top100 is titled "Road Trip" ($7,500) and is a 36'x48" oil painting. The components shown in the painting are pieces and memories from a painting trip out west ... the mints were from a Walgreens in Vegas...the matches were from lunch at the Big Texan in Amarillo. He stopped and saw his dad in Texas, who found this map from some of his travels in the Airforce, showing most of the old route 66 still in use.

Ohio artist Tim Tepe has worked as a commercial artist since 1975, a graduate of the Art Academy of Cincinnati, and a BFA from Edgecliff College. The design skills he honed through many years as a commercial artist show through in his fine art work. Tim's work, "The Street Musician" ($1,200) was chosen by jurors for the 2009 PaintAmerica Top100. It is a 23"x18" pastel. Tim's work has received numerous awards and recognition including selection as part of a permanent exhibit in the Smithsonian Museum. His works are part of collections of the Ohio State House in Columbus and Children’s Hospital in Cincinnati, as well as many private collections.

For more information on any of these paintings, please contact PaintAmerica Association at 816.806.3340

Tuesday Featured Artists: R. Geoffrey Blackburn and Cecy Turner

R. Geoffrey Blackburn of Salt Lake City has made his second appearance in a PaintAmerica show with his Mini Top50 oil painting "Spires of Zion" ($6,750). Blackburn has always been fascinated by the incredible diversity and often unearthly beauty of western landscapes.  He often paints Moab, Canyonlands and Arches (in Utah). He spent more than a decade prospecting, staking mine claims, and exploring in Utah, New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada, Wyoming and Idaho. "I try to paint a scene the way you remember it as opposed to the way it really is. I want the viewer to be able to go into the scene and explore the various space to feel like he or she is actually there. I tend to paint "thin"– that is to say I use very little paint, layering thin transparent colors on top of each other to achieve the effect I am seeking.  This approach lets the viewer look into the paint."

A native of Dallas, Cecy Turner is also appearing for the second time in a PaintAmerica show. Her Top100 piece, "Morning Haze on Trail Ridge" ($1,600) is a 15"x30" oil painting of Rocky Mountain National Park. Cecy has been a popular lecturer, teacher, juror and demonstrator since 1976. Versatile in both watercolor and oils, she has designed cards and calendars for numerous national greeting card companies. She is a Signature Member of the National Watercolor Society, Southwestern Watercolor Society, Women Artists of the West, Outdoor Painters Society, Plein Air Artists Colorado, and Associated Creative Artists.  Cecy's work has appeared in American Artist Magazine, Watercolor Magic Magazine, North Light Magazine, Southwest Art Magazine, Art of the West and the book, The Best of Flower Painting. During the past several years she has numerous national and regional awards of Excellence. She has been designated as a "Fellow" in the Salmagundi Club.  She was chosen by Southwest Art Magazine as an "Artist to Watch" in their July, 2006, issue.

To purchase these, or other works, go to www.paintamerica.org or contact us at 816.806.3340

Today's Featured Artists: Sandy Bennett and Kathryn Mapes-Turner

Sandy Bennett resides in El Dorado, Arkansas. Her artwork has been juried into several national competitions and has earned a number of awards. Her work hangs in many private and corporate settings. This 12" x11" watercolor, "Afternoon Delight" ($550) demonstrates her primary love of watercolor.  It was juried into the 2009 PaintAmerica Mini Top50. She also enjoys a plein air oil painting group. She loves the travel and outdoor painting, and experimenting with different techniques and mediums. She is a Signature member of the Texas Watercolor Society, Mid-Southern Watercolorists, Arkansas Pastel Society and Outdoor Painters Society.

Wyoming artist Kathryn Mapes Turner was born as the fourth generation to be raised on the Triangle X Ranch in Grand Teton National Park. She grew up riding the trails of the valley, learning wilderness lore and gaining an eye for the landscape amid some of the most spectacular scenery on earth. She left Wyoming to attend the University of Notre Dame, majoring in Studio Arts. She spent an influential semester in Rome, Italy and then studied at the Corcoran School of Art in Washington D.C. and now has a master's degree from the University of Virginia. Kathryn has been awarded such honors as Wyoming Best Watercolor Artist and was included in SouthwestArt Magazine's "Annual Profile of Young Artists with Promising Careers." Her 8"x10" oil painting, "Jefferson Memorial" ($5,000) was chosen by jurors for inclusion in the 2009 PaintAmerica Mini Top50. It was also the winner of the Airfloat Systems Award. She now travels all over the world to paint. In addition, Turner also co-owns and operates Trio Fine Art Gallery in Jackson Hole, Wyoming.

Featured Artists: Dix Baines and Ron Ukrainetz

Says Colorado artist Dix Baines: "I am drawn to the things which speak to the senses; the light and atmosphere of landscapes, the impressions of a moment or place, and the spirit or nature of people." Dix's painting from the Top100, "Mouth of Two Rivers" ($4,900) certainly does a good job of capturing the landscape. It's a 16"x38" oil, and his first piece in a PaintAmerica show. Dix paints often on location, and believes that painting directly from the subject when possible is essential to capturing the impression of what he sees. His work has been noted in dozens of national and international shows, and his art has been commissioned for many corporate and private collections.

Montana artist Ron Ukrainetz has now appeared in three PaintAmerica shows over the past few years.. It is a unique clayboard and acrylic technique. Ron engraves the clayboard, then glazes the work with acrylics, a very slow and painstaking process. Ron also works in oil, both en plein air and in the studio. His historic oils of the Lewis and Clark era are rapidly gaining acclaim, and he is in demand for his historic knowledge on that great epic. Ron His piece, "Party Line - Swallows" ($1,500) was juried into the 2009 PaintAmerica Top100 believes painting or sketching on location is one of the best opportunities artists have at their disposal. This also provides each piece to have it's own story told by weather, encounters with wildlife, or people.

These works and others are available at www.paintamerica.org, or by contacting PaintAmerica at 816.806.3340

Featured artists: Del-Bourree Bach and Eva Van Rijn

Inspired by the beauty of nature in calm and peaceful places,  Connecticut artist Del-Bourree Bach, PAA-M finds this essential inspiration in the sea and the life in and around it. He finds beauty, not only in the pristine and the obvious, but also in the rumpled clothes and dirty boots of working fisherman, as well as the peeling paint on their boats. His paintings capture the essence of where he's been and what he's observed. Special care in design and composition are the hallmarks of a Bach painting.  Del-Bourree's paintings have won more than 100 awards in worldwide competitions and he's a member of the American Society of Marine Artists, the Society of Animal Artists, the National Society of Painters in Casein and Acrylic and the Salmagundi Club in New York City. As a PaintAmerica Master Circle artist, Del's paintings have appeared frequently in PaintAmerica shows. This year, his 20"x30' acrylic "A Day at the Seaport" ($12,000) and a mini, "Summer Glory" ($3,000) were juried into the Top100.

New York artist Eva Van Rijn, PAA, is a Signature Society member of PaintAmerica. Born in Holland she emigrated to the United States with her parents during World War II. She attended the Academia de Belle Arte in Florence, Italy. The family spent summers exploring the western United States, and this became the inspiration for much of her western landscape artwork. Many trips to the Grand Canyon and the Black Canyon of the Gunnison are reflected in her landscapes. She continues to travel to some of the world’s last unspoiled places, where photography and quick Plein Air paintings provide the sources for landscape and wildlife paintings done in the studio.  Eva's 24"x30" oil painting, "Canyonlands Sphynx" ($5,000) was chosen For the Top100 show.

For purchase information, contact PaintAmerica at 816.806.3340.

Featured artists: Lyn Asselta and Laurie Warren

Florida pastel artist Lyn Asselta made her first appearance in the PaintAmerica Top100 this past year. Having had the good fortune to live in places that offered up amazing scenery, from the marshes and inland waterways of Florida to the rock-bound coast of Maine, Lyn's paintings tend to focus on  the coastal landscape.  Never far from the ocean, pastel as a medium, allows Lyn to capture the essence of places that still possess a wild, natural beauty.   In 2009, Lyn had the honor of being an Artist in Residence for the National Park Service at Acadia National Park in Maine. Her winning 14" x 20" painting, "Blue Sky at Bass Harbor" ($850) is an example of the vibrant, expressive, and exuberant pastel work she is known for.

West Virginia artist Laurie Warren's artwork has been exhibited in national and international shows. She is a signature member of several Watercolor Societies. In 2008, Laurie was chosen as one of the top 100 artists in the Paint the Parks100 Competition. She has studied under various nationally-known artists, and each year she travels to workshops in different states to pick up local influences to include in her work. Continual learning has been an important part of developing her special style. Laurie and her husband also raise American Paint Horses. In the 2009 PaintAmerica Top100, jurors chose Laurie's 22"x30" watercolor painting "Welcome to Helena" ($3,000) to be in this national traveling show.

Both of these wonderful paintings are available from PaintAmerica Association, 816.806.3340.

Featured Artists: Jerry Antolik and Barbara Waterman-Peters

In the early 70's Jerry Antolik moved to Colorado and eventually to Wyoming to experience all the West had to offer. His paintings convey his love of the west, blending his illustration background, his experiences as a sheepherder, the camaraderie of ranch life, and the excitement of exploring the vast wilderness of the magnificent Rocky Mountains. Antolik’s paintings have been accepted into juried shows throughout the United States winning many prestigious awards, including the PaintAmerica Top100. "Fishing Buddies" ($2,100), a 14"x18" oil was juried into the Top100. It depicts native wildlife along a river in the Grand Tetons.

Kansas artist and writer Barbara Waterman-Peters received her BFA from Washburn University, her MFA from Kansas State University, and has taught at both institutions.  Her award-winning work has been shown internationally, is in museum, corporate, and private collections, and is represented by multiple galleries. Waterman-Peters is a founding member of the Collective Art Gallery in Topeka, an artists’ cooperative, active for more than 20 years.  "The High Road" ($350) is a beautifully painted 8"x12" oil painting, juried into the Mini Top50. The forked roads pictured are a metaphor for "choices."

Both of these pieces may purchased through PaintAmerica by contacting us at 816.806.3340.

JaNeil Anderson and Don Weller works from the 2009 PaintAmerica Top100

New Mexico artist JaNeil Anderson had a Top100 and a Mini Top50 piece in the 2009 PaintAmerica Top100. One of the top Western figurative artists, JaNeil's paintings typically depict Native Americans, cowboys and their families in portraits that are both intimate and telling. JaNeil's work shows the American frontier in small segments, with personal emphasis. Shown here are "Quality Time" ($2,900) a 20" x 20" oil; and her mini painting, "Crawdads" ($1,200) a 9" x 12" oil.

After decades as an illustrator of magazine covers and posters for a wide variety of national clients, Don Weller is now well-known for painting what he knows - cowboys, horses, cows, ranch life and western scenes. From his studio in Oakley, Utah, Don has become a premiere western watercolor artist. He had two paintings juried into the Mini Top50.  "Checkers" ($1,150) is an 8"x13" watercolor of a cowboy on a paint horse. "All Around the Watertank" ($1,500) is a 12" x 14.5" watercolor.

Contact PaintAmerica at 816.806.3340 to purchase, or for more information.

Paint the Parks Exhibition at Indiana Welcome Center

This past week, we delivered the 2009 Paint the Parks exhibition to the Indiana Welcome Center, outside Chicago in Hammond, Indiana. This is the second year the show has been at Hammond, which is very near the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore. The 6500 sq. ft. W.F. Wellman Exhibit Hall is a wonderful,  contemporary exhibit space, with architecture fashioned after the rolling waves of Lake Michigan. The exhibit includes the full-size paintings from the 2009 Paint the Parks exhibition of works depicting our National Parks. It opens March 17th and runs through April.  The Indiana Welcome Center is located at 7770 Corinne Drive in Hammond, Indiana, near the interchange of I-80 and Kennedy Ave.  PaintAmerica thanks Katie Holderby and the staff of the Indiana Welcome Center for hosting this year's show.