2024 plein air artists
ARTISTS ARE LISTED IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER BY LAST NAME
Please scroll down to see all artists
Sandy Ackerman
I grew up in a small town on the Mississippi River in Minnesota, spending most days in the fields and woods and on the banks of the river.
This gave me a great appreciation of the outdoors. I never really wanted to be anything other than an artist and studied drawing and painting at the University of Minnesota, the College of Art and Design, Eastern Michigan University and continued to take classes and attend workshops whenever I could. Several years ago, I began painting the landscape on location with other plein air painters. I felt this was the perfect way to combine my love of the woods and rivers with my love of art and I have never looked back. I belong to several Plein Air painting groups and spend summers traveling and painting in Plein Air events. My goal is to bring a bit of the beauty and harmony I find in nature back to the viewer in my paintings.
My paintings can be viewed online at www.sandrasackerman.com
Instagram at Ackerman.sandy
Facebook.
You can contact me through my website or at sandysackerman@gmail.com
Lynn Anderson
Lynn is a contemporary impressionist painter from Grand Rapids. Summer becomes a busy time of painting in native preserve areas and at the beach. It is a wonderful excuse to be outdoor however I do prefer to paint on sunny days with strong shadows and color highlights.
Kurt Bullock
To portray nature on a linen panel with oils and brushes produces a deeper understanding of—and more pressing concern for—the environment we humans so often take for granted and seek to dominate. The best moments come when I feel such a resonance with the natural world that I almost forget I am painting, as though I stand in a circle of stillness, of meditation, of prayer. Rather than replicate precisely what I see, I wish to convey the perceptions the site engenders in me. I consider the process a limitless interpretation of the natural wonderland that surrounds and suffuses me, and the product a visual trace of that experience—one that I trust is genuine though intuited, representative though abstracted.
Mary Ann Challa
Mary Ann is a lifelong Michigan artist who paints in oils, acrylics and watercolor. Her style, while representational, reflects her unique approach to the interplay between color and light.
Inspired by nature in all its forms, Mary Ann has taught classes and conducted art workshops at Aquinas College in East Grand Rapids, Stonecliffe on Mackinac Island, Abaco Island in the Bahamas, and Ocean Point, Maine.
Interpreting the many aspects of light and movement through plein air painting is exciting for Mary Ann. She enjoys being surrounded by nature, using the environmental elements of landscape to inspire and continually improve her technique and the interplay of light, shadow, and shape.
Mary Ann earned the Bachelor of Fine Arts from Aquinas College, and has taught arts education for Grand Rapids Public Schools and Goodwillie Environmental School in Ada, Michigan.
Patricia Cheal
Barbara Allen Church
I spent my summers on Good Harbor Bay by Pyramid Point. Many of my paintings are influenced by these early years of exploring the beaches and islands of Lake Michigan. I love capturing the up north feel in my watercolor paintings.
A graduate of MSU’s Interior Design program I spent my career at Herman Miller furniture dealerships. Now retired and living in Traverse City I can spend my free time roaming Leelanau County to paint. I am a member of the Old Art Building Plein Aire painters. This will be my first paint out.
Kat Dakota
I pursued a creative track throughout my life, but it wasn’t until my late 50’s I discovered painting as my passion.
I aspire to paint loosely, wet into wet, to capture “what matters” – spirit, a feeling or memory. This desire creates challenges and frustrations – feelings I now gratefully accept. After all, my silent inner soul wants an audible external voice. And it wants to be heard through paint strokes. No wonder it’s art “work”. But it’s also a process that rewards.
My inspiration comes from God’s creative compositions and the grateful and giving people who surround me.
I’m not seeking a “style”, but I hope you recognize my work through my exploration and ability to create art that “speaks”.
Carolyn Damstra
Carolyn is a Okemos-based painter working primarily in acrylics, and also explores oils and watercolors. She travels frequently, especially to the Leelanau Peninsula, seeking inspiration and the perfect spot to set up her easel. “It is an ongoing act of courage to paint; to not be afraid to load a brush and trust your intuition and experience to guide the outcome. Plein air painting is the ultimate meditative experience of living in the moment for me. It is exciting to hold this conversation between nature and pigment, flow and vibration, and share it with others. My art is inspired by my frequent practice of walking outdoors. This is a meditative, healing practice for me. A Japanese practice called forest bathing, or shinrin-yoku, is about connecting with nature through our senses. Shinrin-yoku bridges the gap between us and the natural world. I welcome viewers to walk through my art in a similar way.”
Carolyn has participated in numerous solo and juried state and regional exhibitions, holds several plein air painting competition awards, and was selected as an Artist in Residence at Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore. Recently, several of her paintings have traveled internationally as part of the Art In Embassies Program, U.S. Department of State, to Fiji, Serbia, and Belgium. She holds a BFA in studio art and an MA in art history, both from Michigan State University.
Visit her website at www.carolyndamstra.com and on Insta @carolyndamstraart
Jeanette Dyer
Following a career in graphic design and digital photo retouching, I have returned to my original desire in fine arts, bringing my art education and experience back to the canvas! I am a lifelong Michigander, and we recently moved to Sutton’s Bay. The Leelanau Peninsula offers endless natural beauty and opportunity to paint all seasons, wrapped in wildflowers, orchards and tall pines surrounded by stunning blue lakes and sandy shores. Plein air painting takes me to a whole new level of appreciation, with new challenges and outcomes at every turn. I use oil and watercolor mediums, always pack both, and decide on the spot which one to use based on time, and weather conditions. It’s a joy to share my vision and journey with you.
Martha Elchert
Martha is a local watercolor artist who paints both in studio and Plein Air, although she is happiest when painting on location. Martha finds Plein Air to be the perfect pairing of her passion for watercolor and her love of the outdoors. She says that a Plein Air painting is more than just visual art. It captures a moment and is influenced by all the artists senses.
Martha Elchert is the recipient of many awards for her paintings. Her watercolors are held in public and private collections throughout the United States. Martha is a signature member of the New Mexico Watercolor Society.
FB Martha Elchert Fine Art
Rusty Frentner
Amy Gamble
Amy Gamble is a professional working artist for the past 30 years and has over six years of teaching experience. She received a BFA from Eastern Michigan University. Amy spent the last 27 years perfecting her chosen medium of pastel, and earning distinctions from juried shows and exhibitions on the local and national levels. In 2012, she has awarded honorable mention in the Great Lakes Pastel Society National Show. She also received the Jurors Award in 2004 Our Town Show and an honorable mention in the Scarab Club’s Silver Medal Exhibition. Also, she had a one woman show at Lake Street Studios in Glen Arbor, Michigan. For five years, Amy has volunteered her time as an art teacher at Art and Soul which provides an art studio for the homeless and less fortunate in Detroit. While there she led a community project that was accepted into the 2010 Art Prize Grand Rapids.
Chris Gamble
Having graduated from The College of Creative Studies in Detroit Michigan, with a bachelor’s of fine arts in Transportation Design, Chris forged a 30 plus year professional career as a Creative Automotive Designer. Having recently retired from General Motors Design Center he hopes to fulfill a lifelong part time pursuit of water media into his singular focus. He has worked in watercolor, acrylics, pastel, digital media and gouache. His professional work has been featured in national and international press and his fine art work is held in private collections.
Teri Gillespie
New to the practice of Plein Air, Teri has long used Pochade studies and direct observance to capture the color and atmospheric delicacies that are applied to her studio work. Now as a full time painter living in Leelanau, the progression to regular Plein Air work is at hand.
Teri can be contacted through her website, TeriGillespie.com
Linda Gits
This will be Linda’s first Plein Air event. A former graphic designer retired after 45 years, she is now enjoying the very real challenges of watercolor, oil, pastel and clay. Linda has taken various courses through the NAA, Old Art Building and You Tube.
Linda Gits is presently the treasurer of Northport Arts Association, where she puts a damper on her creative expression by managing bookkeeping and financials.
Tracy Goll
There's no better muse for my imagination than the breathtaking world that surrounds me. a lifetime of travels, near and abroad, has bestowed on me a deep appreciation for the unique and enduring vistas offered by Michigan's out-of-doors.
Step foot into our special wonderland with my plein air explorations. Join me in capturing the light "voice "and beauty around us with paint and brush.
As a Michigan-based artist, I prefer to record this world with oil paints and pastels. A retired Engineer, late-in-life-painter, I have pursued studies with Jim Ames and Tim Widener at Flint Institute of Art. Nationally, studies with Jeremy Lipking, Daniel Gerhartz, Patrick Saunders, Lian Quan Zhen, and Terry Miura have helped me create a vibrant, evocative scene.
The Michigan Leelanau and the company of so many accomplished artists inspire me, and I am truly excited to share this world through my art.
Mary Guntzviller
Mary is well known for her transparent watercolor paintings, Mary also forays into oil and acrylic, fabric, sculpture, and resin. She has been published in Quilting arts Magazine, has illustrated a children’s book, and won many awards.
An instructor since 1993, Mary’s primary goal is to instill self-confidence in her students. Her classes are filled with humor, interaction, and demonstrations.
Debra Howard (Sorenson)
Debra has been an artist and adventurer her entire life. She spent her childhood in Miami, Florida, where she first discovered her love an air with color, light, painting, and sailing. She studied at Ringling School of Art in Sarasota, and began her art career in San Francisco, where she opened her first illustration studio. After 17 years as a successful illustrator, she closed her studio to concentrate on fine art painting. “I realized that the career I had found so satisfying was being taken over by the computer. I missed the feel of the brush on canvas.
In response, she provisioned her Peterson 44 sailboat with art supplies, her old dog and her 4 year old daughter and began cruising. After almost 27 years of travelling, sailing and painting aboard, Ling Ling, she has come ashore and has turned her creative focus to painting the Eastern Shore and the Leelanau and Old Mission Peninsula in northern Michigan.
Her introduction to the Eastern Shore came by way of Tangier Island. A tiny, remote island in the middle of the Chesapeake Bay. She lived there for 3 years, as the artist-in-residence and then as the Executive Director for the Tangier History Museum. She accomplished the task of painting a painting a day to document the seasons and changes on this disappearing island. Her work was featured in The American Scholar Magazine. The experience changed her; “I paint now with more energy, passion and immediacy,” Howard says, “which coincidentally reflect the very nature of the island. The island is raw.”
After years of travelling and painting from a sailboat she switched from sailing to camping. “I now travel from April to November exploring and participating in Plein Air events in my little RV trailer with emphasis on northern Michigan.
Debra has been juried into (and won) Plein Air competitions in Maryland, Pennsylvania, New York, Michigan, Maine, Georgia, Delaware, New Jersey, Tennessee, Indiana, Texas, Louisiana and Virginia, including prestigious events such as Easton Plein Air, Paint Annapolis, en Plein Air Texas and Bath County Plein Air. She is a Signature Member of the Mid-Atlantic Plein Air Painters Association (MAPAPA), Northport Arts Association, Glen Arbor Art Association, Crooked Tree Arts Center and the Somerset County Arts Council.
Artist-in-Residence for: Tangier Island, VA, Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, Big Cypress National Preserve, Everglades, Florida and the South Carolina State Parks..
Her work as been featured in the American Scholar Magazine and Plein Air Magazine as well as numerous newspaper articles. She travels through the year, pulling a small RV trailer, competing in plein air competitions around the country and offering art workshops and artists talks.
Logan Hudson
I’m a representational painter working in Northern Michigan, who started painting professionally in 2020. My work consists of primarily oil paintings and drawings of the Midwest. I have found beauty in the simple and seemingly ever evolving elements of this region, both in the landscape and people. Much of my experience comes from plein air painting and working from life. My aim is to represent reality in the most concise and compelling way I can. The result is often a gesture of what I’m seeing.
My work can be viewed at loganhudson.org
Instagram: loganhudsonart
Phone: (231) 493-2260
Email: loganhudsonart@gmail.com
Michelle Jahraus
I am Michelle Jahraus, an artist in love with the Leelanau Peninsula, all of Northern Michigan, and beaches, shorelines, and water everywhere! Plein Air painting, (painting outdoors, in the landscape or beachscape) fuels my brushes and easel for painting on location or back in my studio. My paintings capture the soul of this peninsula and beyond so that my audience can connect with it, love it, or recapture their own special memories.
I am inspired to share the spirit of Leelanau with others. As a fifth generation year round resident, I am influenced by the coastal and rural lifestyles, work ethic, the seasonal challenges, and most of all, the awesome natural beauty. I began early, sharing images with crayons, and later earned a double major in art and geology at Wheaton College, IL. which enabled me to understand and portray land and seascapes. Still learning, growing and always painting, I invite you to join me on my painting journey of our beautiful peninsula.
Victoria Jendretzke
Born 1971 in Fort Walton Beach, FL. Received a BFA in Ceramics and Industrial Design from the University of Michigan Art School. Earned a Masters in Curriculum and Instruction with a specialization in Children’s Literature from Pennsylvania State. Worked as an elementary art teacher in Plymouth-Canton Public Schools in Michigan for 10 years. Also worked as a Customer Services Manager at The Headley Whitney Museum in Lexington, KY. Worked as a substitute teacher at both the HS and MS level for the Issaquah Public School district in WA. Currently she is pursuing painting as the next chapter in her career.
She paints a wide variety of subjects including florals, landscapes, portraits and abstracts. No matter what her subject color plays a strong role in her work. Her most recent work is primarily acrylic abstract paintings based on photos from her travels and color theory. Frank Stella, Fran O’Neill and Yong Hong Zhong are her main influences. Her work has been exhibited in shows in KY, WA and MI. including the University of Kentucky Arboretum exhibit, the Seattle Artists League’s Salish Sea exhibit, Northwest Watercolor Society’s Waterworks exhibit, Plein Air Washington Artists Little Gems show, Michigan’s 75th and 76th Annual Watercolor Exhibits, the Women’s Caucus for Art Michigan Seeds of Change and Resilience and Grosse Point Art Association Follow the Thread Exhibitions.
I love plein air because being out in nature is meditative and brings me joy. My brain loves drawing the contours of trees, mountains, and flowers. The colors in nature are dazzling and a photo still doesn’t quite capture that level of beauty. The changing light, bugs and weather make it a challenge but the camaraderie of other artist and the joy of seeing what they choose to paint make it all worthwhile.
FB Victoria Jendretzke
Instagram Vjendretzk
Ann Julien
Kathleen Kalinowski
Kathleen is a contemporary impressionist painter captivated by the light, atmosphere and colors of the landscape. She is passionate about painting directly from nature, en plein air, fully immersed while interpreting the beauty that speaks to her. Kathleen’s plein air work informs her studio paintings aiding in the memory of creating the poetry of place and time. Her award winning work in oil and pastel has been accepted into regional and national juried exhibitions, and numerous gallery and solo exhibits through the past thirty years of her career. She is honored to be represented by three Michigan galleries.
Website: KathleenKalinowski.com
Instagram: kathleenkalinowski
FB: Kalinowski Fine Art
Judy Kelly
I love the challenge of being outdoors and capturing a fleeting moment in time in my paintings. My inspiration comes from the beauty of the landscape. My favorite subjects are old farms and rural landscapes. I enjoy working in a variety of mediums and appreciate the complexities of laying out and executing a painting while outdoors. Equally, I paint for the pleasure people experience when viewing my work.
Website: https://www.judykellystudio.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/judykellystudio
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/judy.novak.kelly/
Brant MacLean
I am retired now and live in Detroit with my wife, Marcella. I have been painting for about 25 years now, starting with some community art classes and painting from a model in the 1990s. Later I started painting with the Michigan Plein Air Painters, which really gave fuel to the fire. Plein air painting, and painting consistently with a plein air group has helped me in a big way to become a better painter. My studio paintings are freqently better than my plein-airs because I have the time to analyze and work on my ideas, but the ideas often come from my experiences painting “en plein air.” And the plein air paintings often have a feeling of freshness that is hard to duplicate in a studio. I have learned from painting plein air the differences between photos and painting from life, the things that photos can never capture, and the problems with painting from photos (extremely valuable). I've been forced to find beauty in things that I would not have noticed before, and I've discovered whole new categories of subject matter by painting next to other artists. Plein air painting has improved and maintained my drawing skills, since you have a 2-3 hour window to complete a painting. And did I mention it is fun? It's a challenge for sure, but I can't count the times I have come away with a deep feeling of contentment and pride in capturing something beautiful.
Tami Maisel
When I enter a plein air paint out such as Northport, it’s all about the challenge. There is limited time to think (much less paint), limited supplies you can carry or manage outdoors, and absolutely no control over the weather.
For me, the goal is to represent a scene, not duplicate it. I search for the magic balance which conveys mood and atmosphere but still leaves the story unfinished.
Kim (Kwaz) Mckerracher RN
Kim has been a nurse for over 40 years She took up painting and drawing to help deal with the stress of deaths and burnout “Painting nature and people can bring beauty into our lives To experience God’s creation through quiet reflection with painting, is peaceful and healing to my spirit.” Kim uses layers of oil over acrylic with a palette knife to make her unique creations
KimKwaz.weebly.com
Mark Mehaffey
Internationally recognized artist Mark E Mehaffey is a signature member of the American Watercolor Society; Dolphin Fellow, the National Watercolor Society, Watercolor USA Honor Society, the Transparent Watercolor Society of America; Signature Life Member - and Distinguished Master, Watercolor West, the Rocky Mountain Watermedia Society, the Louisiana Watercolor Society; Signature Life Member, the International Society of Experimental Artists, Signature Life Member and the International Society of Acrylic Painters among others.
Mehaffey has won major awards in juried exhibitions internationally including the Silver Medal of Honor (twice) and the Arches Paper Co Award from the American Watercolor Society, the Beverly Green Memorial Purchase Award from the National Watercolor Society, M. Grumbacher Gold Medal from Allied Artists of America, the Skyledge Award from TWSA, Biennial Award from the 2010 Shanghai Zhoujiajiao International Biennial Watercolor Exhibition, Best of Show from the San Diego Watercolor Society and guest artist for the Salon De L’Aquarelle 2015, Antwerp, Belgium. In 2016 Mark was honored with the new designation of ‘Distinguished Master’ by the Transparent Watercolor Society of America for having over 20 total paintings accepted.
He wrote “Creative Watercolor Workshop”, published in 2005 and it was rereleased as “Creative Watercolor and Acrylic Workshop” in 2013 published by Northlight Publishing. Mark’s latest book, ‘En Plein Air Acrylic’, Walter Foster Publisher was released in 2019. Mark has also created twelve instructional videos. He has appeared in many publications. He was featured in “Masters of Watercolor” written by Konstantin Sterkhov and “Inspirations & Technical Breakthroughs: Secrets from the Contemporary International Watercolor Masters Volume 1” written by Zhou Tianya & Ruan Hoe.
Mehaffey’s paintings are included in corporate public and private collections including Blue Cross Blue Shield and The Arches Paper Co., USA. In 2018 Mark was invited to participate in the International Watercolor Masters Exhibition in Weston Park England. His work is included in the permanent collections of transparent watercolors at the Neville Public Museum, Green Bay, Wisconsin, the Muskegon Museum of Art, Muskegon, Michigan, the National Watercolor Museum of Mexico City, Mexico City, Mexico, Quanhua Watercolor Art Gallery, Zhoujiajiao, China and the Dachong Art Gallery, Zhongshan, China.
Mark is a popular juror, workshop instructor and lecturer.
Justin Millard
Born and raised here in Northport, I’ve been an artist for as long as I can remember. I started out with pencil drawings and in 2009 started to paint with gouache and more recently oils. Painting with oils has been a truly humbling experience and at the same time so very exciting. I’m lucky to live in such an amazing area with so many truly impressive artists!
Linda Pelowski
After receiving a BFA in Industrial Design, I worked as a designer in Industrial design and Architectural interior design for over 25 years, designing kitchen appliances and graphics for Whirlpool and Kenmore, then designing interior and exterior retail markets as a freelancer for design companies all over the Metro Detroit area.
As a landscape painter, I love painting outside. Plein air painting combines my love of nature and pastel painting, which allows me to capture the light and mood of each location as I see it. I consider myself a full-time artist, painting plein air, studio work and commissions while still taking classes to constantly improve. I am a member of the Michigan plein air painters, Village Fine Arts association, Palette & Brush Club, Great Lakes Pastel Society, Farmington Art Foundation and the Great Lakes Plein air painters association.
Robert Perrish
“I believe composing at the easel is like visual music, inspired by nature, the character of people, and parts of my life that move and inspire me. I paint primarily in oils, my style representational with additional spices, textures and flavors. Before putting brush to canvas I’ve decided on the direction my painting will take… dramatic and bold, light and simple, realistic, or loose and suggestive. While in the studio I begin with a composition in mind, but each painting seems to bring forth happy – or unhappy – accidents, and gives opportunity to make the painting better.
“Painting outside on location demands an instant reaction and has a more personal feel to it when it’s in the moment. I believe painting en plein air is an invaluable experience and has made my studio paintings improve and sing.” - Robert Perrish
Robert Perrish is an award winning designer, sculptor and painter whose love of nature is evident in everything he creates. This was first expressed through wildlife painting and sculpture, and has since evolved into painting landscapes, portraits and still life.
Robert worked in the commercial art field for 30 years. A lifelong resident of Michigan, he has lived with his family in Livonia for the past 40 years. He has traveled extensively throughout the United States and abroad, capturing as much as he can on canvas along the way. Plein air painting has become a regular adventure and has helped his studio work as well. He is one of the co-founders of the Michigan Plein Air Painters.
Sue Quinlan
There is so much joy in plein aire painting - being outside while creating art in such a beautiful locale. The Leelanau peninsula is located on the 45th parallel, which means that artists here are experiencing the same wonderful light as the Impressionists did when they painted in the south of France. We are surrounded by colorful waters, rolling hills, sand dunes, beaches and glorious trees. No artist could ask for more and I’m very grateful to live and create here.
Barbara Reich
Barbara Reich paints a variety of subject matter, but her first love is landscape. Early instruction instilled in Barbara the intense desire to draw better, paint color with more emotion, and always hunt and study the changing light. With her keen appreciation of the natural world, along with many years spent working on location, Barbara’s insight into the geographical subtleties that characterize Northern Michigan helps her to convey what is truly essential…its spirit.
Website: https://barbarareich.com
Email : barbreich@barbarareichstudio.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100011446667340
Melissa A Ringey
I began plein air painting as an art student at Michigan State University, where I would paint along the Red Cedar River. After working in technical illustration and writing and then graphic design and marketing, I now have time to get back to painting. Plein air painting is challenging and fun and allows me to be outdoors and capture a fleeting moment in time. Growing up in Michigan, I am especially drawn to the beauty of my home state.
Graduate from Michigan State University with a BA in studio art, with an emphasis on painting and drawing, and a BA in advertising.
Member of the Great Lakes Pastel Society, Great Lakes Plein Air Painters Association, Michigan Plein Air Painters, Palette & Brush Club of Southeastern Michigan, and Plein Air Troupe.
Emma Rosi
Stephanie Schlatter
I am a storyteller, telling the stories of the land, the people and the places that resonate in my soul — and, perhaps, in yours, as well. The brush is my pen; the canvas is my page; the finished images are moments and memories frozen in time for you. I invite you to come along with me as we enjoy the vibrant, beautiful destination we call home – Michigan. Let us cherish the journey that takes us there and use paint to preserve the joy it inspires!
Deborah Schlosser
Plein air painting to me combines three things one's Spirit requires, Nature, Creativity and Community. Painting frees your mind and soul, I am grateful for the opportunity to be challenged and to receive and bring joy.
Delilah Smith
Carla Sutton
Michael Tavares
I've been painting for most of my adult life. After attending Henry Ford Community College studying art and design l ended up with a career driving delivery for UPS for 40 years. I did keep painting all along. After I retired from UPS I discovered plein air painting and fell in love with it. I've been a member of the Michigan Plein Air Painters for 7 years now and participate in many plein air events. This event being one of my favorites . Please enjoy the art!
Paul Tibedeau
Plein Air painting has been a life-changing event for me. It has introduced me to a whole new group of friends and fellow artists that love the outdoors. There is nothing that can compare to having your easel set up and creating a piece of art in whatever medium you enjoy in plein air. The colors, the smells, the sounds and friends are all part of being a plein air painter. I am always looking for a shimmer of light or an explosion of color somewhere in my composition and hopefully record the moment before the sun changes my inspiration. But that is the fun of being a plein air painter!
My social media contact information is: tibedeauart@gmail.com
Jennifer Tobias
I am a Painter, Interior Designer, Retail Stores Owner (1989-2012), Writer and Attorney.
“I work in acrylic and oil paint, along with oil pastels. Most of my work is representational; I either start with an actual image, or imagine one, but the exact reproduction of the image is never my goal. I seek to explore the emotional tone of the image, through saturated color and stylized form. Abstract works start with free forms and movement. I do not limit abstraction to pure form, but rather enjoy discovering the unconscious representations that derive from laying down the paint.”
I work both in Chicago (Constellation Studio) and Michigan (Ten Blossom Studio, Old Mission,) as well as onsite, plein air painting in any locale. My background is in languages, law, interior design, and the creation and ownership of home decor stores: (La Belle Provence; Glorie Be; Bondurant.) I have studied at Palette and Chisel, Old Town Art Center , The Art House and Lillstreet Art Center (Chicago,) and with Mark Daniel Nelson (Denver, cO,) Brenda J. clark (Suttons Bay, MI,) and Rebecca George (The Art House,) Adele Sypesteyn and many art workshops. My work reflects places in my life, from native South Dakota, to Michigan, Chicago and Southern France. A strong affinity for nature, light, color and humor plays out in my paintings.
Judith Tummino
Judith has spent the last 40 years painting the coasts of Maryland, Michigan and the beautiful landscapes of Italy. Her work is included in collections such as the Dennos Museum Center, the Kalamazoo Institute of Arts and Grand Valley State. Her love of painting continues on as she attempts to capture the essence of the moment.
website JudithTumminoArt.com
Steve VanCollie
Adam VanHouten
Adam is a professional artist who has years of experience teaching as a visual art instructor, painting workshops, and as an adjunct painting instructor at Northwestern Michigan College. VanHouten received his Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree in Painting and Art Education from Western Michigan University and a Masters in Education from Michigan State University. His paintings are in both oils and watercolor and have a unique impressionistic style reflecting scenes of Northern Michigan. “Plein Air painting is the most challenging form of painting as you have to adapt and adjust to every circumstance. However, it has provided me with the most growth as an artist…I love being able to paint with my feet in the water, hearing the nearby sounds of birds, and the occasional wave hitting the shoreline. It is all of this sensory information that comes through in my final artwork.”
https://www.adamvanhoutenartist.com/
https://www.instagram.com/bluehomeartist/
https://www.facebook.com/adamvanhoutenartist/
Jenny Vaughn
I’m excited to be participating in the 2023 Northport Plein Air Paint Out for the first time! I am a watercolor artist and life-long Michigander who is very happy to be spending some time in beautiful Northport for this event. The amazing beauty of Michigan’s outdoor spaces caused me to fall in love with watercolor many years ago. I love how the layers and transparency of watercolor lends itself to landscapes and shorelines.
At home in Trenton, I paint in my studio and along side other local plein air painters who inspire me. Two years ago I founded a non-profit Artist in Residence Program created in memory of my son, Jordan. The program was created to honor his memory and continue his artistic legacy. The vision of the program is to promote and strengthen a diverse culture of art in the community by fostering a creative, supporting environment for local adult emerging artists to develop new work and creatively explore new ideas in a safe and inclusive environment. All proceeds from the sale of my art helps fund this program and continues to inspire me.
jvaughn5@yahoo.com
@jennyvaughn34
https://www.teadoneartistinresidenceprogram.com/
Tina Vivian
Tina Vivian is a fifth generation Michigander. She graduated from Alma College with a BFA in Drawing and Printmaking in 1994 and from Central Michigan University in 1998 with an MFA in Printmaking. In 2020 Tina retired from Alma College where she served as the costumer for the Theater and Dance Department for twenty years. For the past two years Tina has been enjoying the exploring the world through plein air painting.
David Westerfield
Michigan resident David Westerfield was a career graphic designer and illustrator. He now pursues his love of painting both in the studio and on location, regularly traveling to favorite spots in Michigan, California, Florida, and Hawaii.
www.westerfieldstudio.com
www.facebook.com/david.westerfield
www.instagram.com/davidwesterfield
david@westerfieldstudio.com
Pamela Wilburn
As an Artist, Mother Nature usually provides me with all the inspiration I need; with her ever changing subtleties and unbridled fury. I find a need to share the essence of these experiences through impressionistic landscapes. Watercolor is my preferred medium because of its luminosity, transparency and unpredictable nature. Painting en plein air is my preference as it puts me in the center of the swirling elements and atmosphere. My mind sees more clearly and I become one with the surroundings that I am painting. When Michigan weather prohibits outdoor painting, I retreat to my studio.
I hold a bachelors degree in Art Education and have spent many years as a graphic artist and an art educator, before becoming a full time artist. I belong to several watercolor organizations and have signature status in the Michigan Water Color Society and the International Society of Experimental Artists.
PamelaWilburn.com
Facebook: Pamela Wilburn
Cynthia Yates
Cynthia seeks to record the natural beauty in Michigan and nearby states, often focusing on this region's fascinating waterways, flora, fauna and accompanying built environment. Her plein air paintings primarily are done in her life long painting medium, water color, or occasionally in acrylics or oils. In addition to plein air painting events, she exhibits with Great Lakes Plein Air Painters Association, Michigan Water Color Society, and local juried shows such as those at Lawrence Street Gallery in Ferndale, and at the Birmingham Community House's Our Town exhibit.
Lisa Marie Yontz
Plein air painting allows freedom from overthinking while demanding forward progress. Both the art and the artist are infused with energy. I endeavor to be inspired by nature to create a painting I love whether abstract or traditional. This is why I enjoy plein air.