PaintAmerica

PaintAmerica Top100 Show at the Coutts Museum of Art

2011-06-22T12:37:00.000-05:00

The Coutts Museum of Art in El Dorado, Kansas is hosting the 2011 PaintAmerica Top100 and Mini50 exhibit from June 14 through August 13, 2011. The exhibit is helping the museum celebrate the conclusion of a major renovation project to all three floors of the museum. The project added an elevator and stairways to all levels, a new roof, and renovated exhibit spaces on all levels.

The exhibit features the Grand Prize winning painting "Cow Creek at West Fork" by Paul Zegers of Roseburg, OR, and the Mini Grand Prize Winner, Wekiva Springs Sunrise by Florida artist Elaine Hahn.

The Coutts Museum of Art is located in downtown El Dorado, KS, about 20 miles northeast of Wichita, KS. Museum hours are Tuesday through Friday, 9am to 5pm and Saturday, noon to 4pm. An artists' reception will be held Saturday, July 9th from 6pm to 9pm. Contact the museum with any questions, 316.321.1212.

Today's Featured Artists: Bonnie Casey and Johne Richardson

2010-12-28T11:27:00.000-06:00

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

2010-10-12T18:31:00.000-05:00

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!

2010-09-22T12:33:00.001-05:00

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!

2010-07-21T18:57:00.000-05:00

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!

2010-06-02T10:10:00.000-05:00

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

2010-05-20T13:09:00.000-05:00

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

2010-05-18T11:36:00.000-05:00

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

2010-05-06T09:40:00.000-05:00

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

2010-05-03T17:22:00.000-05:00

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 MorrisWhiteside Trailside 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

2010-04-12T15:26:00.000-05:00

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

2010-04-05T11:15:00.000-05:00

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

2010-03-29T16:17:00.000-05:00

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

2010-03-23T10:37:00.000-05:00

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

2010-03-20T15:12:00.000-05:00

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

2010-03-19T14:07:00.000-05:00

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

2010-03-17T17:42:00.000-05:00

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

2010-03-16T18:16:00.000-05:00

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

2010-03-12T15:59:00.000-06:00

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

2010-03-11T12:07:00.000-06:00

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

2010-03-10T15:52:00.001-06:00

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.

Lee Alban and Karen Wickham works from the PaintAmerica Top100

2010-02-23T10:24:00.001-06:00

Today's featured artists include two painters that are new to PaintAmerica shows.

Lee Alban broke into his first PaintAmerica show in a big way - with two paintings in the Top100 and two in the Mini Top50 Classically trained at the Schuler School of Fine Arts in Baltimore, his paintings are noted for their depth and color. His winning paintings show the broad range of subject, media and versatility. His two Top100 works are 18" x 24" oil "Yellow Hibiscus" ($5,000) and 25"x30" oil "Family Tradition" ($7,000). In the mini competition, Lee placed with 10"x8" oil "American Graffitti" ($2,200) and 11"x14" watercolor "Bandelier National Monument" ($1,400). Lee's work has been exhibited in numerous museums and galleries and have won awards in every genre. His pieces are frequently featured in books, as well as national and international publications.

Karen Wickham is a California realist. Karen is both a scientist, with a doctorate in Biochemistry from UCLA, and an artist. She sees similarities between the two fields. Her work has evolved from a more minimalist, abstract approach to a more realistic feel. We think she has found a good balance in her recent work - often referred to as Painterly Realism. The piece pictured here was a 2009 PaintAmerica Top100 winner entitled "Ocean Shoreline," a 36"x18"oil ($1,700). Karen also had a mini painting in the Second Mini50. We're glad to have her work in the show, and look forward to seeing more in the future.

For more information, or to purchase, contact PaintAmerica Association, 816.806.3340

The Work of Harry Ahn and Clark Wilcox

2010-02-20T15:32:00.001-06:00

Harry Ahn is a new participant in PaintAmerica shows, but he's certainly not new to the art world. The Michigan artist is one of America's most prominent portrait artists. Harry has done dozens of one-man shows, been exhibited internationally, won numerous Best of Shows, and been a prolific commissioned portrait artist for many years. His paintings are known for transforming everyday subjects and settings into something extraordinary. This 24"x30" oil painting, "Let Me Think This Over" ($8,500), captures a common situation, but is painted with a spirit that it makes it something special. It was juried into the 2009 PaintAmerica Top100.

Clark Wilcox was born and raised in Montana, but now resides in Wyoming. With a Top100 and a Mini Top50 painting in the 2009 PaintAmerica Top100, Clark has now had paintings accepted into the last three PaintAmerica competitions. "Paradise Valley" ($1,800) is a 24"x20" oil, in the Top100. His mini painting, "Lady of the Lake Creek" ($450) is a 12"x9" oil. Clark has studied with several prominent artists, and has been accepted into numerous other juried shows including the C.M. Russell Art Auction in Great Falls, and the Yellowstone Art Museum’s annual auction in Billings. With these recent successes, Clark continues to grow as an artist to watch.

For purchase inquiries, contact PaintAmerica Association at 816.806.3340.

Thursday Featured Artists: Neil Adamson, PAA and William Wray

2010-02-18T13:34:00.000-06:00

Florida artist Neil Adamson, PAA, is a member of the PaintAmerica Signature Society (PAA). His work has been chosen in four of the last six PaintAmerica competitions. In the 2009 PaintAmerica show, he had an amazing three pieces in the Top100 and three pieces in the Mini Top50. Found in prominent corporate offices, Neil’s paintings are in private collections in Saudi Arabia, Canada, England, Switzerland, Puerto Rico and throughout the United States. "Soaring the Canyon," ($950) "River Garden" ($950) and "Everglades Sanctuary" ($1,500) were juried into the this year's PaintAmerica Top100. "Egrets/Everglades," ($475) "Sandhill Crane" ($425) and "Marsh Resident" ($450) were his mini paintings. Still painting into his 70's, Neil's work just keeps getting better and better.

William Wray may be mostly known for his painting style on the Ren and Stimpy Show, his monthly strip in Mad Magazine and his collaborations with Mike Mignola on Hellboy Jr. But now he is concentrating on his fine art. Wray has developed a wonderful painting style, capturing the nostalgic feel of the early 2Oth century’s art and architecture. In "The Choice," ($3,000) Wray has added an urban feel to this style that jurors felt warranted his inclusion in the 2009 PaintAmerica Top100. Wray's work has been featured in Southwest Art, American Art Collector and The Artist magazines. This was Wray's first appearance in a PaintAmerica show - and we hope to see many more.

Contact PaintAmerica at 816.806.3340 if you are interested in any of these works

Today's PaintAmerica Top100 Featured Artists: Sandy Askey-Adams and Amy Bartlett Wright

2010-02-16T18:05:00.000-06:00

Pennsylvania artist Sandy Askey-Adams is becoming a frequent winner in PaintAmerica competitions. Her beautiful pastels have now been juried into three PaintAmerica shows. "After the Rain" was juried into the this year's PaintAmerica Top100. She also had another painting in the Second100. "After the Rain" is "16x24" pastel, priced at $2,800. Sandy is one of the friendliest people you'll ever meet, and is very popular among other artists for her networking and social media skills.

Amy Bartlett Wright of Portsmouth, RI, also had two works juried into the 2009 PaintAmerica show - one in the Mini Top50 and another in the Mini Second50. "Osprey Island" was her Mini Top50 winner. It is a 10"x16" acrylic, priced at $1,000. Amy was a winner in the 2008 PaintAmerica Top100, with a much larger piece, more in line with what she usually paints. With a degree in Scientific Illustration, she is well-known for her large scale murals for zoos and animal habitats.

Contact PaintAmerica at 816.806.3340 if you are interested in any of these works.

Today's PaintAmerica Top100 Featured Artists: Patrick Abellon and Joseph Yarnell, PAA-M

2010-02-10T10:17:00.006-06:00

Patrick Abellon's oil painting, "The Herd" marks Pat's second appearance in a PaintAmerica show. He had a mini painting in the 2007 show. "The Herd" is "16x20" oil on canvas, priced at $1,500. Pat is originally from the Phillipines, and is definitely an "up and coming" talented artist. In addition to this painting, Pat also had a piece in the Second100.

Joseph Yarnell of Skiatook, OK, is no stranger to PaintAmerica shows. As a PaintAmerica Master Circle Member, Joseph has had work selected in five of the seven PaintAmerica national competitions to date. He has been a previous Juror Award Winner, and his painting, "Homeward Bound" was this year's Jim Bruce Juror's Award Winner. This 12" x 24" acrylic of Canada Geese migration is priced at $1,500. Joseph also had a Mini Top50 winner, "Resting Wren." It is an 8" x 10" acrylic, available at $600. Yarnell also had another painting in the Second 100.

Golembeski, Nistler, Weller and Turner Named PaintAmerica Mini Top50 Jurors Award Winners!

2010-01-26T15:52:00.005-06:00

In addition to Dean Mitchell's Grand Prize Purchase Award, the following artists have been named Jurors Award Winners in the 2009 PaintAmerica Mini Top50...

Don Weller of Oakley, UT was named the Kaye Franklin Jurors Award Winner. His watercolor painting, titled "Checkers" was chosen by Franklin. His western art has illustrated many books, magazines and posters and his work can be seen at www.donweller.com Don has been a frequent winner in past PaintAmerica shows.

The Jim Bruce Jurors Award went to Beverly Golembeski of Seaside Park, NJ. Beverly's painting was titled "Ocean Wave." Beverly is a PaintAmerica Master Society Artist and has been included in several previous PaintAmerica shows. More of her work can be seen at www.watercolorsbybeverly.com

Eileen Nistler of Upton, WY was named the Debra Groesser Jurors Award Winner for her painting, "Maura in Pink." Nistler has had many appearances in a PaintAmerica competitions, and has won several previous Jurors Awards. She is also a PaintAmerica Master Society Artist. Her website is www.eileennistler.com

Kathryn Mapes Turner of Jackson, WY was awarded the Airfloat Systems Award for her oil painting entitled "Jefferson Memorial." This was Turner's first appearance in a PaintAmerica Top100 show. Her work can be seen at www.turnerfineart.com Airfloat Systems are suppliers of the Airfloat Strongbox, the preferred art shipping containers, and have donated a gift certificate for Airfloat Products for their award.

Thanks again to our jurors, Jim Bruce, Deb Groesser and Kaye Franklin for their tremendous contributions to this wonderful show.

Embry, Farabaugh, Yarnell and Richardson win 2009 PaintAmerica Top100 Jurors Awards!

2010-01-26T15:04:00.004-06:00

In addition to Ruo Li's Grand Prize Purchase Award, the following artists have been named Jurors Award Winners in the 2009 PaintAmerica Top100...

Evelyn Embry of Richford, NY was named the Kaye Franklin Jurors Award Winner. Her oil painting, titled "Portrait of Wayne Frank" was chosen by Franklin. Evelyn is one of the country's most prominent portrait painters and her work can be seen at www.evelynembry.com

The Jim Bruce Jurors Award went to Joseph Yarnell of Skiatook, OK. Yarnell's painting was titled "Homeward Bound" and featured Canadian Geese resting during their migration. Yarnell has been included in several previous PaintAmerica shows.

Sheri Farabaugh of Thornton, CO was named the Debra Groesser Jurors Award Winner for her painting, "Running the Rapids." This was Farabaugh's first appearance in a PaintAmerica competition.

Johne Richardson of Overland Park, KS was awarded the Airfloat Systems Award for his watercolor work entitled "Wash Day." Richardson's work has been included in every PaintAmerica Top100 show since its inception. He was also the Grand Prize Winner of the 2008 show. Airfloat Systems are suppliers of the Airfloat Strongbox, the preferred art shipping containers, and have donated a gift certificate for Airfloat Products for their award.

Thanks again to our jurors, Jim Bruce, Deb Groesser and Kaye Franklin for their tremendous contributions to this wonderful show.

Ruo Li and Dean Mitchell Claim Top Honors in 2009 PaintAmerica Top100!

2010-01-26T10:39:00.004-06:00

Ruo Li, of Arcadia, California has been chosen as the $7,500 Grand Prize Purchase Award Winner in the 2009 PaintAmerica Top100, for his seascape painting entitled "The Hopeful." Dean Mitchell of Tampa, Florida was named the $2,500 Grand Prize Purchase Award Winner in the Mini division for his watercolor portrait, "Buffalo Soldier."

This year's competition was juried by three nationally recognized artists - Jim Bruce, Deb Groesser, and Kaye Franklin. The two top awards were scored the highest among several hundred entries nationwide.

Ruo Li has had work accepted into previous PaintAmerica shows, including Region II Winner in the 2007 Paint the Parks show. Li has been living in California since coming to the US in 1989. He has won many top awards for his work, mostly depicting west coast seascapes.

Dean Mitchell is one of the top watercolor artists in the country. His work work has won hundreds of awards, including first prize at the T.H. Saunders International Artist and Watercolour Show in London, the Hubbard Art Award for Excellence, and the Gold Medal of Honor from the American Watercolor Society.

Paint the Parks Show at South Florida Fair!

2010-01-21T17:11:00.002-06:00

Over 700,000 people are expected to go through the gates of the South Florida State Fair in West Palm Beach, Florida where the 2009 Paint the Parks100 is currently being exhibited. The exhibit is located in the Expo Center, where the focus of this year's fair centers on America's National Parks. Following the close of the fair on January 31st, the exhibit will move to the Bink Glisson Museum on the fairgrounds until its close on March 1st.

The current tour started at the Kolb Studio, Grand Canyon, Arizona. From there, it drew good crowds at the Old Courthouse Gallery in St. Louis. Following the South Florida Fair, the show will head north to Hammond, Indiana at the Indiana Welcome Center, just south of Chicago. The tour will finish at SouthWind Gallery in Topeka, Kansas.

2009 Paint the Parks100 Opens at Kolb Studio - Grand Canyon!

2009-08-02T10:51:00.003-05:00

We can't think of a better place to open the Third Annual Paint the Parks100 Exhibit than at the Kolb Studio Gallery on the south rim of the Grand Canyon. The Kolb is a truly remarkable landmark, perched on the edge of this incredible canyon. The canyon receives millions of visitors each year.

The Kolb Brothers were the first ever to record their adventures on the Colorado River with a movie camera. The Kolb Studio Gallery is in the original auditorium the Kolb brothers added on in 1915 to present their river trip movie to Grand Canyon visitors. Emery Kolb ran the movie daily from 1915 until his death in 1976, making it the longest-running motion picture in history.

Today, the gallery is filled with paintings of the National Parks by some of the top artists in the country. Every painting is a national award winner. The show will run until September 7th, and is the perfect opportunity to view and purchase some incredible fine art dcoumenting our country's national parks.

2009 Paint the Parks100 Judging is Complete!

2009-06-29T11:34:00.006-05:00

After a long weekend of final judging of several hundred submissions, the jurying is complete and our winners are ready to be announced. The $10,000 Grand Prize Purchase Award in the full-size competition goes to Patrick McManus for his oil painting of Glacier National Park entitled "Trail Watchers"(middle image). The $5,000 Grand Prize Mini50 Purchase Award goes to Elaine Lierly Jones for her pastel painting entitled "Arches National Park" (top image) 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 Kim Casebeer(left), Howard Friedland (middle) and Susan Blackwood (right) who worked long and hard to score every entry in the final judging. They worked late into the night Friday night, all day and deep into the night on Saturday, and came back Sunday morning to finish. They took great care to be fair, thoughtful and thorough with every piece. They were professional, yet they made the long weekend fun and enjoyable.

Susan Blackwood, Howard Friedland and Kim Casebeer named 2009 Paint the Parks Jurors

2009-06-08T13:51:00.004-05:00

PaintAmerica Association has announced the jurors for the 2009 Paint the Parks100 international art competition. They are Susan Blackwood, Howard Friedland and Kim Casebeer.

Since 1975, Susan Blackwood has taught watercolors in colleges and workshops around the country, overseas in Pakistan, the Bahamas, Great Britain, France and Italy. Susan has lead painting holidays to Europe with her husband, oil painter Howard Friedland. They both have been featured in the Master Painters of the World section of the International Artist Magazine. In 2003 Susan switched to oil painting. She now paints almost exclusively in oils. Her work has been seen in Southwest Art Magazine, U.S. Art Magazine, and Wildlife Art News. A partial list of her publishers include the National Audubon Society, the Sudden Infant Death Syndrome Alliance, the Big Brothers Association, National Riflemen's association, North Light Publishers-(Best of Flower Painting by Katherine Kipp) and Medici Society Ltd. of London, England. Her originals have been exhibited in galleries in England and all over the U.S. in National Shows and galleries. The recipient of numerous awards, currently her paintings are in 5 galleries in the U.S., in addition to both museum and corporate collections.

Howard Friedland was born in Bronx New York. He has lived in Miami Florida, Albuquerque and Taos, New Mexico and now resides in Bozeman, Montana with his wife, artist Susan Blackwood. He studied fine art and commercial art at New York's High School of Music and Art. He went to college at The Cooper Union for the Advancement of Art and Science in the department of Art and Architecture in New York's Greenwich Village. Howard has studied painting with Ned Jacob, Michael J. Lynch, Mark Daley, Laura Robb, William Schultz, Robert Kuester, Charles Reed ,Carolyn Anderson, Mitch Billis, Scott Christensen and most recently with Matt Smith. Oil Painters of America inducted Howard as a Signature Member into their organization in 2003. He was featured in the July 1989 issue of American Artist Magazine. He was featured in the Master Painters of the World section of the International Artists Magazine. His work has been selected to be shown in his own exhibition room #120 at the C. M. Russell Auction and Exhibition, held in Great Falls, Montana. He has painted, taught and exhibited extensively in New Mexico, Colorado, Montana, Arizona, Florida, Mexico, France, Italy, England, Spain and Portugal. His work has won numerous awards, and he has been featured in exhibits far too numerous to list. His work is sought after in many private and corporate collections.

Kim Casebeer's work has been featured in Southwest Art, American Artist, American Art Collector and The Pastel Journal, and has been published in a book titled Living the Artist’s Life. She is a signature member of the Pastel Society of America and the American Women Artists, and has also exhibited with the Oil Painters of America and the Rocky Mountain Plein Air Painters. She has received awards through each of these organizations, as well as the Salon International Show, the American Academy of Women Artists, Scottsdale Artists School Best and Brightest, the Pastel Journal’s Pastel 100 Competition and The Artist’s Magazine Competition. Kim has participated in museum shows such as the C.M. Russell Masters in Miniature Show and the American Art in Miniature Show at the Gilcrease Museum. Her work was included in “Homage to the Flint Hills,” a 3 year traveling exhibit ending with a show in the Senate offices in Washington D.C. She is represented by Galleries West Fine Art in Jackson, Wyoming; Rive Gauche Art Galleries in Scottsdale, Arizona; Leopold Gallery in Kansas City, Missouri; Strecker-Nelson Gallery in Manhattan, Kansas; and Silver Heron Gallery in Depoe Bay, Oregon.

PaintAmerica is pleased to have such a stellar juror panel for the 2009 Paint the Parks show!

HURRY! ONLY TWO MONTHS LEFT TO SUBMIT ENTRIES!

2009-04-02T10:46:00.003-05:00

Just a reminder to be getting your entries together for the 3rd Annual 2009 Paint the Parks100 Competition. $10,000 Grand Prize Purchase Award; $5,000 Mini Grand Prize Purchase Award! Thousands more in additional prizes and awards! The Paint the Parks100 has become one of the country's top juried exhibitions for established and emerging artists. Save $10 on your early entries postmarked by April 30. 2009. Final deadline: May 31, 2009.
Paintings should be representative, and depict any area under the jurisdiction of the National Park Service, in any way, in any medium.
Go to www.nps.gov for a list of eligible areas viewable by state.

PaintAmerica is a national, non-profit organization to support and promote the visual arts.
Proceeds support the PaintAmerica Scholarship Fund and the National Park Foundation.

Don't miss this important juried competition – enter now! Full details and entry form at www.PaintAmerica.org or call us at (785) 273-4502.

PaintAmerica Annnounces 2008 Top100 Winners!

2009-01-14T12:24:00.003-06:00

The juror’s scores have been tabulated and the results are in! The 2008 PaintAmerica Top100 $7,500 Grand Prize Purchase Award goes to Johne Richardson, for his painting, “Shadows Upon the Land.” The 2008 PaintAmerica MiniTop50 $2,500 Grand Prize Purchase Award goes to Steven Lesnick, for his painting, “Supper Time.” Top100 Jurors Awards are as follows: “Pumpkin Patch” by David Jackson – Cally Krallman Juror’s Award; “Sausalito Ferry” by Howard Koslow – Henry Dixon Juror’s Award; and “Yellow Slicker” by James Reid – Michael Albrechtsen Juror’s Award.

In the MiniTop50, Juror’s Awards were as follows: “Ethel and Lacey” by Elaine Lierly Jones – Cally Krallman Juror’s Award; “Prairie Picnic” by Eileen Nistler – Henry Dixon Juror’s Award; and “Winter’s Return” by Dan Young – Michael Albrechtsen Juror’s Award.

Click here for a complete list of the winners, including the Second 100 and Seocnd Mini50. All Top100 and MiniTop50 winners will receive a letter in the coming weeks with complete instructions on forwarding their actual artwork. Congratulations to all!

Mike Albrechtsen Painting Seminar Well Reviewed

2009-01-13T09:59:00.007-06:00

A Painting seminar by Mike Albrechtsen this past Sunday was very well received by all attendees. The seminar, part of PaintAmerica's education mission, was held at Westboro Fine Arts gallery in Topeka, Kansas. It was limited to only 12 participants, so that all attendees could get up close and personal with Mike and his demonstration painting. Participants came from as far as 235 miles away to see Mike's demonstration, and based on comments received, all took away some important information that they felt would make them better artists.

Albrechtsen has painted all over the country, and his works are sought after by many collectors. He teaches at the Scottsdale Art School and the Fredericksburg Art School. His work is in major galleries across the country. He was in Topeka as a juror for the 2008 PaintAmerica Top100 art competition, and graciously agreed to provide this important seminar and demonstration for PaintAmerica.

PaintAmerica Top100 Judging Complete - Look For Results Later This Week

2009-01-13T09:19:00.004-06:00

The long juror's weekend is finally complete. This past weekend, jurors Cally Krallman, Mike Albrechtsen and Henry Dixon deliberated over the hundreds of entries that had survived the preliminary jury process. 190 Mini entries made it to the final round of judging, and 309 full-size entries survived the preliminary jury, making a total of 499 entries judged in the final round this past weekend.

It was a grueling process, with judging going until 11:30 p.m. on both Friday and Saturday nights. The juror panel was extremely careful in reviewing each piece, offering excellent comments and critiques. Each piece was scored individually by each judge, and all scoresheets will be tabulated by a third-party to determine the Top100 full-size scores, Top50 Mini scores, and ultimate Grand Prize winners. We'll be posting the Judges Choice Awards to this site later this week, and expect to have the full results back to us and posted on Friday, January 16th. Click on "Posts" in the "become a follower" box at the upper right of this blog, and be automatically notified as soon as the results are posted.

Excitement at PaintAmerica

2009-01-07T16:00:00.006-06:00

It’s an exciting time at the PaintAmerica world headquarters.

We’re getting ready for the opening of the Paint The Parks100 at the Westboro Fine Arts gallery in Topeka, which is coming up on Friday, January 16. All the boxes are now unpacked!

The Internet is the easiest way for us to stay in touch with you, and we want to encourage you to join us there.

If you read this blog regularly, or even if it is your first time, we encourage you to subscribe using one of the various RSS services which are available. Just use the links in the “become a follower section” in the top right-hand side of this page.

Once you’ve subscribed, you can check us out on Facebook using the following links.

Fan page
Group
Paint the Parks Event

And of course, there’s always our website, www.paintamerica.org.

PaintAmerica grows more and more every day and it’s because of the wonderful support we get from all of you. Keep up the good work!

Cally Krallman, Michael Albrechtsen and Henry Dixon Named 2008 PaintAmerica Top100 Jurors

2008-12-19T10:49:00.003-06:00

The 2008 PaintAmerica Top100 competition will be juried January 9 – 11, 2009. The jury panel includes three nationally prominent artists from varied disciplines. PaintAmerica is proud to have such a distinguished juror panel for this years’ competition…

Henry W. Dixon is a realist painter working predominately in watercolor. Born in Jacksonville, Florida, Dixon grew up in Chicago, and holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Art and Master of Arts Degree in Graphic Design. Dixon was selected out of over 22,000 entries from Fifty-one countries around the world to represent the United States in London, England at the Winsor and Newton World-Wide Millennium Painting Competition, "Our World in the Year 2000." Prince Charles of Wales chaired the panel of world-renowned judges. The exhibition was also shown in Stockholm, Sweden and the United Nations Building in New York City. Dixon was also selected as the artist to represent the State of Missouri for the 2001 White House Calendar. He was named to the 2007 Best of America Artists and Artisans. Henry is a signature member of the Natonal Watercolor Society (NWS)

Michael Albrechtsen was raised in Bountiful, Utah and earned a Master of Fine Arts Degree from Utah State University. After graduation, Michael was offered a position with Hallmark and moved to Kansas City. Michael is fascinated by landscapes but also loves painting figures. During his employment with Hallmark he was in a unique position where he was allowed to use his experience as a landscape and figure painter to do specialty cards. Michael is in demand as an instructor at both the Scottsdale Artists School and the Fredericksburg Artists School. He exhibits across the country, and is shown in fine galleries including the Craghead Gallery in Carmel, The Legacy Gallery in Scottsdale and Jackson, the Demott Gallery at Vail, Whistle Pik Galleries in Fredericksburg, and Highlands Art Gallery in Chester, New Jersey.

Cally Krallman has been painting for over 20 years. She has traveled and painted in many places throughout the world, but is still drawn to the simplistic beauty of the Midwest states. She enjoys painting "en plein aire", and many of her works are painted on location. She has a Bachelor of Fine Arts, and has studied with Phil Starke, Kim English, Michael Albrechtson, and William Scott Jennings among others. Her work has been exhibited across the country including OPA and Salon International exhibits, as well as in Georgia of the former Soviet Union. Cally’s work has been featured in several publications and is held in many private and public art collections. She is a member of Oil Painters of America and American Women Artists.

Chicago area Paint the Parks100 Exhibit Highlights Indiana Dunes

2008-11-19T15:46:00.003-06:00

The Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore and the Lake County Convention and Visitors Bureau partnered to bring the 2008 Paint the Parks100 Exhibit to the Chicago area at the Indiana Welcome Center in Hammond, Indiana. The exhibit began with an opening night reception on October 1st. According to Katie Holderby, executive vice president of Lake County Convention and Visitors Bureau, the exhibit was well received and they are looking at future dates to hold the exhibit again. The new 6500 sq. ft. contemporary exhibit space fashioned after the rolling waves and dunes of Lake Michigan was an exceptional venue for the Paint the Parks100 exhibit.

Paint the Parks Show at Old Courthouse Gallery in St. Louis!

2008-11-05T11:30:00.012-06:00

The 2008 Paint the Parks100 national touring exhibit kicked off August 1st with a fantastic showing at the Old Courthouse Galleries in St. Louis, MO. The Old Courthouse is part of the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial, and the exhibit was sponsored by the Jefferson National Parks Association. It was an incredible venue for the first show of this year's exhibit season. Paintings were hung all around the historic rotundas on the first and second floor, as well as in the stately halls and anterooms of this beautiful building. The exhibit drew excellent crowds until its close September 15th.

France Tremblay Painting Wins 2008 Paint the Parks Grand Prize Purchase Award!

2008-07-01T18:32:00.012-05:00

An acrylic painting titled "Southeast View from Zabriskie Point" by France Tremblay has been chosen as the 2008 Paint the Parks100 Grand Prize Purchase Award Winner. Other major award winners chosen included the following juror awards:
Elaine Hahn Jurors Award - Dan McWilliams, "Best Beach", oil
Susiehyer Jurors Award - Christopher Groves, "Santee Evening Light", oil
John Hulsey Jurors Award - Robert Highsmith - "Morning at Canyon de Chelly", watercolor

In addition, three winners were chosen to represent each of the three national park regions:
Region I Winner - Steven Hileman, "December Afternoon, Acadia", oil
Region II Winner - Robert Gunn, "Full Moon Ascending", oil
Region III Winner - Howard R. Hanson, "Forest Floor", oil alkyd

The jurors deliberated over a 3-day period, scoring hundreds and hundreds of entries before all the ballots were tabulated and the 100 highest scoring paintings emerged from the field. A complete list of all winners will be posted to www.PaintAmerica.org website by Friday, July 4th.

Susiehyer Conducts Painting Demonstration for PaintAmerica

2008-07-01T18:16:00.004-05:00

On Sunday, June 29th, nationally recognized oil painter Susiehyer conducted a painting demonstration and seminar for PaintAmerica at the Maner Conference Center in Topeka, Kansas. Susie was in Topeka as a juror for the 2008 Paint the Parks competition, and agreed to conduct the demonstration as part of PaintAmerica's education mission.

Twice each year, as PaintAmerica national competitions are judged, one of the jurors agrees to provide a seminar for interested artists. Group size is kept small so that each attendee is assured of an up-close, intimate session with the instructor. Susie focused her demonstration on creating a better painting by focusing on strong shape and value structures in the early stages of the painting. We thank Susie for agreeing to provide this motivational and insightful demonstration!

Paint the Parks Jurors Work Through Entries

2008-07-01T17:43:00.007-05:00

On Friday, June 27th, Susiehyer, Elaine Hahn and John Hulsey arrived at the PaintAmerica offices to begin wading through hundreds of entries in the 2008 Paint the Parks national competition. It was a daunting task. After an Italian dinner where the jurors got acquainted with each other, judging began about 8pm Friday, starting with the mini competition. To accomplish the judging within time constraints, the jurors scored each entry individually, with scores to be tabulated afterwards. The jurors retired for the evening about 11:30.

Saturday morning, the jurors met for breakfast and then dug into the remainder of the mini entries. With a few short breaks, judging went on all through the day, starting the full-size entries about 1:30, and not breaking again until dinner at 6pm. After dinner, the deliberation continued until almost midnight. On Sunday, the jurors discussed the previous 2 days of judging over a leisurely breakfast before preparing for Susiehyer's afternoon painting demonstration.

St. George Art Museum

2008-06-06T10:18:00.001-05:00

The 2007 Paint the Parks 100 & Mini50 exhibition opens today, June 6th, at St. George Art Museum in St. George, Utah. This is your last chance to see the exhibit! If you can't make, be sure to visit the online exhibition .

Final Deadline Tomorrow!

2008-05-30T09:44:00.002-05:00

You have two days left to enter for the opportunity to be a part of the 2008 Paint the Parks100 & Mini50! With a national touring exhibition and an online exhibition, there are excellent sales opportunities and chances for national exposure! Good luck in the competition!

Many Paintings Sold At Kolb Studio Exhibit at the Grand Canyon!

2008-05-19T16:22:00.005-05:00

Nearly two dozen paintings sold at the Kolb Studio 2007 Paint the Parks Exhibit in Grand Canyon, Arizona totalling over $20,000! The exhibit was enjoyed by all and will be back again in 2009! Many thanks to the Grand Canyon Association and to The Dudley Family for making this exhibit happen.

If you haven't yet had a chance to view the 2007 Paint the Parks 100 and Mini50 the last exhibit takes place at The St. George Art Museum in St. George, Utah. We look forward to another wonderful show!

If you can't make the trip to Utah, view the exhibit online at www.paintamerica.org

*Pictured above are paintings recently sold at the Kolb Studio exhibit. "Trails and Tales" by Brenda D. Johnson (Top Left), "So Inviting" by Tarryl Gabel (Top Right), "Bodie Island Lighthouse" by Mark Kelvin Horton (Bottom Right) and "Needles Sunset" by John N. Agnew (bottom center).

Beverly Golembeski : Friday Featured Artist

2008-04-25T09:55:00.003-05:00

Beverly Golembeski, PAA, has been a professional artist for over twenty years, and has demonstrated and taught classes and workshops throughout the Northeast and Florida. She was a past president of the Ocean County Artists’ Guild and a board member of the New Jersey Watercolor Society. She is a ‘Fellow’ of the American Artists Professional League and an Official Artist of the United States Coast Guard. Full Memberships include Audubon Artists, Inc, Philadelphia Watercolor Society, Pennsylvania Watercolor Society, and Garden State Watercolor Society. She was elected into Who’s Who in American Women and Who’s Who of American Art.

Even though she is proud of achieving the aforementioned, She cherishes the support of the local art groups and organizations. These were the foundation of her artistic beginnings. They nurtured her abilities and offered her the stepping-stones toward the road as a professional artist. She continues to promote their activities and programs and maintain her memberships with them. They gave her her start and she feels they will do so with the next generation of fledgling artists.

Pictured above are Beverly Golembeski's paintings included in PaintAmerica Exhibitions. Pictured from Top to Bottom, Left to Right, "Nana's Lighthouse" (Paint the Parks100, 2007), "Coconuts" (PaintAmerica Top100, 2007), "Regatta" (Paint the Parks100, 2007), "Wading Pool" (Paint the Parks Mini50, 2007), "In Flight" (PaintAmerica Top100, 2007), "Judee's Boat" (Paint the Parks100, 2007), "Pavilion Chatter" (Paint the Parks Mini50, 2007), "Chicken House" (PaintAmerica Top100, 2007).

Ezra Suko : Friday Featured Artist

2008-04-18T08:00:00.008-05:00

Ezra Suko, a PaintAmerica Signature Member, is this weeks Friday Featured Artist. Ezra is one of the youngest artists included in any PaintAmerica exhibition. Many don't believe the art by Suko is that of an artist that is only twenty-six years old. Pictured above is one of Ezra Suko's paintings that made it into the 2007 PaintAmerica Top100, "Lights and Leaves". This has been a crowd favorite at the first exhibit of the show. Some swear there are lights behind the canvas giving the glow to the green lights and red tail lights and all wonder "How did he do that?!".

Below are three more of Ezra's paintings: "Twilight on the Pacific", 2007 PaintAmerica Top100; "Mid Summer Americana", 2007 PaintAmerica Top100; and "Lake McDonald: Late Afternoon Light", 2007 Paint the Parks100.

Are your entries ready?

2008-04-15T14:53:00.001-05:00

In just two weeks the 2008 Paint the Parks100 early deadline will behind us! You don't want to miss the early discount deadline, $10 off every entry for the Paint the Parks100 and $5 off every entry for the Paint the Parks Mini50. Now that you have met that dreaded tax deadline, its time to move on to meeting a more enjoyable deadline! Mark your calendars for May 1st!

Don't think you will make it in time? Don't worry the final deadline is not until May 31st!

Jurors for 2008 Paint the Parks Announced

2008-04-14T13:28:00.009-05:00

John Hulsey is an accomplished artist, author and teacher who has been working professionally for over thirty years. In addition to producing new work for exhibition and teaching workshops, Mr. Hulsey continues to write educational articles about painting for national art magazines, including Watercolor magazine and American Artist Magazine. He has been selected as a "Master Painter of the United States" by International Artist Magazine where his work was previously chosen to be included in the top ten of their international landscape painting competition. He was awarded residencies at both Yosemite and Glacier National Parks.

Elaine Hahn, NWS, AWS (elainehahnart.com) Elaine has studied with noted artists throughout the United States, England and Mexico. Elaine Hahn is a Signature member of the American Watercolor and the National Watercolor Societies. She is also a Signature member of the Florida Plein Air Society, a member of the Oil Painters of America and the American Impressionist Society. Her paintings have achieved prominence through acceptance and awards in major national juried exhibitions. Her works are included in private and corporate collections throughout the United States. She has taught and conducted Workshops and has served as a judge in Art Shows on the local and regional level.

Susie Hyer, OPA (www.susiehyerstudio.com) Susie is represented by several galleries along the Front Range. Her work can be seen in many private and corporate collections. She maintains a home and studio in Evergreen, CO where she lives with her husband and two children. She has received dozens of regional and national awards for her work, mostly in oils. She is a signature member of Oil Painters of America, Plein Air Artists of Colorado, and the American Society of Botanical Artists.

Looking for inspiration?

2008-03-20T11:32:00.004-05:00

If you are thinking about entering the 2007 Paint the Parks100 or Mini50, a good source of inspiration would be last years winners! Order your viewbook today to gain that little extra motivation you need to be on the cover of the 2008 Paint the Parks viewbook!
Visit the PaintAmerica website to order.

Friday Featured Artist: Thomas Marcotti

2008-03-14T14:27:00.003-05:00

Thomas Marcotti, a PaintAmerica Signature Member, has had five paintings juried into PaintAmerica competitions. "Springtime in Wiscasset", top left, was the 2007 PaintAmerica MiniTop50 Grand Prize Winner! He also had a painting in the Top100 this year; "Church Row", middle right. "Cromwell Brook", top right, was apart of the 2006 PaintAmerica Top100. And in the First Annual Paint the Parks Competition, Marcotti had two paintings, "View From Ocean Drive", middle left, and "White Mountain National Forrest", bottom.

Tom is basically self-taught in the fine arts and has successfully made art a life-long endeavor. He has involved himself with many facets of art. In all of his work from graphic art and commercial printing, to being a portrait artists at Disneyland, to his many commissions, to the stunning acrylics and watercolors he produces today. Through his sharp eye for detail he lets the viewer immediately relate to the painting. This is exactly what he wants in his work… “When people view my work I would like them to be able to relate to some part of the painting. Perhaps it is the peacefulness, a feeling that they wished they were there, or a remembrance of time spent in a similar place. My paintings are the places and spots I wish I could see or be part of every day.”

Looking at his work you can tell he has achieved his goal. Using acrylics as the versatile medium it is, and working with canvas, board, or paper yields a variety of opaque textures and transparent washes. Working with watercolor, one of his favorite mediums, he works with the white of the paper to produce clean, translucent colors. He uses photography as a tool to obtain reference material, allowing the capture of a moment in time and space so he can later produce with accuracy the detail in like and shadow, the colors, and the positive and negative space.

PaintAmerica Top100 First Friday Art Walk at Westboro Fine Arts

2008-03-07T15:03:00.004-06:00

Tonight Westboro Fine Arts in Topeka, Kansas will welcome another large crowd to the PaintAmerica Top100 Exhibit. Every first Friday in Topeka art galleries welcome crowds to enjoy an evening art walk. They are looking forward to showing the beautiful art to even more art lovers!

Friday Featured Artist : Suzanne Ellis

2008-03-07T10:12:00.003-06:00

This Friday's Featured Artist is Southern Wisconsin artist, Suzanne Ellis. PaintAmerica has been lucky to have three of her paintings juried into our competitions. Her "Ghost of Wildcat Mountain" (above center) was juried into the 2007 Paint the Parks. Suzanne's "Heart of the Mountain" (above right) was recently juried into the 2007 PaintAmerica MiniTop50. This years PaintAmerica Top100 Grand Prize Winnner was Suzanne's "Badger State of Mind" (above left).

Suzanne Ellis paints with acrylics and uses her own photos for reference. Her father was a writer and a naturalist. He was her first teacher. The painting Suzanne completed for one of her father’s books, “Notes from Little Lakes”, won the Addy Award for best book cover, 1995-1997, in Madison, Wisconsin.

She had her first solo show, July and August 2004 at the Richard C. Anderson Gallery, Land’s End in Dodgeville, Wisconsin. Another show followed in July and August 2006, at the UW Arboretum, Madison, Wisconsin. She has taken workshops with John Seerey-Lester, Paco Young, and Julie Chapman.

"I paint wildlife and nature because I want to share the mystery and unbelievable beauty of the natural world. Painting is how I pray for and celebrate what I love." - Suzanne Ellis

2008 PaintAmerica Scholarship Recipient

2008-03-06T09:35:00.004-06:00

PaintAmerica is proud to announce our 2008 PaintAmerica Scholarship Recipient! Caitlin is a high school senior from Cincinnati, Ohio. She enjoys creating beautiful, fun, and often unreal things. She is a member of her high schools art club. She plans to earn a degree in Illustration.

"Caitlin is one of those students a teacher hopes to have. She not only challenges herself intellectually to broaden her technical skills, she has the ability to integrate creativity in a broad range of school activities... She has solid technical skills and understanding that wonderfully compliments her creative style."
-Michele Rivera, High School Art Teacher

Congratulations Caitlin and we look forward to hearing about your success!

PaintAmerica Top100 and MiniTop50 Viewbook

2008-02-27T14:11:00.004-06:00

The 2007 PaintAmerica Top100 and MiniTop50 Viewbook is now on sale on the PaintAmerica website. You may also order the 2006 PaintAmerica and the 2007 Paint the Parks Viewbooks. Start your collection now!

Not comfortable ordering online? Give us a call!

PaintAmerica Signature Society Members

2008-02-25T10:08:00.004-06:00

Announcing... 2008 Signature Society Members
Neil H. Adamson
Del-Bourree Bach
Ray Hunter
Les Lull
Thomas Marcotti
Walter Porter
Deb Schroer
Michael Stohlmeyer
Ezra Suko

2007 PaintAmerica Signature Society Members: Tom Altenburg, Ray Brown, Beverly Golembeski, Carol Brightman Johnson, Gary Ozias, Wes Siegrist and Joseph Yarnell

Congratulations!

2007 PaintAmerica Top100 Opening

2008-02-20T09:54:00.000-06:00

We had a great turn out at the opening of the PaintAmerica Top100 in Topeka, Kansas at Westboro Fine Arts! Not only did many people come to view this wonderful show, but many artists showed up as well. We were visited by Johne Richardson, Ye Wang, Pat Vincent G. Abellon, Deb Shroer (pictured above, top), and Marilyn Wiens Horsch (also pictured above, bottom)

Westboro Fine Arts

2008-02-19T09:26:00.004-06:00

The 2007 PaintAmerica Top100 have begun their exhibit journey! The first exhibit site, Westboro Fine Arts, is located in Topeka, Kansas. After two days of hanging, the art is on the walls! Above you can view a few of the walls, can you spot your painting? (you can click to enlarge)

Check back tomorrow for pictures from the opening!

2008-02-12T12:12:00.001-06:00

Thousands more in cash prizes and purchase awards!
For entry form, click here to go to our website,
or email your name and address to
mail@paintamerica.org

PaintAmerica, a national, non-profit organization to
support and promote the visual arts, has announced the
Call to Entries for the 2008 Paint the Parks Art Competition.
Deadline: May 31st, 2008.
This competition was developed to fill the void created when Arts for the Parks
program was recently discontinued.

Full details and entry forms are available at
www.PaintAmerica.org

You're Invited

2008-02-06T13:03:00.001-06:00

You're Invited to the
"National Debut" of the 2007
PaintAmerica Top100
Exhibition and Sale

Friday, February 15, 2008
6:30pm to 8:30pm
Westboro Fine Arts
Topeka, Kansas

Kind Words

2008-01-30T10:41:00.000-06:00

While unpacking the paintings for the upcoming show, we are also compiling short biographies of each artist included in the show to travel to the exhibits so that everyone can know more about the artists that created the beautiful work they are viewing. While reading Sandy Askey-Adams biography I came across this quote from her and just wanted to share it with all of you and thank her for the kind words. She sees aspects of PaintAmerica other than enjoying the beautiful work but also using art to spread a message. Thanks Sandy!

“And perhaps my paintings will help serve as a reminder of the importance of appreciating, preserving, and taking care of our American landscape and seascape, wildlife and all of nature for the sake of all life on this earth. Through PaintAmerica Top100 and their other competitions, their shows and their selected paintings we may be able to see the beauty of nature and what we would be missing”.
--Sandy Askey-Adams

Paintings are arriving!

2008-01-29T13:10:00.000-06:00

The Top100 and MiniTop50 paintings are arriving on a snowy day here in Topeka, Kansas. We've seen many cold mail delivery people carrying in boxes with beautiful paintings inside! We always say its like Christmas here at PaintAmerica as the paintings arrive and we get to unpack the boxes. We first learn to appreciate then via digital slide, but unwrapping a box and viewing the original painting for the first time just feels like Christmas morning!

Thank you to all the artists who have made their way to mail their paintings. We are looking forward to the opening of the show February 15th in Topeka, Kansas!

Second Annual PaintAmerica MiniTop50

2008-01-15T14:16:00.000-06:00

Below you will see the winners of the MiniTop50, just a few of the 50 amazing pieces that make up the Second Annual PaintAmerica MiniTop50!

Grand Prize Winner
"Springtime in Wiscasset"
Thomas Marcotti

Paul Jackson Juror's Award
"Stellar Jay"
Sandra Williams

Sallie K. Smith Juror's Award
"Tulip Bed"
Eileen Nistler

Director's Choice
"Bump!"
Ray Hassard

Award of Distinction
"Streets of New York - The Red Umbrella"
September McGee

Please click here to view a full list of the PaintAmerica MiniTop50

Announcing Second Annual PaintAmerica Top100 Winners

2008-01-15T13:30:00.000-06:00

After an exciting weekend of judging work by America's best artists, it is time to announce the Second Annual PaintAmerica Top100!

Grand Prize Winner
"Badger State of Mind"
Suzanne Ellis

Paul Jackson Juror's Award
"Morning Assembly"
Suzie Seerey-Lester

Sallie K. Smith Juror's Award
"Twilight on the Pacific"
Ezra Suko

Director's Choice
"Heliotrope"
Johne Richardson

Please click here to view a full list of the 2007 PaintAmerica Top100

2007 PaintAmerica Top100 & MiniTop50

2008-01-14T10:09:00.000-06:00

We just finished a great weekend with jurors Paul Jackson and Sallie K. Smith! Paul and Sallie spent the weekend viewing all the wonderful entries we received for the Second Annual PaintAmerica Top100. Now we are busy tabulating the results so we can let all of the wonderful artists from all over the country know of their accomplishments!

Also, many area artists had the unique opportunity to attend a workshop by internationally known watercolorist Paul Jackson. He demonstrated some of his methods while excited artists looked on. Thank you Paul for providing the artists with this opportunity! Check back for more opportunities to attend a seminar like this one!

Looking for a Paint the Parks100 prospectus?

2008-01-09T13:15:00.001-06:00

Click here to obtain an entry form for America's leading competition and exhibition designed to illustrate the beauty and significance of America’s National Parks!

PaintAmerica Scholarship

2008-01-08T09:35:00.000-06:00

One of PaintAmerica's missions is to provide scholarships for young artists pursuing an education in art. We are currently going through the applications for this year scholarship and will announce the winner on February 15th!

If you will be a high school senior next year and are interested in applying for the PaintAmerica scholarship, send us an email and we will send you an application.

Good Luck to all of our scholarship applicants!

PaintAmerica Announces 2008 Paint the Parks Call to Entries

2008-01-07T10:13:00.000-06:00

PaintAmerica, a national, non-profit organization to support and promote the visual arts, has announced the Call to Entries for the 2008 “Paint The Parks” National Artists’ Competition. Paint The Parks will attract many of our nations’ top artists, with a $10,000 purchase award for the Grand Prize. Many other cash prizes and purchase awards will also be available, making Paint The Parks one of the country’s richest art competitions. Full details and entry forms are available at www.PaintAmerica.org

The 2008 Paint the Parks100 Competition and the Paint the Parks “Mini50” provide the country’s top national venue for established and emerging representational artists to showcase their talents. The competition celebrates our country’s national parks, with a portion of the proceeds benefiting the National Parks Foundation (www.nationalparks.org) The competition also supports the PaintAmerica mission of providing scholarships for young artists and promoting the visual arts across America.

The Paint the Parks Competition format rewards artists with great potential for sales of their work. It also provides recognition, exposure and awareness through a national traveling exhibition and an online display. The exhibition will be shown in venues such as The Jefferson National Expansion Memorial, St. Louis, MO; The RW Norton Art Gallery, Shreveport, LA; and The CACEG Gallery; Estes Park, CO. Showcasing the beauty and qualities of America’s National Park system as seen through the eyes of its artists is another benefit of the program.

The Second Annual Paint the Parks 100 carries on the tradition of the long-running Arts for the Parks competition. Last years grand prize winners were John Agnew of Cincinnati, OH for his painting “Looking for the Shore” and Ray Hunter of Santa Barbara, CA for his mini painting “Lesson on the Yellowstone”.

Entries representing any of the 390 National Parks are submitted and judged within one of the three National Park Regions. The highest scoring painting from all entries is named the Grand Prize Purchase Award Winner and claims a $10,000 purchase award. It, and the top 33 paintings from each of the three regions advance to the Paint the Parks100. Other artists in the top 100 also have the chance to receive additional cash prizes and purchase awards. Recognition is also given to the “2nd 100” artists.

The “mini” competition is for works up to 180 square inches. The full-size competition accepts work up to 720 square inches. A discounted entry is available for meeting the early deadline of May 1, 2008. The final competition entry deadline is May 31, 2008. Galleries interested in exhibiting the Paint The Parks Top100 should contact PaintAmerica at mail@PaintAmerica.org

P.O. Box 4031 • Topeka, KS 66604 • 785.273.4502 • fax 785.273.4510 • www.PaintAmerica.org

Happy New Year!

2008-01-03T14:50:00.000-06:00

Happy New Year! We are looking forward to a new year full of wonderful competitions and exhibitions!

We are busy preparing for the judging of the Second Annual PaintAmerica Top100 and MiniTop50! Paul Jackson and Sallie K. Smith will be visiting Topeka, Kansas January 11th-13th to pick this years Top100 and MiniTop50. Check the PaintAmerica website the following week to view the winners. We are very excited about this show and look forward to everyone being able to enjoy the talent of all of the PaintAmerica artists!

This is going to be an exciting year for PaintAmerica!

It is an exciting time at PaintAmerica!

2007-11-05T15:57:00.000-06:00

It is a very exciting time here at PaintAmerica. Entries are flooding in for the Second Annual PaintAmerica Top100 and MiniTop50! We just passed our early deadline and many artists took advantage of the discounted entry fees! We will continue to accept entries postmarked by November 30th!

Make sure not only you are represented but that your state is represented by the best artwork possible, yours! If you have any questions about the entry procedure please visit our website at www.paintamerica.org, email us at mail@paintamerica.org, or just give us a call at (785) 273-4502!

Tomorrow is Last Day for Early Deadline!

2007-10-31T13:18:00.000-05:00

I hope everyone is getting as excited about the 2007 PaintAmerica Top100 as we are! We have already received some wonderful entries and are looking forward to more! You still have today and tomorrow to get your entries in to receive the discount.

This could be your year to gain national exposure! Don't let this wonderful opportunity pass you by!

Early Deadline Discount Approaching

2007-10-29T16:06:00.000-05:00

If you haven't gotten your entries in for the Second Annual PaintAmerica Top100 and MiniTop50, you still have a few days to receive the early deadline discount! All entries postmarked before Thursday, November 1st are discounted to $40 per entry for the Top100 and $20 per entry for the MiniTop50.

Don't have time to get your entry in by Thursday? The final deadline is November 30th.

Welcome

2007-10-24T11:17:00.000-05:00

Welcome to the first official PaintAmerica blog. We've created this blog to keep everyone updated on the exciting things happening at PaintAmerica. We hope you enjoy!

We are currently accepting entries for the Second Annual PaintAmerica Top100 and MiniTop50! This a very exciting opportunity for both emerging and established artists. Please visit our website to learn more and download a prospectus!