Leslie Trujillo- Batts: Leslie Trujillo-Batts’ captivating pastel paintings capture light and reflection with delicious drama and an uninvited guest. Her nontraditional approach to Still Life, combined with painstaking technique, tells a story by creating a composition that one wants to savor as the story unveils. Her work has won numerous awards and has caught the eyes of art lovers around the world.
To see more of Leslie’s work, visit:
Instagram
Christine Mercer-Vernon: Painting from life, using flowers from her garden, Christine follows the rhythms of the growing season as she captures each variety as it blooms. Her process is a slow and attentive collaboration with nature, deeply rooted in observation and an awareness of the connections between plant and pollinator and the memories flowers carry of loved ones who grew them.
To see more of Christine’s work, visit:
Website
Nearly a decade after Randall (Randy) Sexton’s last solo exhibition in San Francisco and two years after his death, Wessling Contemporary will exhibit over 30 paintings from the artist’s personal collection in a show entitled “Will the Circle be Unbroken.” This exhibition, featuring selections of landscapes, still lifes, and rare abstract works by Sexton, will open with a reception on Thursday, September 4, 2025, and be on view through Thursday, October 2 at Wessling Contemporary in San Francisco, California.
More from the organizers:
“It felt like the right amount of time had passed since Randy’s death, where we could mount an exhibition of his work in celebration of his tremendous impact on the art community, without dwelling on the tragedy of his passing,” said Founding Director Anthony Wessling. “His work lives on, both in the art he made as well as the countless numbers of artists who learned so much from him.”
“Randy was generous in all ways. He was a good friend, my favorite artist to draw and paint with, and a wildly talented artist, mentor, and teacher,” remarked Susan Kirshenbaum, co-curator of the exhibition and an Associate Art Consultant with the gallery. “I still visit him every day as I study his paintings on my walls.”
Randall Sexton (1958 – 2023) was a master of realism, a deft colorist working primarily with oil paints to capture the splendor and idiosyncrasies of the western landscape in his plein air paintings, create graceful renderings of the human figure, and express contemplative calm through his still life pieces. During the COVID Era, he explored abstraction, with several works from that foray being part of this exhibition. Previously, Sexton had a longtime relationship with John Pence Gallery, which closed its Union Square location in 2017, and also showed with Nancy Dodd Gallery in Carmel, among others. He was also a prolific painting instructor, leading plein air and figurative workshops around the world, and produced a popular video, Brushstrokes with Energy and Movement.
Randy held a BFA in Painting from the University of Connecticut. He was a signature member of the Plein Air Painters of America; Garnered many Best of Show and Artists Choice Awards at national events and festivals including Carmel, Maui, Telluride, and the Laguna Plein Air Invitational; Was regularly featured in various national journals including American Artist (now Artist’s Magazine), Southwest Art, PleinAir (now Fine Art Connoisseur), and Workshop.
As part of our effort to continue to help artists and art galleries thrive, we’re proud to bring you this week’s “Virtual Gallery Walk.” Browse the artwork below and click the image itself to learn more about it, including how to contact the gallery.
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Want to see your gallery featured in an upcoming Virtual Gallery Walk? Contact us at [email protected] to advertise today. Don’t delay, as spaces are first come, first served, and availability is limited.
How has the mythic, vast American West continued to inspire artists for decades? This year marks the 20th annual Quest for the West® Art Show and Sale, an annual fundraising event at the Eiteljorg Museum (Indianapolis, Indiana) featuring works by nearly 50 contemporary artists.
More from the organizers:
In past Quest shows, landscape paintings have captured brilliant light and rhythmic towering rock formations. Images of stately bison and gray wolves — two species that approached the brink of extinction at the turn of the 20th century — called to mind the delicate balance of western ecosystems. Iconic cowboys represented a legacy of Hispanic influence and global exchange throughout the West and captivated artists today as they have for the past 150 years.
At the 2025 Quest for the West, viewers will see railroad cars, narrow canyons, rope lassos, dusty windows and radiant skies. Through these artworks, imagined stories blend with lived experiences. Whether you live in the Midwest or the Mountain West, imagery inspired by the western United States continues to shape American culture and identity. During the Quest opening weekend events September 5-6, pre-registered art collectors and enthusiasts can meet the artists who are capturing these extraordinary places with fresh insight today.
20TH ANNUAL QUEST FOR THE WEST ART SHOW AND SALE
SEPT. 5-6: Sale Weekend
SEPT. 7-OCT. 5 : Art show, special exhibition gallery
CELEBRATING ART OF THE WEST
First held in September 2006, Quest for the West has two exciting phases: First is a festive weekend when collectors mix with 48 of today’s top artists and bid on their recent works depicting the West, in an atmosphere of camaraderie and fine dining. That’s followed by a one-month art show in which museum-goers experience nearly 200 Quest works that remain on view at the Eiteljorg after the sale.
Each year’s sale weekend at the Eiteljorg is an enchanting gathering of art enthusiasts, collectors and artists with a mutual passion for the American West. In a typical Quest year, more than $1 million in artwork is sold, which supports the artists, raises funds for the museum and serves to boost the national profile of contemporary art of the West. In celebration of 20 years of Quest, the museum will offer special events.
ART AND ARTISTS
Prominent painters and sculptors return for Quest, including Tim Cherry, Robert Griffing, Donna Howell-Sickles, Krystii Melaine, Dean Mitchell, P.A. Nisbet, Heide Presse and H. David Wright, among others. This year features several notable artists making their debuts at Quest, including Starr Hardridge (Muscogee Creek), David Jonason, Ryan A. Lee, Z.S. Liang, Bonnie Marris, Preston Singletary (Tlingit) and Jill Soukup. Visitors will remember Singletary’s solo glass sculpture exhibition at the museum last fall, Raven and the Box of Daylight, and the Eiteljorg is pleased to welcome him back to participate in the Quest sale.
MAIN ART SALE
On Saturday, Sept. 6, pre-registered Quest guests participate in a fixed-price, luck-of-the-draw art sale where they mingle with the artists while viewing and vying for artworks. It’s not an auction; instead, a bidder whose name is drawn gets the first right to purchase a particular piece. If that bidder declines, the next person drawn is offered the chance to buy it. This process continues until a lucky bidder accepts and becomes the happy new owner of the artwork. The three draws are filled with suspense for bidders and artists alike.
MINIATURE ART SALE
Friday night Sept. 5 includes the popular miniature art sale, where the same Quest artists offer smaller pieces at lower price points. It’s a good option for experienced collectors who have no more space for large artworks, or for new collectors seeking an affordable entry into collecting. The bidding format for miniatures is the same as the main sale.
ART AWARDS
Works by Quest artists are eligible for awards presented in multiple categories Sept. 6. The prestigious Harrison Eiteljorg Purchase Award goes to an artwork the museum acquires for its collections; the purchase award is sponsored by The Western Art Society.
RE-FRAMING THE WEST
On the afternoon of Saturday, Sept. 6, attendees at the 20th Quest will hear from special guest speaker Dr. Mindy Besaw, who has been director of research and curator at Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville, Arkansas. Besaw is co-curator of Knowing the West, the first major traveling exhibition to embrace the American West as more inclusive, complex and reflective of the diverse peoples who contributed to art and life there. Americans often feel they “know the West,” whether informed by direct experience or popular culture, and this exhibition of more than 120 historic works by Native American and non-Native American artists encourages deeper exploration of this familiar topic. A leading scholar on the art of the West, Besaw was previously curator of the Whitney Western Art Museum at the Buffalo Bill Center of the West in Cody, Wyoming, and wrote her Ph.D. dissertation on contemporary artists reconsidering the American West. (Dr. Besaw was recently named the new Wilma E. Kelley Director of the Sidney and Lois Eskenazi Museum of Art at Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana, effective Aug. 15.)
“The exhibition Knowing the West expanded historical boundaries of western American art by placing artists like Albert Bierstadt and Frederic Remington alongside 19th-century artists creating a wide variety of work in the West, from quilts to saddles to woodblock prints. I’m thrilled to bring Mindy to Quest to share these fascinating new dialogues and perspectives about Western art,” Eiteljorg Vice President for Curatorial Affairs and Collections Laura Fry said.
HOOSIER HOSPITALITY
Another special Quest event for registered attendees is a field trip Friday afternoon Sept. 5 to the newly renovated and reinstalled Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum, where they can savor Indy’s auto-racing heritage.
On both Quest sale evenings, the Eiteljorg plans special live music as entertainment. Both nights, the Eiteljorg’s exclusive caterer, Kahn’s Catering, creates a delicious dining experience, held in the museum’s Allen Whitehill Clowes Sculpture Court.
To fully appreciate the Quest experience, break out your festive Western apparel: Cowboy boots, ten-gallon Stetson hats, scarves, bold belt buckles and bolo ties are welcome, and encouraged, at this year’s event.
QUEST ART SHOW
Once the sale weekend concludes, Quest artworks remain on public view from Sept. 7 through Oct. 5 for Eiteljorg Museum visitors to enjoy, before the paintings and sculptures are shipped to their buyers. The Quest art show is included with regular museum admission.
Make the memories last by looking for a copy of the illustrated 2025 Quest for the West art catalog, available in September at the Frank and Katrina Basile Museum Store.
For more about Quest for the West, including advance sale weekend registration and absentee buyer information, visit quest.eiteljorg.org or contact Kay Hinds, development coordinator, at [email protected] or 317.275.1341.
Presented by the Western Art Society and the Avis Foundation, Inc.
Tonalist Art On View at Blowing Rock Art and History Museum, North Carolina:
The exhibition “Daingerfield & The Tonalist Instinct” explores the development of Tonalism, a distinctly American artistic movement responding to early modernist impulses in painting. Emerging in the latter half of the 19th century, Tonalism was characterized by subtle color harmonies, soft atmospheric effects, and contemplative, mood-driven scenes. Often emphasizing twilight or dawn landscapes, tonalist works evoke introspective, serene, or even ominous atmospheres, prioritizing mood and emotional resonance over detailed realism.
Central to the exhibition is Elliott Daingerfield (1859–1932), one of North Carolina’s most celebrated artists. Daingerfield’s connection to Tonalism is reflected in his expressive interpretations of the Southern landscape, particularly around Blowing Rock, where he summered for over four decades. His art is distinguished by poetic subtlety and spiritual undertones—qualities highly valued by tonalist painters. Although Daingerfield resisted a single or dogmatic approach, Tonalism profoundly shaped his artistic evolution.
Drawing from BRAHM’s permanent collection and loans from private collectors and public institutions, this exhibition contextualizes Daingerfield’s work within a broader historical frame. It illustrates not only how Tonalism influenced Daingerfield but also its robust impact on American painters from the post-Civil War era well into the 20th century. In addition to deepening our appreciation of Daingerfield, the exhibition highlights other artists who significantly contributed to the movement’s regional and national resonance.
The exhibition is on view through October 19, 2025. For more information, please visit blowingrockmuseum.org.
As part of our effort to continue to help artists and art galleries thrive, we’re proud to bring you this week’s “Virtual Gallery Walk.” Browse the artwork below and click the image itself to learn more about it, including how to contact the gallery.
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Want to see your gallery featured in an upcoming Virtual Gallery Walk? Contact us at [email protected] to advertise today. Don’t delay, as spaces are first come, first served, and availability is limited.
Please help us congratulate Denver artist Jen Starling for winning Overall First Place in the June 2025 PleinAir Salon, judged by artist Larry Moore.
Jen tells us this painting was inspired by some beautiful white roses. Because they were falling apart, they had “extremely unusual shapes and patterns.”
“The biggest challenge while painting ‘Dreamscape’ was capturing the variety of temperatures in the shadows,” she said. “They varied from a warm orangish glow toward the inside and cooler purple in other areas. I’m always interested in pushing saturation, but there is a limit. That limit can often be hard to determine, especially in the shadows. I’m not so much chasing the realistic colors that I see, but using what I see as a starting point to find a harmony that I find appealing.”
“’Dreamscape’ is a great example of making the ordinary extraordinary,” said Larry. “The way the flowers float in the dark space is compelling. The space itself has variety in the negative shapes; no two distances are the same. There is a beautiful range of variety in mark-making and edges, and the flowers themselves move forward and backward in space.”
Artist Statement:
“My work makes a personal statement that is an amalgamation of my experiences, and a desire for deep connection with others, the natural world, and myself. It speaks to the search for meaning, peace, and spiritual connection that is inherently human. I aim to show a complexity of emotion in my subjects, including vulnerability. When people witness vulnerability in others, compassion ensues, and allows them to feel connected regardless of their differences. When viewing my work, I wish for there to be an exchange that validates the viewer’s humanity, and ignites self awareness. It is from this place of vulnerability that growth and healing are possible.”
Connect with Jen Starling at jenstarlingart.com.
In the spirit of the French Salon created by the Academie des Beaux-Arts in Paris, this annual online art competition, with 11 monthly cycles, leading to the annual Salon Grand Prize winners, is designed to stimulate artistic growth through competition. The PleinAir® Salon rewards artists with $50,000 in cash prizes and exposure of their work, with the winning painting featured on the cover of PleinAir® Magazine.
Winners in each monthly competition may receive recognition and exposure through PleinAir Magazine’s print magazine, e-newsletters, websites, and social media. Winners of each competition will also be entered into the annual competition. The Annual Awards will be presented live at the next Plein Air Convention & Expo.
The next round of the PleinAir Salon has begun so hurry, as this competition ends on the last day of the month. Enter your best art in the PleinAir Salon here.
View more artist and collector profiles here at FineArtConnoisseur.com.
What is the most interesting thing you have painted/sculpted and why?
Carole Belliveau: I started my art life sculpting a collection of realistic collectable artist dolls in a variety of mediums. After twenty five years of a successful business in doll and toy design I went back to school for my fine art degree in painting
How did you develop your unique style?
Carole Belliveau: I originally painted with brushes for both plein air landscape and figures but when I moved to Santa Fe the high desert landscape was different from anything I had ever experienced. I picked up a palette knife and squeegees for the first time and now use those exclusively for landscapes and for embellishing figures.
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To see more of Carole’s work, visit:
website
Fine Art Collection Profile >
Paula Holtzclaw is a nationally admired artist based in Waxhaw, North Carolina, approximately 30 miles south of Charlotte. What her fans may not know is that Holtzclaw is also a dedicated collector of contemporary representational art, much of it made by colleagues she knows personally. “I have never made a purchase based solely on the artist’s name or the piece’s current or future commercial value,” she declares. “I buy only what speaks to me on a personal level, something that — as they say — ‘grabs you and won’t let go.’”
Holtzclaw’s “appreciation of art reaches back as far as I can remember. By the second grade, my creative endeavors were being recognized and encouraged by my parents and teachers.” She continues, “The first original artworks I can recall in our family home were made by my grandmothers, who had both studied art in college. Being exposed to the smells and textures of their various supplies heightened my own creative energy. I particularly remember being mesmerized by a tonalist nocturne painting displayed in my grandparents’ home, and I am fortunate to have it in my collection today.”
The artist’s first “real” art purchase came when she and her husband, Charles, attended an opening reception in Charlotte: “The gallery had already sold a few of my pieces, so I was familiar with its artists, and we were immediately captivated by David Ballew’s painting ‘Storm Lit Pines’.” Lightning struck twice at that gallery, which later sold the couple their next treasure — Curtis Jaunsen’s still life ‘Tomatoes and Pottery’, which Holtzclaw praises for its “Old Master quality.”
Soon enough, Paula and Charles found themselves “purchasing art for our anniversaries and birthdays, then just because we loved the piece.” Today their collection of paintings includes not only works by Paula and both of her grandmothers, but also by Amy Adams, Olena Babak, Suzie Baker, David Ballew, Marcia Ballowe, Cindy Baron, Chula Beauregard, Ovanes Berberian, Brian Blood, Nancy Boren, Robert Brown, Susan Carlson, Han Cashion, Kathleen Coy, Bill Cramer, Katie Dobson Cundiff, Julie Davis, Leslie Davis, Sara Jane Doberstein, Vlad Milan Duchev, Laura Edwards, Sheri Farabaugh, Cynthia Feustel, Peter Fiore, Susan Hotard, Kellie Jacobs, Barbara Jaenicke, Ralph James, Curtis Jaunsen, Daniel Keys, Robert Knapp, Ann Larsen, Jeff Legg, Calvin Liang, Kyle Ma, Rick McClure, Robert Moore, Anita Mosher, Darcie Peet, Virginia Pendergrass, Devin Michael Roberts, Elizabeth Robbins, Pauline Roche, Gladys Roldan-de-Moras, Ann Sanders, Sandy Scott, David Simons, Fred Sprock, James Swanson, Andres Vivo, Romona Youngquist, Jeff Yeomans, and Allie Zeyer. The couple’s sculptures have been created by Dan Chen, Kim Kouri, Gwen Marcus, Diane Mason, Louise Peterson, Diana Reuter-Twining, Stefan Savides, and Sandy Scott.
Holtzclaw is quick to highlight her gratitude for such professional nonprofit organizations as the American Impressionist Society (AIS), American Society of Marine Artists (ASMA), American Women Artists (AWA), National Oil & Acrylic Painters’ Society (NOAPS), Oil Painters of America (OPA), Plein Air Painters of the Southeast (PAPSE), and Women Artists of the West (WAOW). “I am proud to belong to these groups and to exhibit regularly in their annual shows. Having said that, I find it almost impossible to come home from those events without an acquisition! Many were made by artists I have formed friendships with, and each piece has a personal connection, reminding me of specific moments.”
Most of these organizational shows are hosted by commercial galleries, which Holtzclaw applauds for their ongoing service to artists and the art community at large: “Their owners and staff members work really hard, and I’d like to think that my purchases through them are paying it forward.”
Holtzclaw demurs when asked to name her favorite artworks, but she offers some observations about themes within the collection. “Because Charles and I have named our home ‘Birdsong,’ many of our sculptures depict birds, such as Diane Mason’s ‘Tea for Two’. We are also partial to images with oak leaves, as our wedding rings (designed by Charles) are engraved with them.”
Animals are cherished in the Holtzclaw home. James Swanson’s painting “The Water Guardian,” which won Best of Show at the NOAPS exhibition last year, reminds Paula of a golden retriever she once owned, while Kyle Ma’s “Farm Life” — a Christmas gift from Charles — evokes the chickens her grandparents kept on their farm. Bill Cramer’s painting “Luminous Towers” was purchased in Scottsdale, right after the Holtzclaws had admired the brilliant red rocks in nearby Sedona. And Jeff Yeomans’s “Warm Water Reflections” depicts a mother wading into the ocean with her young twins, just as Paula did with her twin sons.
Holtzclaw confesses that she is “almost completely out of wall space, so we will either need to build an additional wall or hang art on the ceiling!” For every incoming artwork, she orders a frame plaque bearing the title and artist’s name, which facilitates conversations when visitors come to admire. These plaques also bring the artists’ identities into focus for the longer term: Paula confides, “Knowing that our children will inherit much of our collection, I like to think that the plaques will inspire future generations to learn more about the artists, and about us. After all, we did not buy these artworks to match the decor; we bought them because they touch our souls.”
View more artist and fine art collection profiles here at FineArtConnoisseur.com.
