A Moment in Time
Oil
40 x 30 in.

The 12th annual Grand Canyon Celebration of Art will recognize the achievements of 23 artists who have successfully interpreted the canyon,
both in plein air and studio work.

During Plein Air at Grand Canyon from September 12-19, visitors can watch the artists at work painting at Grand Canyon National Park. Their work will be exhibited at Kolb Studio at the South Rim September 20, 2020 through January 18, 2021.

In addition to the plein air work the artists do during the event, they also submit
a studio painting for the event catalog. Of his studio painting A Moment in Time Arizona artist Robert Goldman says:

“For the artist, the Grand Canyon presents a uniquely dramatic geological and pictorial wonderland which contains all the elements necessary for a work of art.
Certain times of day such as dawn or dusk are the icing on the cake and can provide a truly sublime and compelling image which cannot be conveyed by a photograph. Such was the case with my painting A Moment in Time which depicts dramatic Yaki Point at sunset. I felt the need to add some shots of light on the cliff face, with the full moon ascending as the sun was setting.”

Goldman won PleinAir Magazine’s Best of Show award for the body of plein air work he completed during the 2019 Grand Canyon Celebration of Art.

On Saturday September 14th from 8:00am to 10:00am Goldman and the CoA artists will be participating in a Quick Draw along the South Rim with an auction of their work starting at 11:00am at Bright Angel Trailhead.

The Celebration of Art exhibit and sale opens at 11:00am on September 20, 2020, and will be open daily through January 18, 2021, at the historic Kolb Studio at the South Rim of Grand Canyon. Admission is free and open to the public.

Please visit https://www.grandcanyon.org/get-involved/events/celebration-of-art/
or contact Kathy Duley at [email protected] or 480.277.0458 for more information.

Finding the Calm
Oil on linen
22 x 12 in.

“I thought I was stressed then! Life has certainly taken some turns since starting this piece and what was stressful last year is nothing compared to the present. So perhaps, the painting is timely, even though the subject is from the past. Peace is timeless.

As a response to the stress and drama I was experiencing, I selected some images from the years I’d lived in Europe. There is something about ancient architecture, with its grace and strength, which inspires a deep peace within. This sacred space, the Chapter Room of the Abbey de Fontenay, with the rhythmical arches and balance of natural and manmade lighting, became the perfect subject in which to immerse myself. Using traditional oil techniques, including a detailed drawing, color underpainting and final form painting, all while listening to Gregorian chants, this work became a meditation piece. It is my hope that the peace that I felt while working on this painting shines through and bestows on the viewer a quiet moment in this crazy world.”

Finding the Calm was most recently in Allison’s exhibit People and Places on display at Holder Dane Art Gallery in Grapevine, Texas. Though Allison is generally known for her finely expressive portraiture, she balances her human portraits with “portraits” of spaces and landscapes, endowing each with a serene quality, evoking a sense that the viewer is part of the piece. As a resident artist at Holder Dane where she exhibits and paints and teaches, Allison is open and available to speak with visitors to the gallery generously sharing her knowledge and insights.

Inspired by the depth and dimension of art while in living in Paris, Allison began her training with private art teachers, quickly turning to teaching on European painting holidays. These experiences have been rounded out by numerous painting and portrait workshops along with intensive study with Anthony Ryder at the Ryder Studio in Santa Fe.

Allison has had work accepted into and displayed at national and regional juried shows with Oil Painters of America, Portrait Society of America – Texas, Pastel Society of the Southwest, American Artists Professional League, Hunting Art Prize as well as numerous group and solo shows.

View more of Deborah Allison’s work on her website, and connect with her on Facebook.

Nasturtiums
24 x 18 in.
oil on linen panel
Available thru artist at [email protected]

Since childhood Carmen has had a passion for art and a love for nature. In 1984 she attended the Paire College of Arts until she moved to North Carolina in 1986. With a child on the way, she put her focus on family and filled any extra moments with creating decorative pieces and custom work for a boutique shop, Rosemary Etc. of Pinehurst, NC.

In 2003 she decided to combine her love of art and antiques and opened C.R. Drake Mercantile, a shop specializing in primitive antiques, reproduction furniture and her artwork. In 2008, she received the Special Operations Fund Scholarship making it possible for her to attend the Academy of Classical Design and study with D. Jeffrey Mims. She continued her education at the atelier as a student teacher for nearly three years before studying under the direction of Paul S. Brown.

Carmen resides at Oak Hollow Farm which is sited above the waters of Wads Creek just south of Carthage, North Carolina. Here she finds inspiration for her paintings by surrounding herself with antiques, flower gardens, farm animals and nature. Carmen hopes to translate the emotional and physical connection she has with her subject, finding beauty in an overlooked wildflower or a castaway antique umbrella.

She works from life in her North light studio, the 1901 original homestead to the property that she and her fiancé renovated. Not only does the studio serve for creating her paintings, she also offers lessons and hosts nationally known artists such as Rob Liberace, Colleen Barry, Michael Klein, Amaya Gurpide and Katie Whipple for workshops.

Carmen has shown her work in Ann Long Fine Art, Charleston, SC; East Oaks Studios, Raleigh, NC; Arcadia Contemporary, Pasadena, CA; and Collins Galleries, Orleans, MA.

Recent awards include Best Floral in the 2019 PleinAir Salon and Still Life Finalist in the 2019 Portrait Society of America Members Only Competition.

To see Carmen’s work and to keep up with current events:
Facebook: Carmen Fine Art or Oak Hollow Studios
Instagram: carmendrakefineart
Website: www.carmendrakefineart.com

Collins Galleries, Orleans, Cape Cod, MA

Dennis
18 x 24 in.
Oil on panel
Available through the artist

A love of travel takes Charles David Alexander, his wife Suzanne, and dog Harley, out on the road several times every year. Hiking outdoors, wandering through old town streets, or camping in the middle of the desert provide fuel for his creative mind. Near the end of the day on a family outing to watch for feeding dolphins, Charles snapped a photo that reflected the leisurely feeling onboard the boat. With ideas of painting always on his mind, he captured the subject of this portrait, Dennis, with a trademark grin reflecting both the energy of the afternoon sun and the general joviality of the group.

Painting is one of many creative endeavors Charles enjoys. Before he picked up a paintbrush however, he was a successful musician and pilot who eventually retired as a police detective. As a musician, he performed as a side man on the Grand Ole Opry stage in the 1970s and won the Walnut Valley Festival National Fingerstyle Guitar Championship in 1992. His flying résumé includes everything from crop duster to airline pilot, and as detective, he became an expert in the field of computer forensics. While these diverse career choices may seem incongruent, the common denominator is a desire to become expert in each pursuit.

Primarily self-taught, Charles enjoys painting still life and landscapes but he particularly enjoys capturing that special something that uniquely identifies his portrait subjects. Dennis was featured at ArtFields 2020 in Lake City, SC, and another portrait, Cheers!, was accepted into the Oil Painters of America 2020 National Juried Exhibition. His paintings are in many private residences throughout the U.S. and current works can frequently be seen at The PAPA Gallery in Paducah, KY. He is a member of the Paducah Area Painters Alliance, Oil Painters of America and the Portrait Society of America.

See more of Charles’ work at his website, Facebook or Instagram pages, or contact him at 901.517.6001 or [email protected].

Heartfelt Handler II
20 x 16 in.

I consider myself a romantic realist painter. I am so in awe of God’s creations that I can’t wait to capture moments in time and the beauty around us, through light and color. I strive to show feeling and to draw the artist into each of my paintings.

My passion for painting horses comes from being raised on a ranch in California and riding horses all my life. Portraits are also a favorite of mine, as I see character in everyone I meet and can’t wait to capture their personality on canvas. Animals have just as much personality. Being able to create that feeling with paint and brush, is so much of what I strive for.

I have been painting for over 50 years and teaching workshops in the community for over 25 years. I have worked and taught in many mediums, but I consider oils my favorite.

This painting, Heartfelt Handler II, has such a great story behind it, which I couldn’t wait to capture on canvas. My hobby is photography. It comes in real handy for my art. One day I was photographing a wagon train on a three-day mission. When they reached Amador City, CA, I was there and took many pictures. As I was going through my pictures, I noticed this particular picture, where the sun was shinning directly under this lady’s, hand as she seemed very concerned about her sweaty horse. The light spoke to me as God’s hand trying to assure her all would be ok. After finding out later that it was a very hot day and her horse was in some stress, as the water wagon had not arrived yet, she was very concerned. I tried very hard to get that feeling of a sweaty horse and the beautiful light beneath her hand to bring the viewer into the painting and see that concern of the handler. I was very happy with my finished painting. This painting was accepted into the Women Artist of the West 50th Anniversary Exhibition in Tucson, AZ in March-April. I have won many National and International Awards, but I always strive for my next painting to be my best.

My process in each of my paintings begin with a value sketch in my sketch book, to determine the lights, darks and composition. When I am happy with that, I start my work with an underpainting of value, either in red or sometimes browns. I have always said, “I make my paintings better than the photograph”. It may consists of moving things, taking things out, and many times changing the lighting and temperature of color. Color temperature is very important. So, if someone says, “Oh wow it looks like a photograph”, they have no idea how much it may have changed. It’s realistic, yes, but I have used my artist license to make it even better to convey that feeling I have inside of me, that I can’t wait to capture.

White Out
Oil on canvas on panel
12 x 12 in.
Available from RS Hanna Gallery

Sue’s painting White Out will be featured in Oil Painters of America’s 29th National Juried Exhibition at the RS Hanna Gallery in Fredericksburg, TX, opening October 16, 2020. This piece was the first in a recent series she completed with the goal of exploring a single color family in one painting. Even though pure white isn’t considered a color, she wanted to explore the many subtle colors that are actually needed to beautifully depict white.

A love of art has been with her since childhood. Most everywhere she looks, Sue sees beauty in many surprising things, and as many artists discover, they have an innate need to not only observe those things, but to also recreate those things! This results in her subject matter running the gamut, from her first love of painting people, to still life and landscape. “Whatever catches my eye and makes me say ‘Wow’ becomes something I want to paint”, explains Sue. This usually happens when light falling on something in a particular way causes an ordinary subject to become quite beautiful or when an emotion or memory bubbles up when viewing it. “So when someone asks me for the reason behind why I painted a particular thing, my simple answer is ‘because it’s pretty,'” says Sue.

As a result of studying with some excellent painters and through many years of practice, Sue has been able to hone her skills; so in return, she also teaches oil painting. She has won numerous awards in her 15 years of painting, with the most rewarding milestone being her Signature Member status in the Oil Painters of America.

Sue’s paintings can be found at the following galleries:
Anderson Fine Art Gallery, St. Simons Island, GA
Cortile Gallery, Provincetown, MA
Hughes Gallery, Boca Grande, FL
Main Street Gallery, Annapolis, MD
Susan Powell Fine Art, Madison, CT

View Sue’s paintings on her website at https://www.suefoell.com/.

To be notified of new work, subscribe to her e-newsletter.

Follow Sue on Instagram @suefoellfineart.

Urban Patchwork
16 x 20 in.
Oil on linen
Available through Meyer Gallery, Santa Fe, NM

Wisconsin artist Shelby Keefe paints in a bold, realistic style uniquely her own. In 2005, after a career in graphic design, she became a full-time painter traveling the country participating in plein air competitions, art festivals and teaching workshops. An in-demand teacher, Keefe has an instructional video, Painting From Photographs, published by Liliedahl, as well being comfortable painting on stage to music as a performance artist. Her distinctive style has received national notice, winning the Plein Air Salon Competition Grand Prize and having been published on the covers of both PleinAir Magazine and Southwest Art. Keefe is a Signature Member of Oil Painters of America, American Impressionist Society, and American Women Artists.

View more of Shelby’s work at StudioShelby.com.

Mountain Cassanova
Oil on linen
18 x 24 in.
Available through Horizon Fine Art Gallery, Jackson, Wyoming

THE ART OF NATURE
Kathryn Ashcroft was born in a small, Northern Utah farming town in 1961. She was raised on the family dairy farm where animals were fed before people were and a strong work ethic was instilled in her at a very young age. Many hours were spent on the back of a horse and riding was her favorite pass time. Her Mother, also an artist, created beautiful paintings in oil and this was a great source of inspiration. Kathryn began drawing animals very early and was encouraged and taught by her Mother and by Nature.

Striving to convey the essence of the animal, as opposed to a detailed depiction, she uses a loose, painterly style. The result is a beautiful rendition of what the viewer would see if they were viewing the animal in the wild. Abstract backgrounds bring the focus of the painting to the animal itself.

As a child, Kathryn had ample opportunities to view wildlife in its natural environment. She continues observing and studying animals every day and her paintings are based on personal experiences that she has had. She will not paint an animal unless she has seen it and studied it in the wild. Countless hours are spent outdoors and in nature capturing reference material for her artwork.

The use of light, color, shape and value are important to Kathryn and she is constantly striving to bring all dimensions of her paintings to a higher level.

Her work can be found in collections across the country and internationally. It is her desire that all who view her work will have a greater appreciation for the natural world.

Kathryn is regularly invited to participate in the Southeastern Wildlife Exposition in Charleston, South Carolina, and she has had her work accepted into the prestigious Birds In Art international competition in Wausau, Wisconsin.

Gallery Representation:
Horizon Fine Art Gallery, Jackson, Wyoming
Summit Gallery, Park City, Utah
Sorrel Sky Gallery, Santa Fe, New Mexico

For more of Kathryn’s work you can follow her on Instagram and Facebook as Kathy Ashcroft.
She can be reached through email and by phone at [email protected] 435-890-0912.
View more of Kathy’s work at kathyashcroft.com.