Reward yourself this summer at the splendid Strecker Nelson Gallery in Manhattan, Kansas, with “Flint Hills Sublime” — an outstanding landscape exhibition featuring some of the biggest names in the genre today. Who are they?

James Borger, Cally Krallman, Michael Albrectsen, Kristin Goering, Cristine Sundquist, and Carol McCall are just a few of the names featured in “Flint Hills Sublime” — a gorgeous landscape exhibition at Strecker Nelson Gallery.
 
Opening on July 1 and running through September 3, the exhibition features a wide range of styles and approaches to this storied genre. “Prairie Cherry Splendor” by James Borger is a lovely highlight from the show that blends both landscape and still life. As though the viewer has stumbled upon the world’s most beautiful picnic, a table filled with cherries and a lemon sit before a stunning Midwestern landscape of rolling hills. A warm, golden light floods the scene from the left as shadows from the fruit grow long.
 

Cristine Sundquist, “Golden Hour,” oil on canvas, 18 x 18 in. (c) Strecker Nelson Gallery 2016

 
Cristine Sundquist’s “Golden Hour” is yet another standout from the exhibition. Sundquist’s playful and feathery brushwork contrasts sharply with the precise verisimilitude of Borger, but the overall impression of the scene is still captured masterfully.
 
An opening reception for the exhibition will be held at the gallery on Friday, July 1, from 5 to 8 p.m. To learn more, visit Strecker Nelson Gallery.
 
This article was featured in Fine Art Today, a weekly e-newsletter from Fine Art Connoisseur magazine. To start receiving Fine Art Today for free, click here.
 

California’s natural vistas and incredible range of landscapes have inspired artists for many generations. For the past 14 years, an annual California landscape exhibition has been hosted to celebrate contemporary views of the Golden State.
 
The John Natsoulas Gallery is overjoyed to be hosting the 15th Annual California Landscape Exhibition in July. Located in Davis, California, the exhibition opens on July 2 and will run through August 27, with an opening reception held on August 6 at 7 p.m.
 
Via the gallery: “California’s natural beauty and diverse landscape has been gaveling artists a source of inspiration in the genre of landscape painting since Albert Bierstadt and his 19th century depictions of Yosemite. Bierstadt’s practice of capturing the exceptional, ethereal light of California continues in contemporary landscapes as artists today explore a new sublimity present in the 21st century. Featuring scenes of fertile valleys, sparkling beaches, dense forests, and seemingly boundless deserts, Californian landscapes remain the root of poetic allure for artists today. Many such artists will be displaying the products of this inspiration and influence again this year in the 15th Annual California Landscape Exhibition.”
 
Among others, artists included in the show are Pat Mahony, Marti Walker, Philippe Gandiol, Julie Smiley, and Boyd Gavin. To learn more, visit John Natsoulas Gallery.
 
This article was featured in Fine Art Today, a weekly e-newsletter from Fine Art Connoisseur magazine. To start receiving Fine Art Today for free, click here.
 

EVOKE Contemporary in Santa Fe, New Mexico, is proud to play host for “The Half-Life of Dreams” — a tantalizing solo exhibition that will leave you guessing “Photograph or not?”
 
Using a special handmade tool and a masterful eye for detail, painter Francis di Fronzo has built a reputation for his incredible landscape paintings. The artist’s technique revolves around his “comb brush” — a tool of his own design made up of 60-80 individual hairs attached to a wooden stick. “Using this comb, he creates images of open fields and rolling hills by tapping the hairs onto a toned panel,” the gallery reports. “After many layers, the result is an infinite expanse of individual blades of grass, rich in tone, detail and hue.”
 

Francis di Fronzo, “At Sunset, Part 3,” oil over watercolor and gouache on panel, 34 x 50 in. (c) EVOKE Contemporary 2016

 
“The Half-Life of Dreams” — which opened on June 24 — presents a new type of landscape from di Fronzo. Rather than beautiful vistas of unpopulated nature, the artist appears to focus more on ruins of small-town America. Whether they depict rusted train cars, abandoned lifeguard towers, or a lonely street lamp, the paintings evoke a nostalgia for the past — a bygone era in America that once was.
 
“The Half-Life of Dreams” will be on view through July 23. To learn more, visit EVOKE Contemporary.
 
This article was featured in Fine Art Today, a weekly e-newsletter from Fine Art Connoisseur magazine. To start receiving Fine Art Today for free, click here.
 

Two artists, equally skilled from plein air to the studio, headline a pairing for the ages in Sag Harbor, New York. Treat yourself to it here.
 
Whether one is looking for emotional or intellectual stimulation, The Grenning Gallery in Sag Harbor, New York, should satisfy either, or both. June 25 marked the date that artists Sarah Lamb and Thomas Cardone joined forces for an exhibition well worth the drive — or flight — to see it.
 

Thomas Cardone, “Greenpoint Shipyard, Afternoon,” 2016, oil on canvas, 18 x 24 in. (c) The Grenning Gallery 2016

 
Cardone specializes in plein air nautical landscapes that most often feature the serene vistas of Long Island’s East End. Previously a successful art director of animated films for Disney and Twentieth Century Fox, Cardone has a particular talent for capturing the dance of light as it cascades over and reflects off water and wooden docks.
 

Sarah Lamb, “Strawberries,” 2016, oil on canvas, 11 x 18 in. (c) The Grenning Gallery 2016

 
Cardone’s playful plein air canvases juxtapose well with Lamb’s sharp still life masterpieces. A student of Jacob Collins and Ted Seth Jacobs, Lamb finds solace in poetic realism and well-observed ubiquitous and everyday objects. Via the gallery: “In this show, Lamb’s subjects vary from food to a model antique car, but all exemplify her attention to dimension in foreground, middle ground, and background on the canvas. With both Lamb and Cardone, one is rewarded both emotionally and intellectually by the consideration given to each of these aspects.”
 

Thomas Cardone, “Wanderer, Sag Harbor New York,” 2016, oil on canvas, 18 x 24 in. (c) The Grenning Gallery 2016

 
Cardone|Lamb will be on view through July 10. To learn more, visit The Grenning Gallery.
 
This article was featured in Fine Art Today, a weekly e-newsletter from Fine Art Connoisseur magazine. To start receiving Fine Art Today for free, click here.
 

It was just a year ago that the unthinkable happened: a beautiful gallery space in Carmel, California, caught fire and much was lost. Since that fateful summer day, and after major renovations and remodels, they’re finally back home and ready to party.
 
We all have galleries that we love, like, and even some we, dislike — but regardless, no one ever wants to see a space for art, much less its contents, destroyed. Bill Hill’s New Masters Gallery is one we adore at Fine Art Today — and the news that it had caught fire in June 2015 was tragic, and depressing, to say the least.
 

Kevin Courter, “Evening’s Rest,” oil, 36 x 36 in. (c) New Masters Gallery 2016

 
Now the script has flipped, and we join in celebration with Bill Hill to announce the grand reopening of New Masters Gallery on July 8. Located in downtown Carmel, California, a Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony will commence on the July 8 at 5 p.m. The ceremony will kick off a weekend full of parties, music, and — of course — a beautiful remodeled space replete with outstanding art. July 9 will see the Grand Reopening Party with a special live demonstration from Kevin Courter between 4 and 7 p.m.
 
Congratulations and best wishes from Fine Art Today! To learn more, visit New Masters Gallery.
 
This article was featured in Fine Art Today, a weekly e-newsletter from Fine Art Connoisseur magazine. To start receiving Fine Art Today for free, click here.
 

You’re invited to view an astounding exhibition at historic Freeman’s in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, featuring over 100 works by faculty, students, and alumni of one of the nation’s top art academies. Find out more about this show you can’t miss!
 
Opening July 12 at the historic and lovely Freeman’s in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is the Artists and Alumni Exhibition and Sale from Studio Incamminati, featuring over 100 works. Attendees to the opening reception will have the chance to meet the artists, discuss their works, and maybe take an artwork home.
 
While enjoying wine and light snacks, visitors can witness a live painting demonstration. There will also be a sneak peek at what the future has to offer: Included in the exhibition are a number of works from teen artists via educational partner Doane Academy. Open daily, the exhibition will remain on view through July 21.
 
Among many others, artists featured include Lis Dembling, Robin Frey, Jason Patrick Jenkins, Nelson Shanks, Anne E. Hall, Kerry Dunn, Lea Colie Wight, and Tom Plassa.
 
To learn more, visit Studio Incamminati.
 
This article was featured in Fine Art Today, a weekly e-newsletter from Fine Art Connoisseur magazine. To start receiving Fine Art Today for free, click here.
 

In this ongoing series for Fine Art Today, we take a longer look at the history and features of a soon-to-be-available artwork of note. This week: Claude Lorrain, “Pastoral Landscape.”
 
Born Claude Gellée but more popularly known as Claude Lorrain, this 17th-century artist is perhaps one of the best known landscape painters in the history of art. John Constable — another monumental landscape painter — once declared that Lorrain was “the most perfect landscape painter the world ever saw,” and within his paintings, “all is lovely — all amiable — all is amenity and repose; the calm sunshine of the heart.” Luckily for Lorrain, it was in the 17th century that his favored genre became accepted as serious enough for painting.
 
Lorrain pioneered a pre-Romantic style of landscape that focused on the majesty of nature and man’s relative insignificance within it, more commonly known as the “pastoral” landscape. Lorrain’s paintings display worlds of fields, valleys, oceans, mountains, and more. Within many of his paintings are human subjects, often imaged in small scale — a subtle strategy used to champion the landscape while highlighting man’s insignificance.
 
Highlighting Bonhams’ July 6 Old Master Paintings sale is an astounding original from Lorrain. “Pastoral Landscape” is a striking work and typical of the master’s style. Immediately noticeable are two figures in the foreground — a shepherd and shepherdess — who recline on a stump along the shores of a calm river. Just behind them, a ruined bridge crosses the river, which also supports a few drovers. A beautiful golden glow emanates from the canvas as well.
 
A painting of this quality will undoubtedly command a price worthy of its creator. Bonhams estimates the picture will realize between $800,000 and $1 million.
 
To view the full catalogue, visit Bonhams.
 
This article was featured in Fine Art Today, a weekly e-newsletter from Fine Art Connoisseur magazine. To start receiving Fine Art Today for free, click here.
 

“Pacific Grove Surf”
12 x 16 in.
oil on panel

www.przewodek.com
 
“Color that expresses the light key of nature can make any subject strikingly beautiful.”
 
About the artist:
 
Plein-air colorist Camille Przewodek is an acknowledged authority on color and a much sought after instructor who annually teaches painting workshops across the country, and offers regular weekly classes close to home at her studio in Northern California. A nationally known artist, she is one of a handful of contemporary exponents of the Cape School approach to capturing light in painting.
 
Contact Information:
 
Website: www.przewodek.com
Color Blog: www.camilleprzewodek.com
Email: [email protected]
Phone (9am-8pm, Pacific Time): 707.762.4125
 
Upcoming Events and Workshops in 2016:
 
Jul 18-22, Color Boot Camp, Easton MD  (FULL — waiting list)
Aug 1-5, Color Boot Camp, Bend OR       (FULL — waiting list)
Aug 22-26, Color Boot Camp, La Pointe WI
Sep 12-16, Color Boot Camp, Petaluma CA
 
Weekly landscape and figure classes (please visit website for updated schedule and details).
 

A rare opportunity to acquire small works by many of America’s leading contemporary artists is just around the corner. Reserves will be low, but quality is extremely high. Details are here!
 
Collectors new and experienced should mark their calendars for July 16 in Charleston, South Carolina. Hosted by the Sylvan Gallery in association with Morris & Whiteside Auctions, a “Small Works Fine Art Auction” will present buyers with an opportunity to purchase small works from some of the nation’s leading artists. Can’t make it to South Carolina? Absentee bidding forms are available, and the auction will be hosted on www.invaluable.com as well.
 
Although the works in the sale are small, ranging from just a few inches to as large as 12 inches, the quality is — without a doubt — superb. Collectors can acquire works that display their favorite artist’s dexterity, attention to detail, and so much more. Two hundred and twenty-six lots comprise the auction, which includes works from Dean Mitchell, Milt Kobayashi, Ken Auster, Richard Heichberger, Dan McCaw, Kim English, and many more.
 
To learn more, visit Morris & Whiteside Auctions.
 
This article was featured in Fine Art Today, a weekly e-newsletter from Fine Art Connoisseur magazine. To start receiving Fine Art Today for free, click here.
 

Opening June 21 in Spain is a monumental exhibition exploring the tenebrist master Caravaggio and his influence on northern European artists. How many are on view?
 
Fifty-three paintings — 12 by Michelangelo Caravaggio — are on view now at the respected Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza in Madrid. “Caravaggio and the Painters of the North” is a fascinating story that highlights the ways in which Caravaggio’s short but remarkable career inspired a generation of artists in the 17th century.
 
Among the “Caravaggisti” — or followers of Caravaggio — were artists who would borrow heavily from the Italian’s style, including Adam Elsheimer, Peter Paul Rubens, Hendrick ter Brugghen, Claude Vignon, Simon Vouet, and Valentin de Boulogne. Whether Spain, France, Germany, or the Netherlands, there wasn’t a region in the north that Caravaggio didn’t touch.
 
“Caravaggio and the Painters of the North” opened on June 21 and will be on view through September 18. To learn more, visit the Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza.
 
This article was featured in Fine Art Today, a weekly e-newsletter from Fine Art Connoisseur magazine. To start receiving Fine Art Today for free, click here.