Winners 2015 Brush with the Wind: WIPAPA's Annual Juried Show

Congratulations to the award winners for the 2015 Annual Juried Show: Brush with the Wind! The work can be seen and purchased at the Arts Mill in Grafton Wisconsin till Sept 26th!!

Thanks also to our jurors: Anthony Sell and Jenny Anderson! I have included their thoughtful comments for each award.

1st Place / Best in Show

“Late Light” by Carolyn Larkin

Jenny and I both agreed that this painting had

a very compelling composition and value

structure, and that the brushwork and handling

as well as the color choice were aptly suited to

the subject matter. For a small painting, it

grabbed my attention from across the room.

While not a deciding factor, I will also point

out that the choice of a wide black frame with

a thin gold lip greatly compliments the gold

and purple hues in the painting.

- Anthony

After being compositionally drawn into this

painting, I was fascinated with the brushwork

and the color. The unforced interpretation of

the landscape coupled with deliberate

confidence of the medium made this piece

unforgettable.

- Jenny

 2nd Place

“A Good Days Work”

Sherri Thomas

This painting had both a sense of movement

and a sense of time, partly due to the manner

in which the glow of light was captured. It

also has a very strong focal point, using the

pattern and texture of the field, the

atmospheric perspective in the background,

and the contre jour lighting.

- Anthony

This painting radiates the elegance of the

landscape. The subtle changes of value and

color translates into a sense of calm and

beauty.

- Jenny

3rd Place

“Monarchs & Milkweed”

Wendie Thompson

The first element of this painting to capture

my eye was the color. As I got closer, I was

compelled by how the abstract foreground

resolves into a convincing depth of field in the

structures in the background.

- Anthony

The color harmonies of this painting draw you

in. It is quite abstract, yet intentional. The

feeling of place is unmistakable. The brave

and bold orange stroke of the flying monarch

in the sky gives the viewer an unexpected

bonus.

- Jenny

Honorable Mention

“Standing Still”

Pamela Ruschman

The square composition was interesting, the

brushwork deliberate and sensitive to the

form, with a good variety of textures and

interesting surface texture. The subtleties of

her color choices are also more apparent the

closer you get.

- Anthony

The juxtaposition of warm and cool of this

piece, gives the painting a feeling of comfort

even though the subject matter and the

weather are bleak. The skill shown through

composition and paint handling makes this a

very strong piece.

- Jenny

Honorable Mention

“Bikes”

Kriste Sankey

I thought that this painting had a strong formal

concept, using the repeating shapes of the

wheels, the lights, the shapes in each of the

motorcycles, for an unusual composition that

stood out among the other paintings.

- Anthony

The free brushwork added to the spirit of the

subject matter of the painting. Paintings

sometimes evoke emotions, but with this

painting I could hear the bikes.

- Jenny

Winners: We Came We Saw We Painted- Art*Bar 2012

Congratulations to all the Winners!!

Work may be viewed/purchased till August 23rd!!!

1st Place
Gail Franke
"Retired"

2nd Place
Alecia Schmitz
"Alley View"

3rd Place
Elizabeth Carr
"Strawberry Festival"

Honorable Mention
James Hempel
"The Red Umbrella"

Honorable Mention
Anthony Sell
"Nemesis Tree"

Honorable Mention
Pam Ruschman
"December Plein Air Landscape"

Congratulations Winners 2012 Brush with the Wind!!!

Congratulations to all the Winners of our annual juried show, Brush with the Wind!! All 75 works can be seen and are available for purchase at the Jack Richeson and Company Gallery in Kimberly WI through June! Stop in for a peek and take home a Wisconsin treasure!!!!

First Place: James Hempel for "Shops on Main" 22x12 oil $975

Second Place:  Larry Seiler for "Painting Steve" 9x12 oil $795

Third Place: Thomas Buchs for "The Homestead" 12x16 $700

Honorable Mention: Pam Ruschman for "Fall Torch" 6x8 oil $170

Congratulations Lynn Rix and Pamela Ruschman; Opening Sept 15th Schlitz Audubon Nature Center

Pamela Ruschman

Lynn Rix

Lynn Rix

Lynn Rix

Pamela Ruschman

Pamela Ruschman

Plein Air Artists featured at Schlitz Audubon Nature Center

Milwaukee, WI – Schlitz Audubon Nature Center (SANC) is pleased to feature Plein Air artists Pamela Ruschman and Lynn Rix at an Art Exhibit held Thursday, September 15 from 5:30pm – 9:00pm at SANC.  The exhibit will feature over 80 paintings completed by the two artists “en plein air” on the grounds of Schlitz Audubon Nature Center over the course of the year.

“En plein air” in French literally means “in the open air,” where artists venture out of their studios to investigate and capture the effects of light on various subjects. The paintings featured at the Art Exhibit were completed entirely in plein air and with no photo references.

“We find that working directly from life brings honesty and rawness to our work,” Ruschman said. “You are able to see colors that are impossible to see working from photographs.”

 The two painters were introduced to the property when Ruschman’s four-year-old son began his first day of preschool at the Center. Intrigued by the beauty of the Autumn season, the artists began an intensive study of the property and found that all seasons could be captured in art. 

“We love the entire visual and sensory experience of painting plein air,” Ruschman said. “From the solitary silence to the howling winds, and even the crackling under our feet during the changing of the seasons.”

Audubon Preschool Teacher Liesl Schultz will also be showcasing a photography exhibit, Little Hands, Big Discoveries. The exhibit includes a collection of over 20 portraits that capture nature-based exploration by SANC preschoolers throughout the year.

Ruschman and Rix have generously committed to donating 40% of each sale to support environmental education efforts at SANC. The exhibit will also remain on display at SANC on Friday, September 16 from 9:00am – 11:30am.

Pre-registration for this event is strongly encouraged. Call 414-352-2880 ext. 0 to RSVP.

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Schlitz Audubon Nature Center

1111 E. Brown Deer Road Milwaukee, WI 53217

414-352-2880 www.sanc.org

Also see this article in Outdoor Painter the online version of Plein Air Magazine:http://www.outdoorpainter.com/exhibits/two-artists-show-nature-center-work.html