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CELEBRATING SUMMER

Plein-Air Painters of America

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CELEBRATING SUMMERPlein-Air Painters of America

Wausau, Wisconsin

Published on the occasion of the exhibition Celebrating Summer

June 22 to August 25, 2013Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum

700 North Twelfth StreetWausau, Wisconsin 54403-5007

715.845.7010, lywam.orgpleinairpaintersofamerica.com

COVER: Christopher Blossom, detail from Maine Sunset, oil, 9 x 12

©2013 Plein-Air Painters of America. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be repro-duced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage

and retrieval systems, without written consent from the publisher, except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages in a review.

Artists are PAPA Signature Members, except Guest Artists Lorenzo Chavez and Kate Starling.All dimensions are in inches, height by width.

Paintings are copyrighted by the individual artists.Design & Production MMG Publications, Santa Fe, New Mexico

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I obliquely think about plein-air painting at least twice a day. It’s not because I paint—although I wish I did; it’s all about the tube. It’s the toothpaste tube that gets me thinking about painting outdoors. Were

it not for the invention of the paint tube in the mid-nineteenth century, it’s unlikely that artists would have left their studios for significant periods of time to work outdoors. The paint tube, along with the portable easel, revolutionized painting by allowing artists greater mobility, and by the late 1880s the Impressionists were taking full advantage of these inventions.

Happily, the practice of painting outdoors—with its challenges and rewards —continues and has become increasingly popular in recent years. The Plein-Air Painters of America has championed the importance of working surrounded by nature, capturing the effects of changing light, as well as the benefits of artists coming together to paint.

The Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum is delighted to bring the exceptional work of the Plein-Air Painters of America to north central Wisconsin; it’s thanks to the serendipity of artist Frank LaLumia’s suggestion to curator Andy McGivern that he consider an exhibition celebrating summer’s beauty and bounties. Their conversation launched a mutually rewarding collaboration that resulted in the handsome exhibition, Celebrating Summer: Plein-Air Painters of America, which fills the Woodson Art Museum’s galleries this summer.

Sincere thanks to the members of the Plein-Air Painters of America for embracing the project and to Susan Hallsten McGarry and Gil Dellinger —the group’s media relations manager and president, respectively—for tending to the many details necessary to ensure a successful exhibition.

Like artists reveling in the beauty of the outdoors, wander the Woodson Art Museum’s galleries and enjoy the labors of love created by the Plein-Air Painters of America.

Kathy Kelsey Foley, Director Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum

For the Love of the Outdoors

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Plein-air painting is a worldwide phenomenon, whose best-known precursors were the nineteenth-century French Impressionists. American artists who studied with them brought back both the

impressionist’s philosophy of painting everyday life, as well as their techniques of working outdoors in order to capture the optical illusion of light through the juxtaposition of colors in pigments on paper or canvas. In many cases, the American artists set up art colonies in locations where the light was deemed special, notably on both coasts, in the Midwest, and Rocky Mountains.

The current plein-air movement had its origins in the mid-1980s. In reaction to avant-garde art, whose meanings were obscure, shocking, or even non-existent, there arose a need for works that represented nature’s myriad beauties. Highly skilled illustrators, teachers, and a brave generation of younger artists filled the void, oftentimes circumventing academic institutions where nonobjective art was taught, in favor of training through ateliers and workshops.

Several pockets of collaborators began to emerge. Events bringing together painters, patrons, publications, and the general public filled the hunger for something real and tangible. The Plein-Air Painters of America (PAPA) was among them. Formed in 1986, PAPA was initially located on Catalina Island, California. At the time, it was the first organization to celebrate outdoor painting with an annual weeklong “paint-out” where collectors were encouraged to watch the artists at work. Since that beginning, other events have followed suit, drawing attention to the beauty of landscapes both humble and spectacular.

Painting on-location has also been a training ground for replicating the experience of “being there” when the artist returns to the studio. In this exhibition, there are both plein-air paintings, as well as studio works created from studies done in the field. Unlike photographic imagery, these paintings convey the sensation that you are viewing the light, atmosphere, and color that make a scene come to life.

Gil Dellinger, President Plein-Air Painters of America

Light, Atmosphere, and Color

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KEN AUSTERBORN 1949 Los Angeles, California

LIVING Laguna Beach, California

TOP Smile, Laguna Beach, California, oil, 11 x 11

LEFT Stand-up Guy, Laguna Beach, oil, 11 x 11

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BORN 1951 Beaver Dam, WisconsinLIVING Robesonia, Pennsylvania

CLOCKWISE FROM THE TOPButterflies, Pennsylvania,

oil, 14 x 14Training Wheels, Maryland,

oil, 14 x 11Moonlight on the Grand Canal, Italy, oil, 12 x 9

KENN BACKHAUS

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CHRISTOPHER BLOSSOMBORN 1956 Southport, Connecticut

LIVING Stratford, Connecticut

CLOCKWISE FROM THE TOPMaine Sunset, oil, 9 x 12

Midday, Vermillion Cliffs, Arizona, oil, 10 x 12 The Anchorage, Massachusetts, oil, 6 x 9

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JOHN BUDICINBORN 1944 Rovigno, d’Istria, ItalyLIVING San Bernardino, California

CLOCKWISE FROM THE TOPHome Sweet Home, China, oil, 8 x 10

Low Tide, Canada, oil, 8 x 10Point Dume, California, oil, 10 x 17

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LORENZO CHAVEZGUEST ARTIST

BORN 1959 Albuquerque, New MexicoLIVING Parker, Colorado

CLOCKWISE FROM THE TOPMonterey Cypress, California, pastel, 12 x 16

Secret Garden, Wyoming, pastel, 16 x 20Here Comes the Sun, Utah, pastel, 22 x 28

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JOHN COSBYBORN 1955 Hollywood, CaliforniaLIVING Laguna Beach, California

TOP Cadillac Mountain, Mt. Desert, Maine, oil, 12 x 16 BOTTOM Waiting for Water, California, oil, 8 x 10

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GIL DELLINGERBORN 1942 San Francisco, California

LIVING Stockton, California

CLOCKWISE FROM THE TOPBridal Veil, Telluride, Colorado, acrylic, 11 x 14

Looking East at Sunrise, Tetons, Wyoming, pastel, 11 x 14

Grand Teton at Dawn, Wyoming, acrylic, 20 x 16

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DONALD DEMERSBORN 1956 Lunenburg, Massachusetts

LIVING Eliot, Maine

CLOCKWISE FROM THE TOPSurf at Sagaponack, New York, oil, 16 x 24

Sunlit Fields, California oil, 10 x 12Coastal Overcast, Nantucket,

Massachusetts, oil, 8 x 10

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LOUISE DEMOREBORN 1939 Cedar Rapids, Iowa

LIVING Los Osos, California

TOP Summer Poppies, France, oil, 12 x 16BOTTOM Summer Walk, Idaho, oil, 12 x 16

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KATHLEEN DUNPHYBORN 1963 Bethesda, Maryland

LIVING Murphys, California

CLOCKWISE FROM THE TOPHeading In, Monterey Wharf, California, oil, 20 x 30Take a Dip, Stanislaus River, California oil, 18 x 24Magic Hour, Mission Beach, California, oil, 15 x 30

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ANDY EVANSENBORN 1965 Neenah, WisconsinLIVING Vermillion, Minnesota

CLOCKWISE FROM THE TOPWedding Party at Levee Park, Hastings, Minnesota, watercolor, 14 x 19

Bikers at Kings, New Trier, Minnesota, watercolor, 10.5 x 14.5Down the Pier, Long Beach, California, watercolor, 11.5 x 15.5

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GAY FAULKENBERRY

CLOCKWISE FROM THE TOPChateau Roses, Ermenonville, France, oil, 20 x 22

Pink Stucco and Crepe Myrtle, Ardmore Oklahoma, oil, 11 x 14Carson Valley Farm, Nevada, oil, 11 x 14

BORN 1952 Stillwater, OklahomaLIVING Duncan, Oklahoma

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WEST FRASERBORN 1955 Savannah, Georgia

LIVING Charleston, South Carolina

CLOCKWISE FROM THE TOPJupiter, Florida, oil, 16 x 20

After the Snows, Vermont, oil, 14 x 16Munken Island Boathouse, Sweden, oil, 24 x 20

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GERALD J. FRITZLERBORN 1953 Chicago, Illinois

LIVING Mesa, Colorado

CLOCKWISE FROM THE TOPGraffiti Cadillacs, Amarillo, Texas,

watercolor, 14 x 19Le Mont St. Michel, France,

watercolor, 9 x 14The Hog Parade, Milwaukee, Wisconsin,

watercolor, 19 x 19

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LYNN GERTENBACHBORN 1940 Racine, WisconsinLIVING Calabasas, California

TOP Last Light Malibu Lagoon, California, oil, 12 x 16BOTTOM Eucalyptus Off Mulholland, California, oil, 8 x 16

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RALEIGH KINNEYBORN 1938 Brainerd, Minnesota

LIVING Mesa, Arizona

CLOCKWISE FROM THE TOPFishing for Fun, Minnesota, watercolor, 18 x 24

Camping Under the Blue Moon, Minnesota, watercolor, 11 x 14The Boat, The Boat, The Boat, Minnesota, watercolor, 11 x 14

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FRANK LALUMIABORN 1948 Chicago, IllinoisLIVING Trinidad, Colorado

CLOCKWISE FROM THE TOPWhidbey Island, Washington, watercolor, 11 x 15Gros Ventre, Grand Tetons, Wyoming, oil, 12 x 16

The Spouting Horn, Captain Cooks Chasm, Oregon, watercolor, 30 x 22

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JOAN M. LARUEBORN 1934 Custer, Oklahoma

LIVING Tucson, Arizona

The Newport Patriot, California, oil, 20 x 16

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JEAN LEGASSICKBORN 1950 Glendale, California

LIVING Silver City, Nevada

CLOCKWISE FROM THE TOPCool Water, Granger Creek, California, oil, 8 x 10

Summer View of Roundtop, Kit Carson Pass, California, oil, 8 x 10Cabin in a Sea of Green, Grand Tetons, Wyoming, oil, 8 x 10

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JOSEPH MCGURLBORN 1958 Boston, MassachusettsLIVING Cataumet, Massachusetts

CLOCKWISE FROM THE TOPStone Pier, Naushon Island, Massachusetts, oil, 18 x 24

Acadia, Mt. Desert Island, Maine, oil, 9 x 12Light Effect, Maine, oil, 9 x 12

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TOP On the Way to Newcomb Ranch, California, oil, 11 x 14BOTTOM Arizona Bramble, oil, 9 x 12

JOSEPH MENDEZBORN 1934 Galicia, Spain

LIVING Whittier, California

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NED MUELLERBORN 1940 Milwaukee, Wisconsin

LIVING Renton, Washington

CLOCKWISE FROM THE TOPRainy Day, Mevagissey, England, oil, 9 x 12

South Park Boatyard, Washington, oil, 9 x 12Coffee Break, Telluride, Colorado, oil, 9 x 12

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RALPH OBERGBORN 1950 Biloxi, Mississippi

LIVING Montrose, Colorado

CLOCKWISE FROM THE TOPBelow Many Glacier, Montana, oil, 12 x 16

Morning, Upper Two Medicine, Glacier, oil, 10 x 12

Logan Pass, Glacier National Park, oil, 12 x 10

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JOSEPH PAQUETBORN 1962 Patterson, New Jersey

LIVING St. Paul, Minnesota

TOP Fog Bank, Outer Cape, Massachusetts, oil, 24 x 30BOTTOM Pristine Day, Venice, Italy, oil, 8 x 12

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JEAN PERRYBORN 1935 Denver, Colorado

LIVING Tucson, Arizona

TOP Baja Shrimp Boats, Guaymas, Mexico, oil, 16 x 20

RIGHT Morning Sun, Chioggia, Italy, oil, 16 x 12

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RON RENCHERBORN 1952 St. George, UtahLIVING Canyon Lake, Texas

CLOCKWISE FROM THE TOPSigns of Fall, Texas Hill Country, oil, 11 x 14

A Mott of Oaks, Texas Hill Country, oil, 10 x 12Water Lily Abstract, New Mexico, oil, 8 x 10

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RAY ROBERTSBORN 1954 Santa Monica, California

LIVING Angels Camp, California

CLOCKWISE FROM THE TOPCoast Walk, North Shore Maui, Hawaii, oil, 12 x 16 Coastal Foothills, Crockett, California, oil, 14 x 24

Aliso Creek, California, oil, 12 x 16

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RANDALL SEXTONBORN 1958 East Hampton, Connecticut

LIVING Crockett, California

CLOCKWISE FROM THE TOPCruising Classics, Isleton, California, oil, 16 x 20

Tides, Newport Beach, California, oil, 16 x 20Boulder Backyards, Utah, oil, 14 x 18

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JANE SHUSSBORN 1936 Ost, Kansas

LIVING Fallbrook, California

Tupper Lake Falls, Adirondacks, New York, oil, 12 x 16

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MATT SMITHBORN 1960 Kansas City, Missouri

LIVING Scottsdale, Arizona

CLOCKWISE FROM THE TOPFrom the Iceberg Lake Trail, Glacier, Montana, oil, 10 x 12

Red Rock, Nevada, oil, 10 x 12St. Mary Lake, Glacier, Montana, oil, 10 x 12

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KATE STARLINGGUEST ARTIST

BORN 1956 Phoenix, ArizonaLIVING Rockville, Utah

CLOCKWISE FROM THE TOPFor Sale, Glendale, Utah, oil, 16 x 20

Bright Morning, Hurricane Mesa, Utah, oil, 10 x 12Invitation, Mt. Desert Island, Maine, oil, 16 x 12

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BRIAN STEWARTBORN 1942 Pasadena, California

LIVING St. Paul, Minnesota

CLOCKWISE FROM THE TOPSummer Fun, Arnolds Park, Iowa, oil, 12 x 16

The Paws that Refreshes, St. Paul, Minnesota, oil, 12 x 16The Catalina Open, Avalon, California, oil, 12 x 16

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GEORGE STRICKLANDBORN 1943 San Antonio, Texas

LIVING Tucson, Arizona

Old Glory at Ease, Denver, Colorado, oil, 11 x 14

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LINDA TIPPETTSBORN 1943 Great Falls, Montana

LIVING Augusta, Montana

CLOCKWISE FROM THE TOPCliff on the Sun River, Rocky Mountain Front, Montana, oil, 11 x 14

Double Falls, Ford Creek, Rocky Mountain Front, Montana, oil, 16 x 12Aspen Design, Alberta, Canada, oil, 18 x 14

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For information contactsusanhmcgarry@pleinairpaintersofamerica.com

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