RMPAP members and Guest Artists at the 2010 National Event

The 2010 RMPAP National Event, held this past July in Crested Butte, CO, was a resounding success, with some 116 paintings sold in 2 days, and gross sales of $101,000.

The event, hosted by Oh Be Joyful Gallery, included 45 RMPAP members and invited guest artists from across the U.S. and Canada. Participants found ample inspiration in the quaint town of Crested Butte and the rugged and impressive mountain country surrounding it. Freshly painted and framed works were turned in the morning of July 16, and the show opened that evening with a gala Patron’s Preview party and public reception.  Festivities continued Saturday morning, July 17 with a Quickdraw in the streets of Crested Butte, followed by a well-attended silent auction of those works.  “The quality of the work in this show was really remarkable,” said board member and participating artist Jake Gaedtke.  “We’ve held our annual show in many places around the West over the years, but Crested Butte obviously provided a wealth of artistic inspiration for these accomplished artists.”

Awards judge for the show was renowned Colorado artist Jay Moore.  Guest artist Michael Godfrey of Maryland was awarded Best of Show for his painting, Early Morning Light, sponsored by Southwest Art Magazine. “Crested Butte was more than I expected. So much material to choose from, it was hard to decide what to paint. Many thanks to the RMPAP for selecting such a beautiful venue to showcase the event,” said Godfrey of his experience.

Other award winners from the show were:

Awards Of Excellence:  Jennifer Hoffman, Stephen Datz, Joshua Been

Awards Of Merit:  Dan Schultz, Wes Newton, Dave Santillanes, Jake Gaedtke, Keith Bond, John Potter

Artists’ Choice – Best Body Of Work:  Jeanne Mackenzie

People’s Choice Award: Dave Santillanes

Quick Draw Awards: Keith Bond, Linda Glover-Gooch

“We are very grateful for the support of our sponsors and the enthusiasm expressed by the Crested Butte community and visitors,” said President Mark Rittorno.

Advancing Shadows - 30 x 40"

John Taft will be presenting his first ever solo exhibition at Vail International Gallery this July. The show will be comprised of approximately 20 brand new Rocky Mountain landscapes, many of them larger scale works.

The opening reception will be held Friday, July 23, from 4 – 6 PM. The show will run through August 26.

For more information, visit www.vailgallery.com

Like the sandstone cliffs and pinnacles of Colorado National Monument, the RMPAP group got a bit weathered, but finished the week standing tall!

Lani Vlaanderen was recently named a member of the Society of Animal Artists (SAA).   Founded in 1960, the Society is devoted to promoting excellence in the portrayal of the creatures sharing our planet, and to the education of the public through its informative art seminars, lectures and teaching demonstrations. Some of the finest animal artists from the United States, Canada, Europe, Africa, Japan, and Australia are represented in the Society’s membership.

Vlaanderen’s work will also again be included in the Heart of the West show at the National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame in Ft. Worth, TX, Oct 1 thru Dec 5, 2010.

Lani Vlaanderen, Swallow Dance, 24x30.

Dave’s painting, Spring Runoff – Study, was awarded the Bronze Medal at the Oil Painters of America National Show.  The show features 200 paintings selected from over 2,500 entries from across the nation. The selected paintings will be on display from April 30th through May 31st, 2010 at the Legacy Gallery in Scottsdale, Arizona.   To view a digital showcase of the entire exhibition please visit the Legacy Gallery’s OPA event page: http://www.legacygallery.com/events/opa/.  You can find a complete list of award winners at the Oil Painters of America website: http://www.oilpaintersofamerica.com/awardees.cfm.

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Oil Painters of America 19th Annual National Show

April 30th – May 31st, 2010
Legacy Gallery | 7178 Main Street | Scottsdale, Arizona
OilPaintersOfAmerica.com
LegacyGallery.com

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"Opus Rio" - 20 x 48"

Stephen C. Datz will be opening his 6th Annual Solo Exhibition at Act I Gallery in Taos on Saturday, May 29 at 5 PM. The show will feature approximately 30 new works and explores a diverse range of subjects drawn from travels across 6 Western states – Colorado, Utah, New Mexico, Arizona, Wyoming, and California. Featured work will include field studies as well as larger studio paintings.

Stephen will also be demonstrating his plein-air technique in the gallery courtyard from 10 AM to Noon on opening day.

For more information, visit www.actonegallery.com

This year’s inaugural paint-out in Ouray proved the old Colorado adage that “if you don’t like the weather, wait 10 minutes.” Hardy souls Mark Rittorno, Jeanne Mackenzie, Lanny Grant, Stephen Datz, and guest Phil Wright battled 4 days of winter storms, and in Mark’s case a hellish 8+ hour drive, to “chase the sun” in Ouray, Ridgway, and the Dallas Divide area.

Ouray received 2 feet of snow over the course of the week, but interspersed between showers were some of those rare dramatic moments you only get if you’re willing to brave the weather. And by Thursday evening, the weather cleared and the amazing vistas of rugged, snow capped peaks we were all hoping for finally revealed themselves.

Despite the weather, a good time was had by all, and a special thanks to Jeanne for turning her motel room into a hospitality suite with wine and munchies each evening!

Brett Weaver will be attending this year’s Forgotten Coast Plein-Air Invitational in the Apalachicola area of the Florida Panhandle. The event runs from May 7 – May 16, and will include a full schedule of artist get-togethers, demonstrations, roundtable and historical discussions, and a Quick Draw, as well as an opening Patron’s Party on Saturday, May 15.

E. C. O'Connor, From Out of the Blue. Oil, 24x18.

A solo exhibition of works by E. C. O’Connor is currently on display at the Visitor Center at Joshua Tree National Park in California.  The works are all a result of O’Connor’s 2009 Artist-in-Residence at the park.   The show will be on display through April.

Kathryn Mapes Turner, July.

RMPAP member Kathryn Mapes Turner is showcasing new work with painter John Felsing in a show called No Limit at Altamira Gallery in Jackson, WY.  The show is on display through March 31, 2010.

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Robert Hagberg’s work was juried into the annual Salon International at Greenhouse Gallery, San Antonio, TX.  The show will hang from April 10-30.   He will also participate in the Arcadia Invitational at the Argosy Gallery in Bar Harbor, ME.  That show opens August 7, 2010.

RMPAP member Don Dernovich will be participating in numerous shows this spring and summer.  From March 20 – April 10, his work will be on display in Spirits: A Celebration of Art in the Heartland, and invitational show a the Museum of Nebraska Art in Kearney, NE.  April 23-25, he will be participating in the 6th Annual High Plains Art Festival at the Gateway Center in Oberlin, KS.  He will also take part in the Plein Air Painters of Colorado’s National Show, June 25 – July 10, at Saks Gallery in Denver, CO.

Several members of the RMPAP will have works hanging in the Oil Painters of America’s 19th Annual Juried Exhibition of Traditional Oils.  Brian Blood, Linda Glover Gooch, Robert Hagberg, Jennifer L. Hoffman, Wes Newton, Dave Santillanes, Dan Schultz, Carol Swinney, and John W. Taft will all be represented in the show.  Bryan Mark Taylor, a guest artist at this year’s RMPAP show in Crested Butte, also had a work accepted to the show.  The show will be held at the Legacy Gallery in Scottsdale, AZ from April 30-May 31, 2010.

Carol Swinney, Darcie Peet, Linda Glover-Gooch, and V. Vaughan will be participating in this year’s Cowgirl Up! Show at the Desert Caballeros Western Museum in Wickenburg, AZ. This annual invitational exhibition has become the most important event in the country for women in western art, and will feature some 200 new works by 58 of the nation’s top female artists.

The show opens March 26, 2010 and runs through May 2, 2010.

For more information, visit http://www.cowgirlupart.com/index.htm

Sunlit Logs by Jerral Derryberry - 9x12"

Gasanova Gallery in Waxahachie, TX will be opening a one-man show of new works by Jerral Derryberry on Saturday, March 13, 2010 at 7 PM. The show will feature works from the Rocky Mountains, South Dakota, and Scotland.

For more information, call the gallery at 972-923-2322.