Gleiter working on a plein air oil in the Adirondack Mountains in upstate New York

PleinAir magazine subscribers know Ulrich Gleiter as the amazing young man who has been winning top awards in plein air festivals around the United States during his summer travels throughout the country in 2010 and 2011. He won the Best of Show award at the Alameda Paint Out in San Francisco in 2010, Best of Show in the Wyoming Plein Air event held in Cheyenne in 2010, First Place during the Quick Draw at the Plein Air Rockies competition in Estes Park in 2010, and the Award of Excellence sponsored by Fine Art Connoisseur and PleinAir magazines in the Plein Air Rockies in 2011.

“77 For Sale,” by Ulrich Gleiter, 2010, oil, 17 x 21. Private collection

In a profile article in the spring, 2011 issue of PleinAir, Gleiter explained that the loose and painterly feel of his work derives from the instruction he received at the Repin Academy. “It relates to the Impressionistic approach in which a likeness is achieved through an understanding of how volume and light build up in a painting,” he said. “In contrast to what one might find at an atelier in the United States that emphasizes approaches similar to those of the 19th-century academies, the instruction in St. Petersburg is based on an assumption that a likeness is achieved by studying how objects are revealed in light. Instead of emphasizing linear edges and precisely rendered shapes, we think more about the way relative value is established by the play of light and shadow.

“Slowing Down.” by Ulrich Gleiter, 2011, oil, 18 x 24. Collection the artist

“Representation of shade can be achieved through dark tones, softened edges, and minimal detail,” Gleiter went on to say. “Moreover, when we look at an object that is in the shadow, especially when it is positioned in front of a bright background, we perceive it as a unified mass, and a sharp silhouette against the stretches where it meets the bright background. The same object under intense light can be shown conveying all the inner details.”

“Taos Morning,” by Ulrich Gleiter, 2011, oil, 24 x 18. Collection the artist

Gleiter will be demonstrating his approach to oil painting next to Kim Lordier, a noted California pastel painter. The contrast in styles and media will prove to be interesting and informative to those attending the convention in Las Vegas at the Red Rock Casino, Resort and Spa. Fore more information on Gleiter, visit his website at www.ulrichgleiter.com, and for more information about the PleinAir convention, visit www.pleinairconvention.com.