Last Group Added to Pool in $21,000 PleinAir Salon Competition

Now all the entries are set in the 2015 PleinAir Salon, and the bi-monthly contest winners wait for the Plein Air Convention & Expo, April 13-17, to find out who gets the top prize of $15,000. Which artists made the cut?

“Late Rain,” by Mike Barr, acrylic, 39 x 39 in. First Place

Australian artist Mike Barr took the top prize in the February-March contest for his acrylic painting “Late Rain.” Gloria Hilbert Forelli won Second Place for “Forever Spring,” and Third Place went to Jeff Merrill for “Crossing Stockton.”

“Forever Spring,” by Gloria Hilbert Forelli, oil, 34 x 34 in. Second Place

“Crossing Stockton,” by Jeff Merrill, oil, 14 x 18 in. Third Place

In the media categories, Carl Bretzke won Best Oil with “Snow Day in the Warehouse District.” Best Pastel went to Aaron Schuerr for “Cold Creek Junction.” Ron Bigony won Best Watercolor with “San Pedro Morning,” and Doug Osa won Best Acrylic for “Backyard, Early March.”

“Snow Day in the Warehouse District,” by Carl Bretzke, oil, 24 x 36 in. Best Oil

“Cold Creek Junction,” by Aaron Schuerr, pastel, 20 x 30 in. Best Pastel

“San Pedro Morning,” by Ron Bigony, watercolor, 11 x 20 in. Best Watercolor

“Backyard, Early March,” by Doug Osa, acrylic, 13 x 21 1/2 in. Best Acrylic

The Best Artist Under 30 award went to Laila Raslan for her oil painting “Behind Smith’s.”

“Behind Smith’s,” by Laila Raslan, oil, 9 x 12 in. Best Artist Under 30

In categories of subject matter, awards went to John Pototschnik for Best Building for “Sorrento Harbor,” Susan Lyon for Best Figure in the Landscape for “Afternoon Singing,” and Best Floral to Hollis Machala for her watercolor “White Clematis.” Best Landscape was won by Mark Boedges for “A Peaceful Moment.” Frederick Carrow won Best Nocturne with “Chicago Street, Rainy Night.” Best Still Life was won by Michael Dumas for “Mill Cloth,” and Lauren Davis won Best Water with “Floating With Goggles.”