Plein air artist Julie Riker’s collection of art is not large, but it sure is strong. Who’s in it?
The Pennsylvania artist has the work of three of the most talked about outdoor painters working today on her walls. First up, plein air artist Marc Hanson.
“This was one of the paintings Marc did for his February 2014 marathon when he painted four paintings a day — every day — for the entire month,” says Riker. “It was an awesome amount of work, and you have to admire his dedication to get out every day in extreme weather. I took Marc’s Ohio workshop later that year and he brought along many of his paintings from this month-long project. It was wonderful to see them all in person. At the time it was a financial stretch for me to purchase this, as I had already spent a lot of money to travel and take the workshop, but now I am glad that I made the purchase. Marc paints beautifully. In this painting I love his control of values, keeping everything slightly high key, which gives it that feeling of the sun bouncing off the white snow and bathing everything in light. His brushwork and sgraffito markings in this are amazing.”
Next, a piece by plein air artist Charlie Hunter. “Charlie painted this as a demo in February 2016 when I joined his Frozen Ass Painters Paint Out in Vermont,” Riker recalls. “If you’ve ever watched Charlie paint, you know it is a treat. His unique application method, unconventional tools, and witty humor are delightful. It was amazing to watch him push the ‘murk’ around to create an awesome painting — that car just appeared out of nowhere! This is just a street outside of the inn where we stayed in Grafton, VT, which was a beautiful little town. It was such a fun week, so I purchased this to remember my week’s stay, the town, the other artists, and Charlie.”
The third painting is Riker’s most recent acquisition. “I got to meet and hang out with Tim Kelly this past year when we participated in several plein air events together,” says Riker. “His paintings astound me, and he keeps getting better. So when he offered to sell some of his 6×8’s, I jumped on it. I’ve been interested in interiors lately and I love this one in particular because it looks very much like a room in my own house. This painting reminds me that I don’t need to paint some grand landscape, and has, in fact, inspired me to paint some little corners of my own place.”
