Carmel to Canvas

The 4th annual “Carmel on Canvas” plein air paint-out was held Friday to Sunday, September 15-17, featuring 60 highly acclaimed artists competing for over $13,000 in prizes. Who did judge Shaun Thomas Dingwerth delight?

With participants hailing from Kentucky, Michigan, Illinois, Ohio, and many other states, the Carmel on Canvas plein air paint-out — now in its fourth year — seems to be casting a wider net every year across the nation’s heartland. In 2017, more than 60 well known painters participated in the event, which is hosted in Carmel, Indiana.

“Carmel on Canvas is a great way to bring many artists from across the Midwest to create works of art using Carmel’s Arts & Design District as their inspiration,” said Carmel Mayor Jim Brainard. “One of my favorite aspects of this event is that the artists interact with the public, who are able to see the works of art created. Our desire is to grow this event to be the best plein air paint-out in the country.”

Artists registered within divisions that included professional, non-professional, teen, and child. The Grand Prize, worth $5,000, was awarded to Lawrence Rudolech while Jed Dorsey took home Second Place. Third Place went to Roy Boswell and Fourth Place to Jeffrey Baumgartner. There were also five Merit Winners in the Professional division, taken by Thomas Himsel, Troy Kilgore, Donna Shortt, Melinda Spear-Huff, and Tom Woodson.

For the two Quick Paints, artists John Kelty and David M. Seward earned top honors. Jill Wagner and Polly Thompson were the Second Place winners, and John Kelty and Jill Wagner each took a Third Place award in Quick Paints 1 and 2, respectively. There were also four Purchase Awards; Jed Dorsey won the Indiana Design Center’s award, Cathy Bauder took the Muldoon’s award, and Lesley Haflich took both the Osborne Family and Bub’s Burgers and Ice Cream awards.

This article was featured in PleinAir Today, a weekly e-newsletter from PleinAir magazine. To start receiving PleinAir Today for free, click here.