Stewart White was awarded the PleinAir Salon‘s Grand Prize and $15,000 at the Plein Air Convention & Expo earlier this month, but other prizes in the overall, year-long competition were announced as well. Who else took home awards?
James McVicker won Second Place for his large piece “North Coast Morning Light.” It earned him $3,000. He says the painting required many sessions on site. “I’m so pleased and honored to have won this award,” says McVicker. “Even though this is a large painting, 36″ x 60″, I painted it on location. It was painted during the month of July and, because of several days with morning fog, was not completed outdoors. I did some studio work and then set it aside. The following July I took the painting back to the same location to work several more sittings. Each morning was sunny and I was able to complete the painting. I worked on it in at least a dozen sittings outdoors, with each session lasting about 1 and 1/2 hours.”
“North Coast Morning Light,” by James McVicker, oil, 36 x 60 in. Second Place in the 2014 PleinAir Salon, with a cash prize of $3,000
“Open Gate,” by Peggy Root, oil, 26 x 52 in. Third Place in the 2014 PleinAir Salon, with a cash prize of $1,500
Peggy Root paints big canvases as well. Her 26″-x-52″ painting “Open Gate” earned her Third Place and $1,500 in cash. “I’m delighted to have my painting chosen for an award,” says the Tennessee artist. “I have very much enjoyed participating in the competition and have enjoyed seeing the work of my fellow outdoor painters.”
Stewart White’s Grand Prize-winning watercolor, “St. John’s Church, Richmond”
Three finalists were also chosen, with each getting a $500 cash award. Lori Putnam won for her piece “Long Stemmed.” Joseph Gyurcsak’s “Vizcaya Courtyard” earned the honor as well. And the jurors — Kevin Macpherson and PleinAir magazine Editor Steve Doherty — picked Ned Mueller’s “Patzcauro Morning” for the last finalist award.
“Vizcaya Courtyard,” by Joseph Gyurcsak, oil, 11 x 14 in. Finalist
“Patzcauro Morning,” by Ned Mueller, oil, 18 x 24 in. Finalist
“Long Stemmed,” by Lori Putnam, oil, 16 x 20 in. Finalist
White says his Grand Prize winner was painted in 90 minutes. He attributes his win in part to the image’s suitability for reproduction. “The piece looks immediate, and it works well on a cover, was what I heard,” says White. “I painted it quickly — if I go two hours, I have probably gone too far.”
Entries are now being accepted for the 4th Annual PleinAir Salon; learn more here.
