Ken Auster painting in Northeast Harbor, Maine—a demo captured on film by Streamline Art Video.

Those thinking about entering the PleinAir Salon‘s December-January contest — and thus getting a chance to win the $15,000 top award — might want to know a little bit about the contest’s judge, a man who first made a name as arguably the foremost graphic artist of the Southern California surf culture, and now paints plein air streetscapes that knock the socks off of collectors. 

Much in demand as a workshop instructor, Ken Auster also garners top commissions, and the Laguna Beach-area painter regularly wins awards in juried exhibitions. He is a no-nonsense instructor with a kind heart, as this video shows.

The two-minute clip, which was shot in San Francisco’s Alta Plaza Park, shows the California painter working on a street scene during a workshop. He discusses his approach to cityscapes and the importance of certain amenities when setting up to paint in the Bay Area.

He also starred in an educational video available through Streamline Art Video. Get a taste of that here.

In April the $21,000 in prizes will be awarded to the annual winners at the 2015 Plein Air Convention & Expo. The PleinAir Salon consists of six bi-monthly contests, with the First, Second, and Third Place winners of each contest, and the category winners, automatically entered into the annual competition. First prize in the annual competition is $15,000 cash and the publication of the winning image on the cover of PleinAir magazine, along with a feature story. Second Place earns an artist $3,000 and an article in the digital edition of PleinAir magazine. Third Place yields $1,500 in cash. Three additional finalists win $500. Aside from First, Second, and Third Place overall, categories include Best Oil, Best Pastel, Best Watercolor, Best Acrylic, Best Plein Air, Best Building, Best Figure in the Landscape, Best Floral, Best Landscape, Best Outdoor Still Life, Best Nocturne, Best Water, and Best Artist Under 30.

The winner of each bi-monthly contest is featured in this e-newsletter and profiled on OutdoorPainter.com. Ken Auster will jury the current contest, which has a deadline of January 31. Enter now at the Salon’s website.


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