Bravo to Lee Radtke for winning first place in the recent Oil Painters of America Plein Air Salon. “Born in Chicago, Illinois, I received a BS degree in Product Design at IIT Institute of Design in 1959,” Radtke tells us. “I began painting seriously after a successful career as a product designer and retail store designer. I started as a plein air painter (a most difficult choice for a beginner). My art training came mainly from workshops and by watching, reading, and listening.
“I started with the PAPC (Plein Air Painters of Chicago) headed by Scott Powers. We met every Saturday morning at a different location in Chicago. The lessons learned there were very important to me and still are to this day. I learned to paint fast and to capture the essence of my subject. I created an impression of what I was seeing. What looks like a very detailed piece is in fact just a very loose interpretation. Whether working from a photo or real life, I try to avoid too much realism. I don’t want to disappoint the viewer’s imagination. My goal is to create a strong, visually appealing composition. Not having formal training, my painting process has been intuitive, not cluttered by rules, and I think that is reflected in my work.”
Help us also congratulate the following artists for their winning paintings in the Oil Painters of America Plein Air Salon!
Awards of Excellence:
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