Plein Air Collector

The Painting That Has It All

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Ned Mueller has revealed his selections for the winners in the October 2024 PleinAir Salon art competition. Scroll down to see the winning paintings and read Ned’s comments on his top picks.

PleinAir Salon Art Competition Winners Preview:

1st Place Overall: “Cathedral Wash”

PleinAir Salon art competition - Kyle Ma, “Cathedral Wash,” Oil, 36x36 in. — First Place: Kyle Ma, “Cathedral Wash,” Oil, 36×36 in.

“Wow, this fine work of art covered everything that I think goes into making a great painting: concept, design, color and, in this case, atmosphere, as it is a landscape painting,” Ned said. “The idea of the arroyo leading our eye back into the middleground and background; the great drawing skills and arrangement and shapes of the rocks, dirt and bushes – their chroma and temperature so beautifully orchestrated and giving us the beauty of that violet mountain and little group of clouds. What is there not to like about this masterpiece!”

2nd Place Overall: “Grace in Motion”

PleinAir Salon art competition - Lyudmila Tomova Clark, “Grace in Motion,” Oil, 18x24 in. — Second Place: Lyudmila Tomova Clark, “Grace in Motion,” Oil, 18×24 in.

“One can see and feel the movement and beauty of the dancers, so fresh and spontaneous, well drawn and designed – no sloppiness in its execution. The dark outfit on the instructor really makes the painting and sets her apart from all that lovely action going on behind her. A little definition in the right place says a lot.”

3rd Place Overall: “Shimmering”

PleinAir Salon art competition - Jane Fritz, “Shimmering,” Watercolor, 21x14 in. — Jane Fritz, “Shimmering,” Watercolor, 21×14 in.

“We can feel that bright, gurgling water with all of its sparkle and busyness, that beautiful contrast and activity of all the bright greens and oranges against the quiet blue water in the lower right. All of that well designed action, in contrast with the bright rocks in the background and beautiful yellow-green water flowing out of it – all masterfully designed and executed with watercolor!”

Winners in the Plein Air Categories:

Best Plein Air Landscape: Jennifer Sampson, “Autumn’s Imminence,” Oil, 16x20 in. — Best Plein Air Landscape: Jennifer Sampson, “Autumn’s Imminence,” Oil, 16×20 in.

Best Plein Air Acrylic & Gouache: Steve Browning (Ireland), “Bray Plein Air Festival,” Acrylic, 10x14 in. — Best Plein Air Acrylic & Gouache: Steve Browning (Ireland), “Bray Plein Air Festival,” Acrylic, 10×14 in.

Best Plein Air Oil : Kevin Macpherson, “Flower Seller,” Oil, 6x8 in. — Best Plein Air Oil: Kevin Macpherson, “Flower Seller,” Oil, 6×8 in.

Best Plein Air Pastel: Margaret Larlham, “Kipepeo Beach, Tanzania,” Pastel, 9x12 in. — Best Plein Air Pastel: Margaret Larlham, “Kipepeo Beach, Tanzania,” Pastel, 9×12 in.

Best Plein Air Watercolor: Svetlin Sofroniev (Bulgaria), “Alone,” Watercolor, 20x14 in. — Best Plein Air Watercolor: Svetlin Sofroniev (Bulgaria), “Alone,” Watercolor, 20×14 in.

Enter the PleinAir Salon Art Competition Today

All winners will be entered into the judging for the annual cash prizes, including the Grand Prize of $15,000 and their painting on the cover of PleinAir® Magazine. Could you be the next winner?

The next round of the PleinAir® Salon art competition has begun so hurry, as this competition ends on the last day of the month. See the rest of this month’s winners and enter your best art in the PleinAir Salon here.