Member News Archives - Laguna Plein Air Painters Association

Featured Signature Artist: Carl Bretzke

August 1, 2019 by Toni Kellenberg

Carl Bretzke of Minneapolis, Minnesota
LPAPA’s August 2019 featured Signature Artist Member of the Month.

Click these links for: LPAPA Plein Talk QAs with Carl Bretzke & Artwork Showcase, plus more at CarlBretzke.com.

Carl Bretzke is a representational oil painter who specializes in urban scenes and plein air landscapes.

Carl’s work has been described in the Washington Post as “simultaneously intimate and detached… The artist’s unadorned style recalls Edward Hopper and The Ashcan school.”

Carl holds an MD degree from the University of Minnesota Medical School. His undergraduate degree is from the University of Colorado, where he also received a minor in Fine Art.

Click here to visit Carl’s website and learn more.

Click here for LPAPA’s Library of Archived Plein Talks

Featured Artist: Bob Upton

August 1, 2019 by Toni Kellenberg

Bob Upton of St. Paul, Minnesota
LPAPA’s August 2019 Artist Member of the Month

Click the links for: LPAPA Plein Talk Q&As with Bob Upton & Artwork Showcase, plus more at BobUptonStudio.com.

Bob Upton, is a plein air painter from St. Paul, Minnesota. He paints in oils and in gouache directly from life. He has travelled around the world painting on location in Italy, France, Poland and all across the United States.

His work has been awarded in LPAPA’s Best of Plein Air, 2015, 3^rd place, 2018, 3^rd place, and, 2019, Honorable Mention, Plein Air Salon, Best Nocturne 2018, Bold Brush Painting Competition 2015, Best in Show, South Street Gallery Plein Air Invitational, 1st Place.

Upton has been recognized at plein air competitions across the country, 1^st place in Plein Air Grand Marais in 2014 and 2015, Best Architectural Award at Plein Air Easton 2015, and juried into Plein Air Door County 2015, 2019.

Upton was the cover artist for the November 2014 Issue of Plein Air Magazine, featuring his luminous paintings of Venice and Florence, Italy. Bob’s is a feature artist in Stephen Doherty’s published book “The Art of Plein Air Painting.”

Upton is a member of OPM Outdoor Painters of Minnesota and LPAPA/Laguna Plein Air Painters Association.

Click here to visit Bob’s website to learn more.

Click here for LPAPA’s Library of Archived Plein Talks

Plein Air Podcast with Rosemary Swimm

July 31, 2019 by Toni Kellenberg

PleinAir Magazine Publisher Eric Rhoads interviews Rosemary Swimm, the Executive Director of the Laguna Plein Air Painters Association (LPAPA). Even if you’re not in California, you’ll want to listen to this podcast to see what they’re doing for the plein air community at large, and how you can be a part of it, too. Click here to listen!

Not a LPAPA Member? Please consider becoming an Artist or Supporter Member and help us preserve and promote the plein air painting tradition! When you join LPAPA YOU become part of Laguna’s 100 year old plein air painting legacy! Click here to learn about becoming a LPAPA Member!

LPAPA Well Represented at Plein Air Easton Awards

July 30, 2019 by Toni Kellenberg

Congratulations to all of the LPAPA members receiving Awards at the 2019 Plein Air Easton Competition!

LPAPA Signature Artist Aimee Erickson — Aimee Erickson: ‟Brunch on the Patio” Grand Prize & Artists Choice

LPAPA Signature Artist Hiu Lai Chong — Hiu Lai Chong: ‟Washington Street Nocturne” Best Figurative Painting in a Landscape

LPAPA Signature Artist Charlie Hunter — Charlie Hunter: ‟Abandoned Railroad Overpass, Cordova, MD” Best Architectural

LPAPA Artist Member Eileen Eder — Eileen Eder: ‟Cutts & Case Crane” Best New Artist to Plein Air Easton

LPAPA Artist Member Stewart White — Stewart White: ‟Mutt and Marti do a Full Pull” Best Painting by a Maryland Artist

LPAPA Artist Member Laurie Hendricks — Laurie Hendricks: ‟Island Barn” Honorable Mention

LPAPA Signature Artist Debra Huse — Debra Huse: ‟Chesapeake Log Canoe Regatta” Honorable Mention

13th Annual “Less is More” July 2019

July 1, 2019 by Toni Kellenberg

LPAPA’s 2019 “Less is More” 13th Annual Juried Art Show
Celebrating small works of art with big impact!
Gallery Exhibit Dates: July 8-22, 2019 (plus DailyBrushwork online gallery show)
Location: LPAPA in Residence at Forest & Ocean Gallery, 480 Ocean Ave, Laguna Beach, CA
Gallery Hours: Sunday – Friday: 11am – 5pm | Saturday: 10am – 6pm | Closed Mondays

Award Winners:

1st Place: Susan Diehl’s “Waiting the Audience” 9 x 12 oil

2nd Place: Aaron Schuerr’s “Laguna Rocks” 9 x 12 oil

3rd Place: Jason Li’s “Summer Lake” 7 x 14 watercolor

Honorable Mention: Judith Cameron’s “Traffic Jam” 9 x 12 oil

Honorable Mention: Wendy Wirth’s “Laguna Glimmer, Main Beach” 10 x 5 acrylic

Facebook People’s Choice: Jeff Sewell’s “A Little Crash” 5 x 7 oil

Juried Gallery Artists:

Award Winners: (announced on July 13, 2019)

Five Cash Awards:
1st Place $500
2nd Place $250
3rd Place $125
Honorable Mention (2) $50 each
Plus new “Facebook Fans People’s Choice” Award $50

LPAPA presents its annual juried art shows and special events at its “LPAPA in Residence” gallery home located within the Forest & Ocean Gallery in Laguna Beach. The gallery creates opportunities for our regional, national and international Signature, Artist and Student Members to show their work in our thriving art colony, and provides LPAPA with the opportunity for our nonprofit art organization to celebrate Laguna’s plein air painting heritage and connect with our members, our community, supporters and art lovers, to further our Mission. The entry fees support the awards and show expenses, as well as LPAPA’s gallery presence; the sale of artwork benefits the artists, the gallery and nonprofit LPAPA.

LPAPA’s mission is dedicated to painting the landscape, preserving Laguna’s artistic legacy and promoting the plein air painting tradition. LPAPA strives to enhance the livelihood of its artist members and inspire the next generation of plein air painters!

Join LPAPA’s celebration, be part of the tradition!

For information about becoming a LPAPA Member, click here: Join LPAPA