Plein Air Easton Podcast

While not his first appearance on the Plein Air Easton Podcast, it is the first time we sat down with John Brandon Sills in the podcast studio for a proper interview. Tim and Marie dive deeper into John's artistic philosophy, how he developed it, and discuss the Renaissance Award he won this year and what it means to him.

"John paints nature in all its forms, choosing to emphasize those aspects that create an awareness of the environment. Toward this end, his landscapes exhibit the sensitivity that urges the viewer to appreciate and recognize the spiritual aspects of the Earth and actively participate in its protection and preservation. John believes that art is form of communication, so he places a high value on the inspiration behind the creation of a painting. In this respect John encourages young artists to look within themselves for the most beautiful vision that they as an artist can conceive of and courageously offer it to world to enrich and raise the consciousness of the viewer. This meditative process guarantees that the artist will produce the most sublime art of which they are capable."

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To inquire about being a guest or sponsoring the Plein Air Easton Podcast, send us an email at [email protected].

This episode is sponsored by JFM Enterprises, providing distinctive ready-made and custom frames & mouldings to the trade since 1974.

Music in this episode was generously provided by Blue Dot Sessions, Doctor Turtle, & Podington Bear.

Relative newcomer to the Plein Air art circuit, Jeff Williams won 3rd Place in this year's Plein Air Easton festivities. Jeff talks with Tim and Marie about how he transitioned from Architecture into painting and what he loves about his new career.

Jeff Williams is a retired professor of architecture from Oklahoma. He has won numerous major design competitions, including first prize in the coveted Paris Prize National Design Competition and honorable mention in the Van Alen International Design Competition, which provided opportunities to spend extensive time traveling throughout Europe, allowing him to experience diverse cultures and develop exceptional drawing skills.

Upon returning to the USA he practiced architecture in Minneapolis prior to relocating to Oklahoma to begin his teaching career with a focus on design. For thirty one years he taught design as well as led numerous student groups on summer European sketching excursions. Williams simultaneously maintained an award winning architectural design consulting practice which included commercial, public and private projects.

In 2017 he retired from teaching to pursue two of his passions, watercolor painting and travel. Inspired and encouraged by workshop leaders Tony Van Hasselt, Thomas Schaller and most notably, Joseph Zbukvic, Williams is currently creating paintings both in studio and "en plein air."

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To inquire about being a guest or sponsoring the Plein Air Easton Podcast, send us an email at [email protected].

This episode is sponsored by JFM Enterprises, providing distinctive ready-made and custom frames & mouldings to the trade since 1974.

Music in this episode was generously provided by Blue Dot Sessions & Podington Bear.

Daniel Robbins' work "Bound" won both the Best Use of Light award and the Artists Choice award at the 2021 Plein Air Easton competition. In this episode, Tim and Marie ask him about the development of his technique and how he integrates philosophy in his landscapes.

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To inquire about being a guest or sponsoring the Plein Air Easton Podcast, send us an email at [email protected].

This episode is sponsored by JFM Enterprises, providing distinctive ready-made and custom frames & mouldings to the trade since 1974.

Music in this episode was generously provided by Blue Dot Sessions & Podington Bear.

Mary Veiga won 2nd place in this year's competition. Tim and Marie talk about her win as a relative newcomer to the Plein Air competition circuit. She discusses her process of developing her style and the challenges of tuning out the destructive thoughts that undermine our ambitions.

Growing up in beautiful Maryland farmland, Mary naturally drew inspiration from her surroundings. Spending time riding her horse through the striking abundance of the landscape instilled in her a strong sense of attachment and belonging. This inspired her to share her experience through artistic expression. Demonstrating a natural ability and interest from an early age her work began drawing awards and recognition. Mary went onto formal training at The Maryland Institute and College of Art in Baltimore, Maryland. Her fine arts education continued with acclaimed landscape artists David Buckley Good, John Brandon Sills, and colorist Camille Przwodek. Her early influencers include Edward Hopper, Robert Henri, and William Merrit Chase, and remain evident in her work today.

In 1995, Mary began her art business as a professional artist and master craftsman painting murals, Trompe l'oeil, and faux finishes for residential and commercial clients throughout the Baltimore Washington area. Her extensive practice and training with both dimensionality of color and texture enriches the experience of her landscape paintings. Her work has won many awards and been featured in ​Good Housekeeping Magazine,​ ​Chesapeake Home and Living,​ ​The Tidewater Times​, HGTV, WJZ–Channel 13, the ​Baltimore Sun​ newspaper, ​Baltimore's Child,​ and more.

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To inquire about being a guest or sponsoring the Plein Air Easton Podcast, send us an email at [email protected].

This episode is sponsored by JFM Enterprises, providing distinctive ready-made and custom frames & mouldings to the trade since 1974.

Music in this episode was generously provided by Blue Dot Sessions.

Tim and Jess talk with veteran plein air painter Neal Hughes. He discusses his business-like approach to his painting career and his transition from illustration to a career based around competitions.

A former illustrator, Neal has been painting professionally for over 35 years. His work is part of the permanent collection of the New Britain Museum of American Art and he has been accepted into numerous juried exhibitions including the national exhibitions of the American Impressionist Society, Oil Painters of American, American Society of Marine Artists and the Portrait Society of America.

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To inquire about being a guest or sponsoring the Plein Air Easton Podcast, send us an email at [email protected].

This episode is sponsored by JFM Enterprises, providing distinctive ready-made and custom frames & mouldings to the trade since 1974.

Music in this episode was generously provided by Blue Dot Sessions.

2021 was Laurie Maher's first time at Plein Air Easton, where she was awarded Best New Artist by judge Daniel Weiss. Tim and Marie talk with Laurie about her experience at the competition and her approach to each work.

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To inquire about being a guest or sponsoring the Plein Air Easton Podcast, send us an email at [email protected].

This episode is sponsored by JFM Enterprises, providing distinctive ready-made and custom frames & mouldings to the trade since 1974.

Music in this episode was generously provided by Blue Dot Sessions and Blanket Music.

In today's episode, plein air instructor Chris Kolupski joins us over Skype from the top of the Colorado National Monument. Tim and Jess find out what led Chris to this beautiful (and seemingly treacherous) painting location and his philosophy on how best to develop your artistic skills.

Chris Kolupski began painting outdoors as a teenager in the forests of Upstate New York and Canada. After working as a freelance illustrator for five years in Rochester, Chris moved to New York City where he studied portraiture and figure painting at the Art Students League of New York. Instructors such as Nelson Shanks, Everett Raymond Kinstler and Dean Keller shaped Chris's modern approach to painting from life. Chris continued his studies at Shanks's Philadelphia painting school, Studio Incaminatti.

In 2004 Chris founded Boxart Street Atelier in Rochester, New York, where he taught drawing and painting for almost a decade. He continued teaching at Gallery 7 Studio, and currently teaches at Pittsford Fine Art. His Realist Painting Course is an intensive 24-month curriculum that teaches modern techniques for controlling hues, values and chroma, the three dimensions of color.

When painting indoor portraits, Chris prefers a subdued palette to help him capture subtle skin tones. When painting outdoors, the brilliant light pushes his palette to the widest range of color. He loves hiking and painting rugged landforms like the deep gorges of Upstate New York and the red rock of Colorado and Utah. "There is nothing like painting roaring waterfalls or sun baked badlands. Nothing like the swoosh of a hawk slicing through a canyon updraft as I try to capture fleeting effects of light."

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To inquire about being a guest or sponsoring the Plein Air Easton Podcast, send us an email at [email protected].

This episode is sponsored by Paint Out West, a virtual painting workshop with Chris Kolupski. Chris will conduct a combination of live and recorded classes from the Colorado National Monument, Arches National Park, Canyonlands National Park, Zion National Park, and Monument Valley. Spots are limited so don't miss out!

Music in this episode was generously provided by Blue Dot Sessions.

Today Tim and Jess talk with artist Stephen Haynes about his ambitious new art project exploring artificial intelligence and temporary existence, all inspired by his discovery of the website This Person Does Not Exist.

Stephen Haynes is a self-taught painter currently living in the greater Pittsburgh area. A lifelong artist, Stephen spent his formative school years among the beaches of southern California, and summers in the mountains of West Virginia. This divided time gave him a diverse outlook and an immense love of the outdoors.

Showing his work publicly for over 20 years, Haynes has tried his hand at most art forms at one time or another. In his current work, the artist uses vibrant oil colors, mixed on the canvas, to convey light, shadow and form through thick impasto brushwork, evoking movement and abstract qualities.

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To inquire about being a guest or sponsoring the Plein Air Easton Podcast, send us an email at [email protected].

This episode is sponsored by Paint Out West, a virtual painting workshop with Chris Kolupski. Chris will conduct a combination of live and recorded classes from the Colorado National Monument, Arches National Park, Canyonlands National Park, Zion National Park, and Monument Valley. Spots are limited so don't miss out!

Music in this episode was generously provided by Blue Dot Sessions and Podington Bear.

Zufar Bikbov is a long-time Plein Air Easton juried artist, winning awards nearly every year. Tim and Jess talk to Zufar about the trajectory of his career as an artist and a doctor and how the two paths intersect.

Zufar's interest in painting came early in life from the influence of his father, a well-respected specialist in engineering. His father's dream to become an artist could not be realized in post WWII Soviet Union during Stalin's regime era. Being accepted to Nicolai Fechin Art school in Kazan (Russia), he had to switch to the school of Engineering and Architecture. "My dad never pushed me into an art career", recalls Zufar, "however, albums of my father's watercolors and a library of Russian Fine Art at our home, along with my father's paints and brushes – this environment became fertile soil for the seed of my artistic talent to grow."

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To inquire about being a guest or sponsoring the Plein Air Easton Podcast, send us an email at [email protected].

This episode is sponsored by Paint Out West, a virtual painting workshop with Chris Kolupski. Chris will conduct a combination of live and recorded classes from the Colorado National Monument, Arches National Park, Canyonlands National Park, Zion National Park, and Monument Valley. Spots are limited so don't miss out!

Music in this episode was generously provided by Blue Dot Sessions and Scott Gratton.

Today Tim and Jess interview long-time Plein Air Easton artist, Sara Linda Poly. This year she won a Judge's Choice award at the festival for her work All is Quiet Now.

Sara Linda Poly, originally from the Philadelphia area, studied at university in PA, VA, MD., and with local and national artists. Sara's past experience includes illustration and design and work as assistant gallery director at the Art League Gallery, in Alexandria, VA., where she is now an instructor.

Known for her sweeping skies and dramatic light in the landscape, she has been the winner of numerous awards and a participant in many regional and national shows.

Follow Sara Linda Poly: Official Site Facebook Instagram

Follow Plein Air Easton: Official SiteFacebookInstagramYouTube

To inquire about being a guest or sponsoring the Plein Air Easton Podcast, send us an email at [email protected].

This episode is sponsored by Paint Out West, a virtual painting workshop with Chris Kolupski. Chris will conduct a combination of live and recorded classes from the Colorado National Monument, Arches National Park, Canyonlands National Park, Zion National Park, and Monument Valley. Spots are limited so don't miss out!

Music in this episode was generously provided by Blue Dot Sessions and Scott Gratton.