Oil is one of the most traditional art mediums, and artists working today have pushed it to new heights with innovative styles, techniques and subjects. Oil Painters of America promotes representational oil painters through exhibitions, conferences and more. The organization’s Eastern Regional Exhibition will happen September 28 through October 22 at ArtCenter Manatee in Bradenton, Florida.Barbara Nuss, Mood Indigo, oil on linen, 10 x 16"

A panel of jurors selected around 110 works to display by artists residing in the Eastern region of the U.S. and Canada, including art by Barbara Nuss, John Felton, Katherine Grossfeld, Sandra Desrosiers, Shelley Breton, Shuli Wang and Steve Creighton.

Claudia Seymour’s still life painting Pile-Up, depicting pumpkins stacked on top of one another, was selected for the show. Explaining the work, she says, “Last autumn I was stunned and thrilled with the selection of pumpkins now available in markets. I combined lots of pumpkins all piled up and interwove a section with a vintage obi. And then, for a bit of contrast, and to soften all the hard lines of the pumpkins, I added a few sprigs of hydrangea.”Shelley Breton, Circle of Life, oil, 12 x 24"

Johanne Mangi, Drifter in Repose, oil on wood panel, 18 x 36"

Drifter in Repose, Johanne Mangi’s jured painting, is a regal dog portrait. “While visiting Drifter’s owner,I was struck by the amazing light that washed over him and his look of contentment,” Mangi recalls. “I couldn’t take my eyes off him. I found it so compelling that I rushed home to my paints to capture that memory.”

Artist Joyce E. Lazzara presents a vivid composition with her painting Blue Palm. “The best of all the dancing palms is the beautiful coconut,” she says. “The sparkling light just dances across, creating a multitude of shadows and light. There are colors from somber to bright, a fleeting delight for an artist eye.”Julie Rosa, Daydream, oil on linen, 16 x 24"

Julie Rosa’s daughter inspired her painting Daydream. “As a child, playing dress up is a gateway to the imagination where anything is possible,” she says. “Watching my daughter lost in creative thought was my inspiration behind this painting. I begin my work with transparent, bold brushstrokes to form an abstract composition, before adding a delicate and subtle interplay of warm and cool color shifts which brings the subject into focus. My goal in figurative work is to capture authenticity and the essence of the person.”Katherine Grossfeld, Home, oil on panel, 30 x 30"; Rich Alexander, The Calling, oil on panel, 11 x 17"

Rana Jordahl, Sheltered, oil on board, 18 x 18"

Sheltered, by Rana Jordahl, is an image about our current times. “Reflecting on how the world had been ‘sheltering’ at home over the past year due to COVID-19, I felt drawn to paint this amazing composition and titled it accordingly,” Jordahl says.“I paint chickens along with other shorebirds regularly and am always enthralled with capturing their quirky expressions and colorful feathers. However, this time, the overwhelming feeling of protection was what I was striving to convey just as we, as people, were striving for it in our own lives. It hit an emotional chord and I had to paint it.”Sandra Desrosiers, Better Days, oil on canvas, 12 x 12"

Randi Jane Davis’ painting Together Again is also a reflection of the pandemic. “I was channeling the feeling of overwhelming loss of social interaction,” Davis says. “There was something very intimate and precious in the moment that I felt was integrated in painting it rather small. I kept a narrow value structure and color harmony to hopefully communicate contentment and serenity.”Clockwise from top left: Joyce E. Lazzara, Blue Palm, oil on canvas, 40 x 30"; John Felton, Early Birds over Lake Killarney, oil on linen, 16 x 20"; Sarah M. Paddock, Early Morning, oil on linen panel, 16 x 20"

Rich Alexander’s still life The Calling was painted “in cool blue north light a few days after attending a reunion with my fellow firefighters from New York City,” he says. “Reminiscing with them reminded me just how remarkable firefighters are and I wanted to honor them with a still life. I'm delighted to say my second career in art is equally as rewarding and I'm enjoying the people I meet along the way.”Claudia Seymour, Pile-Up, oil on linen, 18 x 20"

Sarah M. Paddock’s painting Early Morning, is a “modern and intense take on the most traditional still life.” The artist adds, “This high chroma, high contrast contemporary fruit bowl feels to me like when you have to get up early in the darkness and turn on the first light…it so shockingly reveals this luscious and vibrant image to start a busy day. I just love it.”

Left to right: Shuli Wang, The First Ride, oil on canvas, 18 x 24"; Randi Jane Davis, Together Again, oil on linen, 8 x 10"; Steve Creighton, A Studio Composition, oil on panel, 16 x 12"

An opening reception for the Eastern Regional Exhibition will take place  September 30 from 5 to 7 p.m. At 6 p.m. is the awards ceremony, where this year’s juror of awards, Katie Dobson Cundiff, will present her selections for the prizes. —

Oil Painters of America’s Eastern Regional Exhibition
When: September 28-October 22, 2021; September 30, 5-7 p.m., opening reception and awards ceremony
Where: ArtCenter Manatee, 209 9th Street West, Bradenton, FL 34205
Information: www.oilpaintersofamerica.com 

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