The International Guild of Realism has been dedicated to promoting excellence in realism by hosting national exhibitions for its members at some of the top galleries around the United States. When the pandemic hit, the organization decided to promote their artists by hosting an online event across multiple company websites. In 2021 they continued that by first hosting the Spring Salon Online Exhibition and now the Fall Salon Online Exhibition, which will be on view October 20 through December 10. 
Kenneth Young, Bodie Island Lighthouse, oil on canvas, 24 x 36"
Cristy Dunn, The Triumph of Truth, oil on panel, 48 x 48"
This fall edition will include more than 220 juried works of art in a variety of mediums and subjects, but all in a realistic style. The works are indicative of the artists’ unique voices and talents and represent a wide range of interests. Among the artists participating this year are Barbara Nuss, Brenda Morgan, Cher Pruys, Ed Copley, Evelyn Dunphy, Gulay Berryman, Jette van der Lende, Joyce Lee, Kenneth Young, Laurie Riley, Lloyd Voges, Mark Hunter, Shuk Susan Lee, Vincent Verboncoeur and Wendy Jones Donahoe.
Landscapes and street scenes are among the highlights in this year’s show. Many artists have turned to the outdoors as respite or to be at one with nature, and it appears eloquently on their canvases.
Top row, from left: Cher Pruys, Reflections, acrylic, 6 x 91/2”; Linda J Schroeter, A Tail of Two Fish, oil on ACM panel, 25 x 35”. Bottom row, from left: Linda Garcia-Dahle, Sunny Afternoon Retreat, oil on canvas, 18 x 24”; Emily Main, Upwards, oil on board, 24 x 20”
Low Country Evening by Christopher Forrest is one example. Explaining the work, the artist says, “Living on a coastal island I’m surrounded by marsh on one side and the ocean on the other, and it’s also on a major bird migratory flyway. I am both thrilled and challenged by the opportunity to paint what’s around me. In the winter, the area is treated to flocks of tundra swans, a truly majestic bird. In 2019 I returned to art after a 30-year absence and am thoroughly enjoying painting again.”
Gulay Berryman, Virage de Massenet (1959 Grand Prix de Monaco), oil on canvas (gallery wrap), 48 x 36"
For the painting Light in the Woods, artist Will B. Reyes was inspired by not only the place but also the atmospheric conditions. “For many of us nature lovers, the sight of a forest with its abundant vegetation, exotic floras and huge ancient trees is a thrill. Yet inside these woods is a whole new world in itself—enchanting and exotic, foreboding yet welcoming, strange yet familiar and beautiful,” says the artist. “The light inside these woods often shifts and therefore, basically transitory, yet is perpetual and reassuring. The light’s myriad of shapes, tones and colors is inspiring, lending a feeling of joy to a soul.”
Peter Swift, Official League, acrylic on canvas, 48 x 48"
Luba Stolper, Lemon Panorama, oil on wood, 15 x 30"
David Kizziar turned to an architectural scene of a once familiar structure in the art world with his drawing FESTIVAL. Kizziar shares, “This piece was inspired as a historical tribute to the Festival of Arts/Pageant of the Masters live art show entrance which greeted visitors into Laguna Beach until 2014 when it was replaced.” The work, as the artist says, was created with six colored pencils on toned paper and took more than 300 hours to complete.
From left: Brenda Morgan, Arapaho Headdress, oil on canvas, 14 x 11"; Barbara Nuss, On Alert, oil on linen, 18 x 14"; Joye DeGoede, Cover Your Ass, oil on wrap around canvas, 36 x 24"The work Sunny Afternoon Retreat, by Linda Garcia-Dahle, is a scene that brings the outdoors to an inside space. “During the height of summer last year, when the temperature was over 100 and everyone was attempting to stay safe indoors from the coronavirus, I was struck by how calm, peaceful and cool my living room looked with the curtains billowing in the breeze, my cat sleeping quietly in the window and the light and shadow patterns moving slowing over time,” says Garcia-Dahle. “As an artist I hope to capture this moment and convey its serenity to any viewer who might be glad for a quick visual “getaway.”
Mark Hunter, Near and Far, Grand Canyon, oil on panel, 18 x 24"
Andy Reinhardt, Protest March, oil on board, 24 x 36"
Still lifes and Trompe l’Oeil paintings in the exhibition range from the traditional to the contemporary, showing off the artists’ imaginations and attention to details.
Nicole Nappi’s represented in the show by Green Lobster Buoys, an everyday scene from down by the docks. Explaining the work, Nappi says, “I’m always searching for scenes with dynamic lighting and I was immediately drawn to the light and shadow play on the wood grain that this shot of Green Lobster Buoys portrayed, as well as the different greens rich in their cool and warm tones. It was a fun one to paint!”
In I WON’T BE COOKING TODAY!, Christine Porter Lofaro has a unique aerial perspective of a no-cook snack. “A tasty Maltese meal which requires no cooking, it is perfect for a quick lunch on busy days and ideal to prepare for a day at the beach or a picnic. It’s extremely easy to put together yet it could be scrumptiously flavorsome as any elaborate meal,” says the artist of the items. “Ingredients: a crusty Maltese loaf, ripened tomatoes and a generous drizzle of olive oil. Then a sprinkle of capers and chopped raw onions. Enhance the taste with olives as well as mint and basil leaves. Finally, complement this assortment with a local peppered cheeselet. Crunch, munch and simply enjoy! Bon appétit!”
Top row, from left: Evelyn Dunphy, Roses in A Water Glass, watercolor, 12 x 16”; Nicole Nappi, Green Lobster Buoys, acrylic on stretched canvas, 16 x 16”. Bottom row, from left: Christopher Forrest, Low Country Evening, oil on Raymar panel, 16 x12”; Shuk Susan Lee, Summer Oasis, pastel, 20 x 14”; Ed Copley, Tea Time, oil on linen, 30 x 22”
Diane Morgan’s painting Washing Grapes is approached in a similar way to how she starts all of her still lifes. Morgan says, “Transforming simple everyday life into un-ordinary, not-so-still life, I take an ordinary subject and enhance the perception of it… inviting the viewer to take a closer look. If you look closer, you may discover something new about yourself.”
Diane Morgan, Washing Grapes, watercolor, 21 x 29"
Luba Stolper is a “contemporary artist whose passion for art comes to life in oil paintings reminiscent of the Old Masters.” Her still life Lemon Panorama has the drama and beauty of these traditional works, showing off dark and light moments with ease. She says, “I use my brush to explore the relationship in nature and hope to express it through my paintings.”
Complimentary Reflections is James Andrews' take on complementary colors. “I find complementary colors fascinating and really liked the idea of using two types of peppers that were complementary opposites,” says Andrews. “I felt they brought not only color, but interest to the painting.”
Will B. Reyes, Lights in the Woods, oil on canvas, 17½ x 23½"
Placing common objects in unexpected settings is a hallmark of Peter Swift’s artwork, as seen in his juried painting Official League. “Here, a baseball is floating alone in a vast void,” he describes. “The cuts, bruises and dirt marks seem almost like craters on the moon.”
Portraits and figural work are also heavily featured in the Fall Salon Online Exhibition. There are pieces reflecting the personality and image of the sitter, and there are other pieces that speak to social issues of the past and today.
Jette van der Lende, Eco my Ass, oil on panel, 16 x 16"
David Kizziar, FESTIVAL, colored pencil, 9 x 13"
Cristy Dunn’s painting The Triumph of Truth depicts a commanding young woman in a wintery wooded forest, with two wolves hidden behind her. “Although I’ve chosen art as my career path, I’m a mathematician by training, and so it is second nature for me to examine things with an eye toward logic and proof,” says Dunn. “Truth exists, and it stands against questioning. Truth is worth speaking out for and worth defending.”
In the pastel portrait The Conservator, Ann Justin depicts a friend who spent her career conserving fine artwork. “The oil painting behind her is of her great-grandmother, which she also conserved,” says Justin. “I love the similarities in the two juxtaposed portraits—the clarity and directness of the gaze out toward the viewer, stretching across time and history.”
From left: Christine Porter Lofaro, I WON’T BE COOKING TODAY!, oil on board, 18 x 24"; Ann Justin, The Conservator, pastel, 17 x 14"; Vincent Verboncoeur, My Sunshine and the Butterfly, pencil and charcoal, 32 x 40"
Laurie Riley, Up From the Depths, acrylic, 16 x 20"
Andy Reinhardt’s painting Protest March is reflective of our current times. “The pandemic has been a challenging time, leading many of us to reevaluate what we are doing and how we see the world,” Reinhardt says. “Then, in the middle of the pandemic,
I have been so often struck by man’s apparent disregard of his fellow man. This all causes me to wonder how we can change the world. That is what inspired me to do this painting. Maybe we can look to art in a time of unrest and turmoil as part of our answer on how to change for the better.”
Stephen Mangum, Illusions of My Childhood No. 8, oil on linen, 72 x 96"Stephen Mangum’s painting Illusions of My Childhood No. 8 is from his recent series revisiting his Mississippi Delta childhood to confront his Southern heritage and explore racial injustice through the lens of white privilege. The work is a current portrait of his grandson painted against a background inspired by late photojournalist Bill Hudson’s image documenting the Children’s March in Montgomery, Alabama in 1963, during which hundreds of nonviolent youth protestors were jailed.
Spiritual contemplation is the focus of Emily Main’s painting Upwards. Main says, “We have all been here in deep thought. This painting is meant to convey all aspects of that experience. It can be thoughts of life, joy and pain, or thoughts of meaning, belonging or when we feel lost. The simplicity of the painting allows the viewer to place themselves in her situation and tailor the feelings to themselves.”
Wendy Jones Donahoe, Avery, charcoal, carbon pencil and graphite on paper, 21½ x 14¾"
Explaining his juried work Awakening, Brian O’Neill says, “The dark vastness that opens in front of the figure reveals to her limitless space. I created this painting to find the depth of our human potential within as represented by her serene pose and stillness. The space she gazes upon is actually an internal reflection of her soul, unending and eternal.”
Just a Bigger Story is from Daune Sheri’s series of watercolor painting titled Just a Dog in which every work illustrates the connection we have with dogs. Sheri explains, “Nothing in life is as small as it seems. No story is as simple as it seems. It may be by chance this child and this dog find a connection early in life—napping together, loving together, learning together, growing together. It may be by chance they learn to trust in that source of love closest and move forward knowing there’s a bigger story just waiting.”
Daune Sheri, Just a Bigger Story, watercolor on clay panel, 11 x 14"
Along with Sheri’s work, animals appear in many other paintings in the exhibition.
Road trips are a primary means of inspiration and reference material for the work Betsy Kellum does in the studio. Her painting Teamwork, depicting draft horses, came about when she took students to the Virginia State Fair in preparation for her workshop “Painting Animals.” Kellum shares, “There’s no better place to get up close to a multitude of animal species with the advantage that they are ‘all cleaned up’ for the show. I was drawn to the draft horses, working in tandem, wearing their most expensive ‘jewelry.’ These strong, majestic workhorses stole my heart and deserved to be memorialized in paint.”
From left: James Andrew, Complimentary Reflections, oil on panel, 20 x 16"; Brian O’Neill, Awakening, oil on canvas with silver and white gold leaf, 48 x 36”; Lloyd Voges, Pardner Thar’s Gold Over Yonder, oil on canvas, 20 x 16"
Joye DeGoede’s donkey painting Cover Your Ass “was inspired by the craziness of 2020 and COVID,” the artist says. “It is funny the response I get from pro-mask and anti-mask supporters. Both sides think I am advocating their views.
I think it is just a humorous look at our everyday life and finding a joyful moment in this craziness.”
Joyce Lee, My Favorite One, oil on linen panel, 16 x 20"
Betsy Kellum, Teamwork, oil on panel, 24 x 30"
Another pandemic-related canvas is Linda J Schroeter’s A Tail of Two Fish. The artist says, “By tomorrow, my life today will be yesterday and the stories told will be history. My canvas is a storyboard of this moment in time, of life surviving during the world’s COVID-19 pandemic.”
The Fall Salon Online Exhibition is also a juried competition, with the award winners indicated on all the websites where the exhibition can be viewed. —
International Guild of Realism’s Fall Salon Online Exhibition
When: October 20-December 10, 2021
Where: View the show online at www.americanartcollector.com, www.qcfinearts.com and www.realismguild.com
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