More than 1,800 professional artists from across the United States and Canada vied for inclusion in Oil Painters of America’s (OPA) 32nd annual National Juried Exhibition of Traditional Oils which will be held at Reinert Fine Art in Charleston, South Carolina, from March 31 through April 30. A collection of original oil paintings produced by today’s top representational artists will be showcased. 

“There are thousands of entries to the Oil Painters of America national show and an infinite variety of subject matter each year,” says OPA president, Susan Abma. “To stand out in that crowd, the 200 or so paintings chosen must stand out in all the technical areas but also have those special factors that elevate them above the rest—the extraordinary. In short, they must be the best of the best.”

OPA Master Signature artist Daud Akhriev will serve as the Juror of Awards and present participating artists with approximately $100,000 in cash and merchandise awards, including the prestigious Gold Medal $25,000 cash prize. 

Reinert Fine Art will host OPA’s National Juried Exhibition in charming Charleston, South Carolina.Included in this year’s exhibition will be impressive pieces of work by OPA’s distinguished Master Signature artists, among them John Michael Carter. His juried piece The Breeze off the Lake was inspired while visiting friends at their lake house. “I happened upon this view of their daughter carrying her baby girl at the edge of the lake,” recalls the artist. “Their breeze-blown hair against the near-evening light made for a striking motif which inspired the painting.”

Colorado artist Scott Ruthven was juried into the show for his piece Path of Wonder.Ruthven paints the things and places he loves, attempting to capture fleeting moments of beauty. He says, “I strive to create paintings that are a visual treat, paintings you want to explore and in which, you can almost hear the gurgling stream and feel the warm sunshine on your face—an experience to enjoy over and over again.” 

John Michael Carter, OPAM, The Breeze off the Lake, oil on linen, 36 x 24"For Deborah Brees, the moth in Rustic Sphinx Moth in a Triangular Arrangement symbolizes change and transformation. So it is with artist, Deb Brees, who was a museum fabrication artist for years, creating and painting lifelike bird and animal models for natural history museums around the world. Her exquisitely painted birds of prey and other realistic animals are in museums of the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and the U.S. Brees continues her artistic career as a wildlife artist where her love of the natural world is expressed on canvas. 

Scott Ruthven, OPAM, Path of Wonder, oil on panel, 18 x 24"

Over the past two decades Matt Miller has returned from corporate life to representational art—his first passion. Miller names David A. Leffel and Sherrie McGraw as his most influential teachers and mentors. Under their tutelage, Miller expanded his understanding of the logic and language of painting and human perception, and uses it to explore the interrelationship of abstract concepts, composition and paint application, and how they drive the creation of representational fine art.

Miller paints in a direct style with no underpainting or layering. He prefers to paint from life with a limited but powerful palette. A co-founder and teacher at the online academy Epiphany Fine Art, Miller currently paints and teaches out of his studio in Norton, Massachusetts.

Paul Cheng, OPAM, Revel In, oil, 24 x 36"

 Matt Miller, OPAM, Madam Anna, oil on board, 24 x 12"Of his juried work Morning Swim, James Swanson says, “This is my buddy Bjorn after he snuck down to the lake for a swim one morning. Bjorn and our other golden, Fenrir, make a beeline straight for the lake every morning during the summer. By the time I get down to the dock they have already been cooling off. Bjorn is a lovely English Creme Golden and he knows it. He is a great poser. I’ve painted him a few times, but this one seems to have specialness to it. I’m not sure if it is Bjorn and the color scheme or the stillness of the brushwork that draws people in. It’s just great to paint my buddies—they deserve it.

Deborah Brees, OPAM, Rustic Sphinx Moth in a Triangular Arrangement, oil on linen canvas, 20 x 20"

Paul Cheng was born in Guangzhou, China, and has loved painting since childhood. By the time he was a teenager, he knew he wanted to be a professional painter. An OPA Signature Member, gallery painter and award-winning artist, Cheng enjoys painting scenes of the American West, cityscapes, ballerinas, children playing on the beach, landscapes, still lifes, portraiture and more. 

Associate OPA Member Hope B. Reis started her show piece The Silver and Gold Drawing Roomon location in France pre-pandemic and only recently finished it in her studio. “I love this painting,” says the artist. “I love what it represents; I loved the colors in this magnificent room and it brings back many happy memories of painting with friends in this lovely chateau...”

Hope B. Reis, OPAM, The Silver and Gold Drawing Room, oil on linen canvas, 28 x 22"

 

James Swanson, OPAM, Morning Swim, oil on linen, 28 x 22"

Signature Member Robin Williamson has always been inspired by the beauty and mystery of John Singer Sargent’s iconic painting, Madame X. “After a trip to New York City and viewing at the Met, I was even more intrigued,” Williamson says. “Later, when I had an inspiring model before me, she asked if I would like a ‘Madame X’ pose. She struck it to perfection and my homage was born!”

Robin Williamson, OPAM, Madame S, oil on linen, 24 x 18"

OPA's National Exhibition Awards & Recognition Ceremony will take place at Charleston Music Hall on Thursday, March 30, from 8 to 10 p.m. The opening reception will be at Reinert Fine Art on Friday, March 31, from 5 to 9 p.m. The exhibition will be available online. Concurrently, OPA is hosting its annual convention at Founders Hall from March 26 through April 1. For more information visit www.oilpaintersofamerica.com.  —

Oil Painters of America 32nd Annual National Juried Exhibiton
When: March 31-April 30, 2023
Where: Reinert Fine Art, 181 King Street, Charleston, SC 29401
Information: (815) 356-5987, www.oilpaintersofamerica.com 

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