Extraordinary Oils

Oil Painters of America hosts its annual national exhibition and convention in Steamboat Springs, Colorado.

By Audrey Eagerton

The 35th annual National Juried Exhibition of Traditional Oils, presented by Oil Painters of America, launches May 29 and continues through August 29 at the Steamboat Art Museum, with convention activities beginning May 26 at the Steamboat Grand Hotel, both in Steamboat Springs, Colorado.

More than 200 member artists from across the United States, Canada and Mexico were selected to participate in this highly competitive exhibition through a rigorous jury process. Each artwork upholds the realism tradition, bringing craftsmanship, composition, color harmony and technical mastery to the exhibition.

Patrons enjoy the opening reception of a prior Oil Painters of America National Juried Exhibition.

“While the mission of the OPA is to promote and advance representational painting, our member artists work in a wide variety of styles and traditions. You will see paintings that are very loose and impressionistic, while other paintings may be very detailed [in the style of] trompe l’oeil,” says Kurt Anderson, executive director of Oil Painters of America. “Some artists come out of the plein air movement, some are academically trained and some began their careers as illustrators. So, our exhibitions always have a huge variety of paintings, both in terms of style and subject.”

The public is invited to attend an opening reception on Friday, May 29, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., at the Steamboat Art Museum, where collectors and patrons get first glance at the exhibition and an opportunity to meet the artists. The formal awards presentation will begin at 8 p.m. in recognition of this year’s most extraordinary works.

Angela Campbell, OPA, Carefree on the Little Miami, oil, 24 x 36 in.

Mark Boedges, an oil painter recognized for his expressive landscapes and painterly realism, is this year’s awards judge, presenting approximately $100,000 in cash and prizes, including the $25,000 Gold Medal Award.

Leading up to the exhibition, the OPA convention is a flurry of live painting demonstrations, educational lectures, panel discussions, networking events and industry exhibitions featuring leading art material manufacturers. The Wet Paint Competition is a highlight of the week, where participating artists create original works on-site that will be exhibited and judged separately.

The Wet Paint Competition awards judge is Elizabeth Robbins, an artist known for her classically refined floral still life paintings, who will present approximately $15,000 in awards to top entries.

Katherine Grossfeld, Treat Yourself!, oil on birch panel, 18 x 18 in.

Artist Angela Campbell will be presenting Carefree on the Little Miami, a scene inspired by a family canoe trip near Cincinnati. “I create landscapes that capture the mood and atmosphere of a moment in time,” says Campbell. “I might focus on peaceful scenes of expansive skies over sunny beaches, rural farmland, or the mountains. Other times I paint the dramatic clouds and colors at sunrise and sunset. Approaching storms and foggy mornings are an especially gratifying subject to capture on canvas. We’re surrounded by these views, but might miss their majesty in our busy lives.”

A tempting dessert is the subject of Katherine Grossfeld’s show piece Treat Yourself!“With decades of oil painting behind me, I will happily spend the rest of my days continuing to delight in the effort,” says the artist. “The satisfaction when a painting comes together is even greater when the work then speaks to a collector. Connecting with others through the beauty that can be found in ordinary life is tremendously rewarding, and I am extremely fortunate.”

Rick J. Delanty, Tidal Pools, El Capitan, oil on canvas, 10 x 20 in.

Museum interiors have been a recurring motif in Pauline Roche’s paintings, allowing the artist to pay homage to some of her favorite paintings and places. “I love to paint people in quiet contemplation, absorbed in thought, especially in distinctive settings, surrounded by art and beauty—those moments when a person is fully engaged and time seems to slow,” she says. “On visiting the Tate Museum in London, I was struck by the sheer scale of the walls and the abundance of masterworks reaching high up in one of the galleries. There was a sense of quiet grandeur which I sought to capture, as one lone visitor stood looking up, immersed in observation, reflection and wonder.”

Rose Ellis, My Hero, oil on canvas, 24 x 24 in.

For landscape painter Rick J. Delanty, whose featured work is Tidal Pools, El Capitan, the natural world is infused with spiritual depth. “My body of work is about the divine power of God’s creation in nature,” says Delanty. “His power, beauty, creativity, and joy are on display daily in our environment. When I paint in plein air, I feel all of that—when I am in the studio, I try to remember all of that. Outside or inside, I sense His love for me, in making visible to me the world that He has created for us.”

“The first time I folded an origami dog in my studio, I realized the potential of the stories I could tell,” says artist Rose Ellis, whose piece My Hero depicts one of these paper creations sailing across a cloud-dotted sky with a rubber ducky. “While I would classify my paintings as still lifes, they are anything but still. Some authors know what their stories are going to be before they begin writing, I find that my stories fall into place as they unfold. My creations are meant to be full of whimsy and joy. They inspire my imagination and I hope they do for the viewer as well.”

Pauline Roche, OPA, The Gallery Wall, oil on linen, 20 x 20 in.

Russell W. Recchion was fascinated by portraits at a young age, asking his brothers and cousins to pose for him as his first subjects. “That fascination grew into a lifelong pursuit, leading me to study at the Art Institute of Pittsburgh and later at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts in Philadelphia where I was emersed in the academy traditions of painting the figure from life,” says Recchion, whose portrait The Painter’s Palette was selected for the OPA exhibition. “While portraiture remains central to my work, I equally love painting landscapes and still life. This past year, I had the honor of painting the official portrait of Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb.”

Find these works and so many others demonstrating the talent and skill of its member artists at Oil Painters of America’s 35th annual National Juried Exhibition of Tradition Oils in Steamboat Springs. The full exhibition catalog and schedule of events is available on the Oil Painters of America website, offering access to art collectors and enthusiasts around the world. —