Lopez Island Artist, Steven R. Hill, has just received notification that he has been juried into two major national plein air painting competitions in 2014.
The 21st Annual Carmel Art Festival, May 14-18 at Carmel, Calif., and the Zion National Park Plein Air Painting Invitational Nov. 2-9. Both are premier western U.S. painting competitions. Hill won a major purchase award in 2013 at Zion and will be participating at Carmel for his fourth time, since 2009.
“It feels humbling and also quite daunting to be competing alongside the best landscape painters in the country. I always have to sharpen-up my game just to get accepted into these events. Participating at this level allows me to come away with new painting skills and techniques that I wouldn’t get otherwise, as many of the artists at these events are at the top of their careers.
Hill also has an art opening at Agora Gallery, in NYC, June 10 where he will showcase nine plein air paintings from the San Juan Islands, the Pacific Northwest and Europe. www.agora-gallery.com
An active pastel/plein air painting workshop instructor, he is travelling to Springfield, Missouri, for a three-day invitational workshop for the Springfield Art Alliance, May 30, as well as Dakota Art Workshops, Mt. Vernon, in July plus making another trip to Korcula Island, Croatia, to teach a 10 day workshop in September. He will also be leading a one week art workshop in Bruges, Belgium, in 2016. Email steve@windsweptstuidos.com for any workshop details.
Hill paints year-round in the San Juans and nearby mainland, usually with other artist friends and loves to work in natural light, especially around water and boats. “The San Juan Islands are one of the world’s top outdoor painting destinations and I feel very blessed to be living right in the middle of this incredibly beautiful and inspiring place . . . where I can just walk out the door, set-up my easel and paint directly from nature.”
Visit www.windsweptstudios.com to see more of Steven’s work, or locally, stop by Crow Valley Gallery (Orcas Island) or Windswept Fine Art Gallery (Lopez Island).
