Member News

https://pleinairsalon.com/

Top 100 Finalists May 2025

Congratulations to Jane Hunt, PAPNM Master Artist, for 4 finalist paintings: Boats at Dusk (May 2025 Vehicles), My Poppies  Study (May 2025 Floral), Headed Home (May 2025 Nocturne), Ablaze (May 2025 Clouds and Sky). Note the 4 different categories. I read an article by Jane Hunt about entering your works in different places.

Congratulations to the finalists of the May 2025 PleinAir Salon Art Competition. The awards will be announced on Monday, June 30th at 7.m. ET. Click here for more information on how to watch.

The judge for the May competition was award-winning artist Dave Santillanes.

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Awards: April 2025.

Congratulations to John Misner for his Category Award for Best Western and to Jane Hunt for her Honorable Mention in the Landscape Category:

See all April 2025 awards here 

Public lands are important to us as plein air painters. In the past, PAPNM has had specific Public Land Paint Out’s and Shows. And of course, every week many of us paint in public lands.

PAPNM Master Artist Bill Gallen has sent this material for us to announce. Please join him and others as we show support for keeping public lands in New Mexico public.

From Carole Belliveau, PAPNM Signature Member: "I m beyond thrilled to find out that I have been juried into the Oil Painters of America (OPA ) Western Regional for the third year with December Sky an 18x24 Oil. I thought a lot about how to depict this Western environment illuminated by our magnificent winter skies in Santa Fe. When I moved here I thought that I would not be painting much in winter, but it turns out that it's character resonates with me profoundly. The exhibition will be at Illume Gallery West

130 Broadway St., Philipsburg, MT 59858

413-313-5008

July 11 through August 15, 2025. The Opening Reception will be held on Friday, July 11, from 5:30 to 9:00 p.m. with the awards presentation at 7:00 p.m."

Congratulations, Carole!!! https://www.carolebelliveau.com/

Ellen Buselli (OPA), Albert Handell (OPAM), Jane Hunt (OPAM), Carolyn Lindsey OPA, Lee McLeod, Jay M. Parks, Richard Prather (OPA) also have work in the show.

More images coming - later

https://www.oilpaintersofamerica.com/opa_show/2025-western-regional-exhibition/

As always, let the News' chair know if your name is missing: News (scroll down for link to send the message)

Several PAPNM Members will be showing their studios on these weekends: June 21-22 and June 28-29, including but not limited to:

Albert Handell, Monica ten Bruggentate, Jane Frederick, Stephanie West and Marcia Williams.

(Please notify the News' Chair if you are a PAPNM member and your name is missing: scroll down on the overall News page to send a message.)

Click here for more information (including maps):

https://www.sfestudioart.com/

The Santa Fe Studio Tour is home to a diverse group of talented artists, each with their own unique style and perspective. Our artists specialize in various art forms, including painting, photography, sculpture, and more. Get to know our artists and explore their captivating work during the studio tour.

Now in its 17th year! This free, community-wide event is New Mexico's premier art tour with nearly 100 participating local artists. Plan your visit! Returning to our traditional June Tour dates in 2025 - the last 2 weekends in June. During the week in-between the Tour weekends, artists are also offering workshops, studio talks and demonstrations.

Curated by renowned Denver artist Lorenzo Chavez, this striking 14-piece pastel set is a study in balance, harmony, and essential color theory. Featuring the three primaries, three secondaries, six tertiary hues—alongside black and white for value and contrast.

 From luminous cools to radiant warms, each stick was chosen to represent a full spectrum of the color wheel—making it the perfect foundation for both beginners and experienced artists.

Whether you're working in plein air or in the studio, 14 Color Wheel offers the clarity, temperature range, and boldness needed to bring your compositions to life.

More info here.

Congratulations to Lorenzo, for his very own set!!

 

On sale for $104. Sale not available until June 18th.

https://stepupgallery.org/artists-among-us/

Congratulations to PAPNM member, Kathi Geoffrion Parker.

Congratulations to PAPNM members, Diane Buster and Paul Murray for their 1st and 2nd Place awards in the Embracing Our Muses' show at the Weems' Gallery, June 6-28.

Visit https://weemsgallery.com/collections/current-show?page=3 for more information.

First Place 2D Category, Diane Buster, Along the Arroyo's Edge 

Second Place 2D Category, Paul Murray, Chama River

PAPNM member, Natasha Isenhour, was the judge:

Embracing our Muses - Judge 

Natasha Isenhour is a New Mexico based, Contemporary American Realist working in oil, pastel and watercolor.  She was awarded an Honorable Mention as well as an Award of Excellence from Oil Painters of America in 2022 and 2023 and her oil painting Flat Earth won First Place (Signature Member Category) in the 2024 American Women Artists Show.  She is a 5-time Top 100 Finalist in Plein Air Salon and was also awarded honorable mention twice in 2023-24. 

In addition to her studio work, Isenhour has received numerous honors and awards for her plein air work in California, Texas and New Mexico. In late 2022 she was given a 5-week solo museum exhibition at the Taos Museum and Fechin Studio, and in 2023, Terry Ludwig Pastels LLC released her hand selected set, “Natasha Isenhour Essential Alchemy Set of 60 pastels.”

A sought-after Awards Judge, presenter and juror exhibiting throughout the southwest and she teaches 6+ sold-out workshops each year, both in plein air and in studio.  Natasha’s work is collected the world over.

Represented by Ventana Fine Art in Santa Fe, NM and others

 

Affiliations:

Oil Painters of America
California Art Club
Salmagundi Art Club NYC 2021-2024
American Women Artists (Signature)
Pastel Society of America (Signature)
Plein Air Painters of New Mexico (Signature)
Pastel Society of New Mexico (Distinguished Pastellist)

 

From Tobi:

"A big thank you to the NM public Arts Program! My pastel piece, Together at Last, was selected to be hung in the new business building at Highland University in Las Vegas NM. Thanks to the amazing team of carpenters and the University art Curator, Jeana Hartman for picking a wonderful location and hanging their piece safely!"

(Reposted June 3 to keep our members informed).

Congratulations to the following PAPNM artists whose work has been juried into the 26th Annual National Juried Exhibition Cassens Fine Art Hamilton, Montana Exhibition dates August 1 – September 2, 2025:

MICHELE BYRNE BARBARA COLEMEN, CAROLINE J. LINDSEY, SPIKE RESS.

For more information visit: https://americanimpressionistsociety.org/page-18726

https://www.amapola-gallery.com