4th Place Award - Driggs Plein Air 2020

My little painting “Pastoral Barn” won the 4th place award at the 2020 Driggs Plein Air Competition! Thanks to the judges Patrick Saunders and Scott Jones for this wonderful recognition of my work, and also the Plein Air Painters of Idaho for sponsoring my award.

The calm and quiet mood of this scene immediately emanates from this painting. While the execution appears simple and direct upon first viewing, if one looks closer, a very deliberate control of color, value and edges is revealed. The expert choice to break the boundaries of the window invites the viewer to explore the rest of the scene. - Patrick Saunders