Meet the Artists of PIPAF 2024
brought to you by our Principal Sponsors
Christopher Behrs
Mequon, Wisconsin
2023 Grand Champion at the Wisconsin State Fair’s Plein Air at the Fair
Received honorable mentions for plein air in 2023 Cedarburg WI and Big Sky, MT, & 2nd place for nocturne in Jefferson, WI.
Member of the Pastel Society of America (PSA), the International Association of Pastel Societies (IAPS), and a signature member and past president of the Wisconsin Pastel Artists
Master of Science in Art Education and currently teaches art and theater design at Cedarburg High School in Cedarburg WI. Also teaches adult classes in pastels in Southeastern Wisconsin
Danyele Bélanger
St. Athanase, Québec
Académicienne à Académie Internationale des Beaux Arts du Québec
Diplôme d'honneur , La Forge prison de Brouage, France
Présidente d'honneur a plusieurs symposium de peinture, invité d'honneur symposium du Nord -Ouest du N.B
Mention honorable de National Fine Art compétition Toronto
Patricia Bellerose
Amherst, Québec
July 2023 ; 1st place Keeseville NY Plein Air
August 2023 ; 1st place Morristown NY Plein Air
August/September 2023 ; 1 artwork juried in the Arnot Art Museum 77th Regional Exhibition in Elmira NY
May 2022 / 1st Place Lake Placid Center for the Art, Gray Area Exhibition, NY
Thomas Bucci
Camden, Maine
American Impressionist Society Annual National Exhibition, Silver Brush Award of Excellence 2023
Perkins Cove Plein Air (ME), First Place 2023
Mountain Maryland Plein Air, Third Place 2023
North Carolina Plein Air, Merit Award of Excellence 2023
Olmsted Plein Air Invitational (Atlanta GA), Best Architectural Award 2023
Brian Buckrell
Courtenay, British Columbia
First place 50th Anniversary Plein Air McMichael Gallery, Kleinburg
Invited faculty Plein Air Convention Denver
Winner Best Acrylic Parrsboro Plein Air 2019
Plein Air workshop instructor 10 years, Ontario and British Columbia
Lisa BurgerLentz
Media, Pennsylvania
2022- First Place, Keeseville Community Arts Festival , Keeseville NY
2022-First Place-Quick Draw, Adirondacks Plein Air Festival, Saranac Lake, NY
2023-Best Landscape, Paint the Town Plein Air Festival, Mt. Pleasant,TN
2022-Cerulean Gallery, “Rolling Hills, Open Skies, Calm Waters”, Philadelphia, PA , Invited Artist in a landscape themed and curated art show.
Kate Georgallas
Antigonish, Nova Scotia
2024 solo show scheduled at Visual Voice in Truro including landscape works from across Nova Scotia
2023 Solo show at Down to Earth gallery in Antigonish 2023 including Plein air and Studio work
2023 part of a group of Nova Scotia artists spending a week in Great Village highlighting plein air painting in this unique Nova Scotia village
I continue to work as an art instructor at STFX University in Antigonish, Nova Scotia teaching painting, drawing, and printmaking
Christopher Gorey
Ingonish, Nova Scotia
Signature member of the CSPWC and SCA
Designer of the 1981 and 1987 commemorative Dollars as well as the 2022 circulating Dollar
Winner of the 2001 Brodock Award. Adirondack Nat. Exhibition of American Watercolor
2nd Place, Paint the Past, King's Landing, NB 2019
Sara Gray
Falmouth, Maine
Honorable Mention - Castine Plein Air Festival - Castine, ME - 2019
Honorable Mention - PIPAF in Isolation - 2020
Juried into American Impressionist Society Associate Member Online Show - 2022
Juried Artist - Maine Audubon's Brush with Nature Plein Air Event and Show/Auction - 2022, 2023
Adam Gunn
Bridgewater, Nova Scotia
Received a Arts Nova Scotia Grant for a 6 month plein
air painting project in 2023.
• Received a Canada Council Grant for a yearlong painting project in 2021.
• Winner of the 2018 Nancy Petry Award for an outstanding emerging Canadian
artist in the field of painting.
• Finalist in the RBC Painting Competition in 2011 and 2013.
Oliver Hatton
Middle Ohio, Nova Scotia
Best Use of Light award, PIPAF 2022
2nd place 'Points East Plein Air Festival' 2019
2nd place 'A Brush with the Broads' plein-air painting festival, Norfolk, England, 2015
Solo exhibition in Las Palmas, Gran Canaria, 2017
Louise Hicks
Sackville, New Brunswick
PIPAF participant for 3 years, 2nd runner-up in PIPAF
2021
* Awarded Grand Prize at Points East Plein Air, PEI, in 2018
* Awarded Best Agricultural Painting at 2019 Elora Plein Air
* Participated in Ireland's Art In The Open for two years
Kim Jabbour
Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island
2019 Solo Exhibition '365 Daily Painting Journey
2012 Three person Exhibition 'Don't Leave Us Hanging
2009 Recipient of The Premier's Educational Award
Co-Founding member of The Group Of Five PEI
Alexander Koltakov
Huxley, Nova Scotia
Painter and sculptor, works with different kinds of media, mostly acrylic and oil paints
2017, 2018, 2020, 2021, 2022 - Parrsboro International Plein Air Festival, Parrsboro, NS, Canada
2021 People's Choice Award - Parrsboro International Plein Air Art Festival ,NS, Canada
2018 1st place in Fast Painting Competition, Winding River art gallery, NS, Canada
Diane Leifheit
Paul Smiths, New York
I spent a one month Artist in Residence through Art Lab of Parrsboro last July 2023
My work “Torrent, Rossi Falls” received Third Place in the 26th Artists Guild Juried Exhibit 2024 in Saranac Lake, NY.
In the last year my partner and I have built a studio on our property. No more renting a space!
In 2014 I created a portrait project where I made 180 one-foot square pastel portraits of faces of Saranac Lake. Face to Face: Drawn to Saranac Lake.
Andy MacLean
Antigonish, Nova Scotia
Graduate of the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design
Recipient of numerous awards and grants including the Nova Scotia Arts Council
Instructor of Drawing and Painting at St. Francis Xavier University for over 10 years
Included in collections worldwide
Patrick McPhee
Amherst, Québec
2023 Saranac Plein Air Festival
-Artist Guild Award.2023 Tupper Lake Plein Air Festival.
-Best of show.2023 Keeseville Plein Air Festival
-Uplifting The Community Award.2023 Susquehanna Summer Solstice Festival.
-Best Use of Light - Best river scene Awards.
Maria Nemchuk
North Andover, Massachusetts
Best Seascape Award at PIPAF in 2023. PIPAF - juried artist 2023, 2022
Pleinly Noted solo show December 2023
Hudson Valley Plein Air Festival - juried artist 20
Participated in Ogunquit's Perkins Cove Plein Air events 2021, 2022, 2023
Carter Noseworthy (Youth)
Halifax, Nova Scotia
In 2021, was featured on CBC's The National for talent with watercolour painting
Sold over 100 watercolour commissions worldwide since 2021
Was the youngest plein air participant ever at Paint the Hydrostone 2023 and sold all three pieces of artwork through 14 Bells Fine Art Gallery following the event.
Submitted first ever oil painting to Argyle Fine Art Pre-Shrunk 2024 event. It was selected and sold during opening night of the show.
Sherry Park
Brampton, Ontario
Recently signed on with Sivarulrasa Gallery in Almonte, Ontario
2021 finalist at the Salt Spring National Art Prize
Recipient of Mary Pratt award from Society of Canadian Artist
Artist in residence at the Chateau Orquevaux, France
Caro Perreault
Sainte-Louise, Québec
Membre signataire de la PSEC (www.pastelsec.com)
Membre signataire IAF( IAF institutdesartsfiguratifs.com)
People's choise Parrsboro international plein air festival 2022
Les pastellistes 2023 sélection du jury
Julia Purcell
Clyde River, Prince Edward Island
Julia Purcell Art Market-mini gallery Charlottetown Market 2023
Recrafted:Hurricane Fiona Up-Close and Personal-juried group show Confederation Centre Art Gallery 2023
Edge of Winter, Parrsboro Creative plein air retreat and show 2022, 2023
Quick Draw PIPAF 3rd place winner 2021
Michelle Reid
Kingston, Ontario
2022-2024 Member of the Ontario Society of Artists
2022 "I AM HERE", Home Movies and Everyday Masterpieces, AGO, Toronto
2022 First Place, Rideau Artist of the Year, Plein-Air at Heritage House Smiths Falls, Ontario
2024 The Artist Project, Toronto
Bradley Skerry
Shediac, New Brunswick
Multi Person Miniature show exhibition 2021 at the acorn studio art gallery in Moncton
Finalist of Art Love 2022 speed painting event in Shediac
Winner of Art Love 2023 speed painting event in Shediac
Solo exhibition (Jan-Feb 2024) at the Shediac Multipurpose center
Simonne Munzi Smith
Hazel Grove, Prince Edward Island
In 2020 I started Plein Air painting with Peace River Painters. It was a big challenge!
I joined the North Port Art Center and took classes in acrylics and oil. I also entered shows and have 3 first placements!
Workshops by Heather Areanas and Matt Ryder have continued to help my art evolve.
Taking part in the Forgotten Coast Plein Air, Florida, helped me advance so much in plein air painting.
Gail Sutherland
Bedford, Nova Scotia
Gail's paintings and artistic process were showcased in "The Art of Watercolour," an esteemed international magazine based in France.
Her work was selected for the "Fabriano In Acquarello" Watercolour symposium in Fabriano, Italy. (2017, 2018 & 2020)
She was prominently featured in "From Land and Sea," a publication highlighting contemporary landscape artists from Nova Scotia, by Dee Appleby.
Gail became an elected member of the Canadian Society of Painters in Watercolour in 2011.
Adam Tragakis
Antigonish, Nova Scotia
Best Seascape Award from PIPAF 2022
Second Place in the Quick Draw PIPAF 2018
Artist's Magazine Finalist 2014
nstructor of Drawing and Anatomy at ST. Francis Xavier University, Antigonish, NS
Sharon Wadsworth-Smith
Italy Cross, Nova Scotia
In 2014 awarded the Reed Cooper bursary for mid-career artists.
Received first place in 2018 at the McMichael Plein Air painting competition.
Chosen for a commission project in 2021 for 32 original paintings for the Muir Hotel in Halifax.
Was a selected participant in the 2022 PIPAF Plein Air Festival in Parrsboro.
Anne Wedler
Bedford, Nova Scotia
Graduated from Fine Arts - Studio Art Major - York University
Have been juried into PIPAF 2021, 2022, 2023
Footsteps East 6,000 km tenting and plein air painting trek from NS to northern Lake Superior and project exhibition at the Teichert Gallery, Halifax. 2022-23
Attended Florida’s Plein Air South 2023 and competed in the Forgotten Coast Quick Draw events in 2022 and 2023. Honourable mention in both.
Edward Wedler
Bedford, Nova Scotia
Footsteps East, a 6,000 km plein air trek from NS to Lake Superior and exhibition 2022-23
Parrsboro International Plein Air Festival 2023, “Best Use of Light” judged by Kathie Odom
King’s County Brush with Nature 2022, “Long Brush Award” judged by Holly Carr
Peace River Painters 2022 Winter Show, “Excellence in Architecture” North PortGallery
Member of six plein air groups -- three in Nova Scotia and three in Florida (founding two)
Shortlisted in the McMichael Canadian Art Gallery Plein Air 2020 Competition.
Jeff Williams
Stillwater, Oklahoma
Jeff's grandparents immigrated to the USA from Newfoundland, eventually settling in New Jersey where Jeff was raised
A retired professor of architecture, won numerous architectural design competitions; worked in the architectural profession for over 40 years and taught architectural design at Oklahoma State University School for 31 years before retiring in 2017 to pursue two of his passions, watercolor painting and travel.
Jeff has been painting on the plein air circuit since 2019, being juried into 45 major plein air events and winning numerous awards along the way, including Plein Air Easton where his painting “Another Beautiful Day in Oxford" won Third Place; in addition, Best Nocturne awards at both Cape Ann Plein Air and Shadows on the Teche Plein Air, multiple Mini-Pearl Awards at En Plein Air Texas, Best Small Painting at Cape Ann Plein Air, and other various awards at Paint Annapolis, Shadows on the Teche Plein Air and others.
Jeff's watercolor “Rockin’ Bass Rocks” was recognized as the outstanding watercolor in the international Boldbrush Competition in January 2020.
