Fifty eight artists packed up their gear and headed back home after Plein Air Easton drew to a close on July 17th. It was an exciting week filled with many opportunities to win cash prizes, grow as an artist, learn from accomplished colleagues and experience the beauty and hospitality of the Eastern Shore.

Of the 58, 15 were from Maryland and 40 hailed from the East Coast, one from Canada and one from Amsterdam. Fifteen of the artists were new to the competition this year.

This year’s winners of the main competition were:

Grand Prize: Timothy Dills Memorial Award*, Sponsored by Ellen Vatne...Sara Linda Poly “Origin”

Artists' Choice *, Sponsored by September First Partners...Zufar Bikbov “Last Ferry from Bellevue”

2nd Place, Sponsored by the Academy Art Museum...Trey Finney “Martha in Drydock”

3rd Place*, Sponsored by Ben Franklin Crafts Design and Create...Camille Przewodek “Oxford Stroll”

Vanishing Landscape, Sponsored by the Eastern Shore Land Conservancy...Tim Kelly “Good Morning”

Life on the Farm, Sponsored by The Tidewater Farm Club & Talbot County Farm Bureau...Patrick Saunders “Respite”

Best Hospitality, Sponsored by Easton’s Holiday Inn and Comfort Inn...Eric Bowman “Art Glass & Trumpet Vine”

Best Marine, Sponsored by the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum...Elise Phillips “Red, Right, Return”

Best Architectural, Sponsored by the Historical Society of Talbot County...Ray Hassard “Between the Past & the Future”

Best New Artist to Plein Air Easton, Sponsored by The Sharoky Family Foundation...Natalia Dik “At the Sunny Side”

Best Nocturne, Sponsored by Eric Timsak & Leslie Lobell...Zufar Bikbov “Last Ferry from Bellevue”

Best Composition, Sponsored by Chesapeake Fine Art Studio...Zufar Bikbov “All Rivers run to the Ocean”

Best Painting by a Maryland Artist, Sponsored by Londonderry on the Tred Avon...Nancy Tankersley “Symbosis”

Honorable Mention...Palden Hamilton “Dusk Rises”

Honorable Mention...Jan McGraw-Teubner “A Little Dust Up”

The winners for the Quick Draw competition which took place on July 16th:

First Place*…Shelby Keefe

Second Place…David Csont

Third Place…John Caggiano

Honorable Mention…Deborah Huse

Honorable Mention…Sergio Lopez

Honorable Mention…Jason Sacran

*Denotes an automatic invitation to participate in 2017 Plein Air Easton competition.

Everyone is allowed to compete in Easton’s famous Quick Draw which took place July 16th (competition painters and amateurs alike). The following non-competition artists were awarded cash, product and workshop prizes sponsored by Chesapeake Fine Art Studio:

Best in Show…Murray Taylor

Best in Composition…Janice Fredericks

Honorable Mention…Jill Banks

This year, a third competition painting was added. The requirements were such that the painting had to be 6x8 in size and awards were given on Sunday, July 17th. In case you missed the excitement of this event, dubbed “Small Painting Sunday”, here are the winners:

First Place… Tim Kelly

Second Place…Danny Robbins

Third Place…Patrick Saunders

Honorable Mention…John Lasater, Crystal Moll, Crista Pisano

For the full gallery of competition paintings, https://pleinaireaston.com/galleries/2016-competition-paintings