Meet the 2025 Participating Artists
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Rick J Delanty
Rick J. Delanty is a land/sea-scape painter focusing on expressing the spirit of nature in his oil and acrylic works. A native Californian, he paints in many regions throughout the state, and features his travels throughout the Western United States. He seeks the sublime in each of his creations, basing his work on his belief that “the invisible things of God, from the creation of the world, are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made” (Romans 1:19-20).
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Erin Dertner (CA)
Born in 1957, Erin Dertner’s career began under her mother’s tutelage and has continued through the summer workshop format since her first workshop at the Mendocino Art Center in 1982, alongside many teaching opportunities both here and abroad. Watercolors, Oils and Acrylics have all made their way into her studio, with her current focus being light infused impressionistic landscapes in oil applied with brush and palette knife in combination. The cool shadows of the early morning and those that fall long and warm in the evening enliven her creative soul and many of her pieces have been accepted and awarded in a variety of juried exhibitions over the years.
She has been represented in galleries since 1983 with works currently in Mendocino and Napa, with many images used on a variety of gift items from wall tapestries to puzzles and more. According to Erin, “There is no better life than to study the world with paintbrush in hand and a heart full of love and gratitude.”
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MARK N. BROWN (HI)
Born and raised on Oahu, Hawaii, artist Mark N. Brown has been painting plein air since 1993. Traveling and participating in plein air events and taking workshops from other professionals, has broadened Mark's vision that he shares with plein air students every Saturday since the year 2000.
A proud participant in the Maui Invitational since its inception, the camaraderie amongst artists, collectors, coordinators, and volunteers help make unforgettable memories every year! Looking forward to 2023.
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CARLETON (HI)
Carleton finds Lahaina’s landscape perfect for his plein air oil paintings of local subjects. Always pushing his talents to better express his fascination with light and shadows, Carleton’s paintings are uplifting and optimistic. He is an award winning annual participant in the Maui Plein Air Invitational, winner of the Lahaina Poster contest several times and first recipient of a private “Creativity Grant” in 2012. He has been represented by Village Galleries for over 25 years.
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MIKE CARROLL (HI)
After a 20-year career as a medical and commercial illustrator in Chicago, Mike moved to Lana’i in 2001. Since then he has been selected as a Signature Member of both “Islanders” (10 artists from across Hawaii) and the Plein Air Painters of Hawaii. Mike has been juried into all 7 Schaefer Portrait Challenges (one of 2 artists in the State with that honor), and from 2010-1013 served on the Board of Directors of the Hawaii State Art Museum.
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MICHAEL CLEMENTS (HI)
An avid plein air painter utilizing either pastels or oil paints, Michael strives to capture the light, color and essence of a brief time and place. Focusing on his passion to paint takes him around his island home of Maui in an attempt to share it’s beauty via his artistic interpretation.
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BILL CONE (CA)
IG: @bill_cone_art
Bill Cone is a California native, who lives in the San Francisco Bay Area. He has been working in pastels for over 25 years, and has taught numerous workshops, from the mountains to the sea. He has exhibited in many solo and group shows around the state.
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Leon Holmes
Leon is a professional, an international award-winning Australian artist, lecturer, and ambassador of Plein Air Oil Painting.
The artist's career started with a wide range of artistic fields including Printmaking, Graphic Design,
Art Direction, Illustration and Photography until Leon became a full-time artist in 2003. Since then, Leon has been running his own private art gallery and solo exhibitions, teaching workshops, and taking part in international invitational art events around the globe. The majority of Leon's artworks are painted 'En Plein Air' and are capturing the beauty of natural light and colour of various scenes including landscapes, seascapes, architecture and portraits. These dynamic and vibrant studies often inspire Leon's larger studio works.Having resided several years in Germany refining his skill and networking with other international artists has opened Leon's doors to the world. One of his paintings is now honored amongst the old Dutch Master Pieces in the Katwijk Museum in Holland.
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Scott W. Prior
Scott W. Prior is an award winning oil painter and Southern California native. He received his BFA from The Academy of Art University in San Francisco, CA where he studied under exceptional artists. During his time at the Academy of Art Scott established his skills in design, drawing and painting, giving him a solid foundation with which to develop his own unique, artistic style. Scott draws inspiration from the beauty in ordinary, everyday scenes.
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Kathleen B. Hudson
Kathleen B. Hudson emphasizes dynamic light and atmosphere in her paintings. She is a Signature Member of Plein Air Painters of America and the second youngest artist ever to be elected a Fellow in the American Society of Marine Artists. In 2017, Hudson received the Grand Prize in the 6th Annual PleinAir Salon for her painting Bright Morning, Timberline Falls, which was featured on the July 2017 cover of PleinAir Magazine. The same month Southwest Art named her an "Artist to Watch."
The landscape has always been my chief source of artistic inspiration. I love to capture sweeping views of rugged terrain, shimmering waves, and dramatic atmospherics. According to my family, I began painting as soon I was old enough to hold a brush.
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Manon Sander (FL)
Manon is an award-winning modern impressionist, born and raised in Berlin, Germany, who participates in invitational and juried nation-wide plein air events as well as in prestigious juried national shows. Her award-winning works are in galleries and private collections and have been included in American Art Collector, Plein Air Magazine, on the cover of Modern Impressionist Magazine, and Fine Art Connoisseur. She has been awarded signature status with the American Society of Marine Artists , the National Oil and Acrylics Painters’ Society as well as Laguna Plein Air Painters Association.
Ultimately, Manon aims to communicate her joie de vivre through paintings that reflect the color, light, and joy Manon feels surrounded by.
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Debra Huse (CA)
Debra Huse is a contemporary American
Impressionist. She uses rich color and bold
fluid strokes to capture the light and drama in
her plein air and studio oil paintings.
Debra enjoys painting on location and
has painted in many plein air events across
the country. Huse and her husband Randy
enjoy traveling on their sport fishing boat
GROUPER where Debra often paints scenes
from the water. Huse currently has a studio
in a Newport Beach, CA Boatyard.
Debra Huse has been featured in Southwest Art
Magazine, Plein Air Magazine,
Fine Art Connoisseur & Art of the West Magazine.
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RONALDO MACEDO (HI)
Ronaldo was born in Rio de Janeiro and has resided in the U.S. since 1981; on Maui since 1989. Having earned a degree in Illustration from Cal State Long Beach, this adventurous artist feels painting is his life work, always changing, always learning.
Painting color and light, his paintings reflect his respect for the beauty of nature. Subjects such as his harbor scenes, plantation houses and pristine beaches stimulate our intellect to recall history and traditions as well as stirring our spirit with the beauty he portrays.
Presently Ronaldo, Jennifer, Summer, and Ocean have happily made their home at Puamana, Lahaina.
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TIFFANIE MANG (WA)
Tiffanie Mang is an art instructor, digital illustrator working in animation, and landscape painter primarily working in gouache. She currently works as a visual development artist at Titmouse. Past Clients include Marvel Studios, Cartoon Saloon, and Universal Music Group. Tiffanie was also one of the painter animators who worked on the Oscar nominated animated feature Loving Vincent, a completely hand painted film in oil paints illustrating the life of Van Gogh. Living in Gdansk, Poland, she worked on the film for 6 months and animated 6 scenes in a studio of 125 other talented artists from all around the world.
Tiffanie loves to teach, and runs her own digital and gouache painting mentorships at Sentient Academy. In the 3 years, Tiffanie has personally mentored around 100 students from literally all around the world, including Europe, Asia, Australia, and South America.
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Margaret Larlham (CA)
Drawn especially to the landscapes of the American Southwest, Margaret Larlham paints regularly in the chaparral and deserts near her home in San Diego or on her travels through USA, England, Tanzania and her homeland, South Africa.
She is a multi-disciplinary artist and has enjoyed a productive career as a Professor of Theatre and Dance, firstly at the University of Natal, Durban, South Africa, and later at San Diego State University, whilst constantly practicing as an outdoor painter.
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Devin Michael Roberts (MO)
Devin Michael Roberts (b. 1984) Is an American contemporary realist artist and Signature member of Oil Painters of America. Devin is currently working out of both the Pacific Northwest and the Ozark region of Missouri state. His primary focus is on Oil and Watercolor painting and Landscape and Western Art subject matter. Mr. Roberts transitioned to a full time professional artist in early 2020 after spending a decade in the music industry as a pianist and performer. In his relatively short career he has gone on to win several national awards and international press in magazines such as plein air magazine, international artist magazine and southwest art magazine.
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MACARIO PASCUAL (HI)
Macario Pascual’s roots in painting go all the way back to the late 1960's. As a 12 year old then, he displayed his work under the Banyan Tree, alongside a group of pioneer artists that went on to establish the Lahaina Arts Society. A year later, Pascual was the first recipient of the LAS scholarship award. Pascual credits Hajimi Okuda, who painted impressionistic landscapes and island life plein air with a palette knife, for impacting him the most.
Over time, Pascual established himself, in both studio and on location work, with paintings of plantation workers and landscapes, winning top awards and recognition along the way. In 2020, he was the featured artist in Artist Magazine.
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Richie Vios (TX)
Born and raised in Cebu City, Philippines, surrounded by the influence of an artistic family, Richie ventured into academia after earning a bachelor's degree in architecture in 1995, he became a university faculty member. In 2005, Richie sought fresh prospects and made the move to America, working as an architectural designer in Clearwater, Florida, for six years. Upon his return to the Philippines in 2010, he resumed his architectural practice with a vision to harmonize Western architectural principles with Southeast Asian aesthetics. During his architectural practice in the Philippines, Richie dedicated his spare time over the next seven years to honing his watercolor painting skills, a passion that now defines his artistic identity. Reuniting with his family in Victoria, Texas, in 2018, Richie embarked on a new chapter as a watercolor impressionist and Pleinair artist, reigniting his pursuit of the American dream. Presently residing in Austin, Texas, Richie actively participates in Pleinair events nationwide and leads watercolor workshops to share his expertise and inspire fellow artists
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Heather Burton (CO)
Heather Burton is a traditional oil painter living in Northern Colorado with her husband and
fellow painter Dave Santillanes and their two children Conner and Callie
I paint the things that I love and inspire me. I have always been in awe of the beauty of the
world and the people and animals in it. Connecting to others, nature and capturing the moments
that inspire me is what I strive to share in my paintings. Whether a landscape, still life, figure, or
animal I want to express the emotional response that has been stirred in me, hopefully evoking
a personal response in the viewer.
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Michael Situ (CA)
Michael Situ is a nationally recognized and award-winning artist in the United States. He is a Master Signature Member of Oil Painters of America. Signature Member of American Impressionist Society, California Art Club and Laguna Plein Air Painters Association. He is a contemporary artist of America Impressionism style. He is known for his vivid, luminous and richly colored landscape of coast, mountain and various scenes that capture his imagination. Powerful compositions, strong brushwork, a gorgeous sense of color all come together in perfect harmony, marking him is a master of plein air painter.
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DAMIAN SMITH (HI)
As a young teen I began a career as a professional skateboarder. Simultaneously, I pursued my art education at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, Moore College of Art, Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Art and Studio Incamminati. I have taught and shown work in both the Philadelphia area and Maui.
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Dave Santillanes (CO)
Dave Santillanes was born and raised in Northern Colorado at the base of the Rocky Moun-
tains where hunting, hiking, and backpacking fostered an early love for the wilderness.
Coupled with an interest in art, Dave was doing pencil drawings of wildlife, western subjects
and even landscapes at a young age - subjects he still paints today
The Landscape continues to be central to Dave’s work but he increasingly depicts western
subjects and wildlife within those scenes - coming full circle back to those early inspira-
tions. In 2023 this lead to his induction into the prestigious Cowboy Artists of America
and an opportunity to follow in the footsteps of his earliest art heros: James Reynolds and
Howard Terpning.
Along with his induction into CAA, Dave’s passion for painting has lead to a number of
prestigious awards including the Henry Farney Award for Best Painting at the 2022 Quest
for the West Show in Indianapolis, Top Landscape at the 12th Annual International ARC
Salon and Grand Prize Overall at the 9th Annual Plein Air Salon.. He has also been featured
in Art of the West, Plein Air Magazine and Southwest Art Magazine.
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William Suys (WI)
Master representational oil painter Bill Suys especially loves bringing life to ‘people and other animals’ and is known for his sensitive treatment of both.
Suys’s ready appreciation for the nuanced personalities of individuals – human and otherwise – has brought him inspiration as well as recognition, and his passion for lifelong learning keeps him devoted to building a body of work that will stand the test of time. Bill takes a ‘no excuses’ approach to both life and career, and works hard at continual improvement in order to make grateful use of the gift he was given. Suys sits on the Board of the Oil Painters of America, he teaches, lectures, judges, coaches, critiques, and nurtures.
Suys was elected Master by the Oil Painters of America and awarded Signature Status by the Portrait Society of America. His work has graced recent magazine covers including Art of the West and Fine Art Connoisseur’s Museum Guide, and has been featured in Fine Art Connoisseur, Southwest Art, Plein Air, and many others. Suys won Best in Show at the Salon International and has won countless medals and awards from the OPA, Richeson75, the ARC Salon, the Portrait Society, et al, as well as the Dorothy Driehaus Mellin Fellowship Award. Suys has also won numerous awards at plein air invitationals including Best Body of Work at The Olmsted.
Bill Suys and wife Kristin live in Wisconsin’s picturesque Kettle Moraine
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Lori Putnam ( TN )
Lori Putnam is a celebrated contemporary artist with a distinct and captivating style. Her work is recognized for its
loose and expressive brushwork, intelligent use of color, and modern composition. Her art encompasses diverse
subjects, including landscape, still life, and figure.
Putnam paints small to medium-sized works en plein air and creates large paintings in her studio in Charlotte,
Tennessee. Traveling to paint and exposure to other lives and geographic locations has been the artist’s best teacher.
First, sketching, gathering resource materials, and painting on location, she then returns to her studio to pour her
heart and soul into creating paintings that capture the individual essence of each place she visits. Through her work,
she transports viewers into the landscapes and cultures that define a specific region.