Archive

Maureen Wheatley has been an artist all her life, and a printmaker and painter for over 40 years. On Kent Island where she lives with her husband, she considers herself a “Nature” artist, she often records nature and wildlife in her own surrounding habitat. As a teacher of many mediums, Maureen works primarily in pastels, acrylics, gouache`, watercolors, mixed media, and
fiber arts which she has done since she was a child.

Hometown: Easton, MD

Deborah grew up on the eastern shore of Maryland. She graduated from Washington College with a degree in Psychology. After working in the social work field for a few years, she returned to school to earn a second BA in Fine Arts with a concentration in Painting from UMBC: University of Maryland, Baltimore County. Later, Deborah earned her master’s degree from George Mason University’s Visual Information Technology (VIT) program. In 2017, Deborah retired after working in the Digital Media field for thirty years, most recently as the Senior Interactive Designer for Amtrak.com.

Deborah loves being outside experiencing nature. She paints exclusively in watercolor. She is enamored by the luminosity of watercolors and the challenges posed by the immediacy of the medium. Deborah’s work has been published twice in Artists Magazine’s “Splash: The Best of Watercolor,” in July of 2022 and June of 2021. She has won numerous awards locally, nationally, and internationally including the Award of Excellence in the 2023 Local Color Art Exhibition, the Sharon A. Green Silver Medal in Baltimore Watercolor Society’s 2022 Mid-Atlantic Regional Watercolor Exhibition, and a Finalist in Women in Watercolor International Competition in the Animal & Wildlife Category.

Deborah believes nature is transformative to the human spirit, being in nature promotes feelings of interconnectedness, wonder, awe, and joy. At a time when our planet is so gravely and imminently threatened by the climate crisis, it has never been more crucial to learn to appreciate, respect, and preserve our natural world.

The sources of my artistic inspiration can come from a maritime landscape, a beloved animal, or an architectural delight, whether painting en plein air or in my studio. Striving to achieve a painterly realism one brush stroke at a time, using abundant color, and supporting textural tools is my artistic goal. I love to find and capture the unique moment in time when the subject matter comes to life; that fleeting moment when the magical effects of the sun cause dramatic play between lights and darks. When accomplished, I believe that artistic tension is at its best, revealing a painting Alive with Color, which evokes thoughtful emotion and allows the viewer to complete the story.

Hometown: East New Market, MD

As an artist, conservationist, hunter and observer, I share my passion for pursuing these activities with my husband, Skip and three working Labs, Rasin, Flame and Banshee. Much of my artwork has evolved from our common experiences in the field and they are often the subjects of my paintings.

I work mostly in oil in my studio in on our 1840’s farm on the Eastern Shore of Maryland. Many of my references for my art come from the Eastern Shore, but also I gather my subject matter while fishing or hunting around the world. Time in the field refreshes my art. It is a balance between rod and gun, painting and sketching, photographing and observing. Most of all – it is a time to absorb and appreciate the amazing wonders of wild places.

Recently I incorporated the alla prima technique, in which my painting is completed in one session while the paint is still wet. It is a lively way to portray sporting art, and I strive to use this technique in my paintings to convey the partnerships that interlocks wildlife and their surroundings and sportsmen and their canine companions.

An award-winning artist, Barbara grew up in Grosse Pointe, Michigan. She has been a resident of Talbot County since 1982. After graduating from Miami University in Oxford Ohio with a BFA in graphics and painting, she did commercial studio design work for The J.L. Hudson Co. in Detroit, Michigan. She also did display design work for John Wanamaker’s downtown Philadelphia store. After moving to the Eastern Shore, she became active in the art community as a member and officer of Working Artists Forum where she is a past president. She is a signature member of the Baltimore Watercolor Society. Barbara is a partner of The Artists Gallery in Chestertown, Maryland and teaches intermediate watercolor at Dorchester Center for the Arts.

Jose Ramirez is a watercolor and oil painting artist, originally from Guatemala, and currently living in Dorchester County MD.

He began his career as a professional artist in 2009, after attending the Manuel Herrarte Lemuz art school in Chiquimula Guatemala. He began exhibiting his art at the age of twenty-one, and since then has enjoyed considerable success.

Today, he is a plein air and studio painter using both mediums. As an artist, he has found the creative inspiration he desires, and the ability to communicate his excitement and love for nature, people and everything that surrounds him.

After moving to the United States in 2012, he has been developing a unique style that’s smooth and realistic. His intention is not to create a photo realistic image of a scene, but to capture the feeling evoked by his subjects.

After becoming a member of the Academy Art Museum based in Easton MD, attending open studios to draw portraits and human figures from life, has been an important part of his artistic training.

Jose Ramirez is also a member of the Plein Air Painters of Chesapeake Bay located in Easton MD.

Amanda is a fine artist that works in a variety of media from oil paints to paper collage. She paints in a representational style and from life; both ‘en plein air’ as well as in her home studio located in central Maryland. A lifelong artist, Amanda grew up around the Chesapeake Bay, outside of Annapolis.

The artist has been showing her work publicly for over 20 years and is known for her use of vibrant colors and alla prima painting technique. In her current work the artist investigates light and dark balance with compositions rooted in notan design. Amanda strives to describe everyday scenes with her own impressions of color and light. As a representational painter, she is endlessly fascinated by the challenges of piecing together a cohesive image, from one decision to the next. Amanda enjoys getting lost in comparing each color and value, trying carefully to preserve the moment; to really see the essence of her subject. She keeps her colors as intuitive as possible, sticking with her initial impressions. Amanda explores a variety of subjects in her work including landscape, still life, and figure.

Milliner holds a BFA from The Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA) in Baltimore, Maryland. She has studied both classical and high renaissance art history on location in Florence, Italy at Studio Art Centers International (SACI). Amanda is an active member of her artists collective Artists’ Gallery in Ellicott City, MD. She is the head of Marketing and Publicity for the gallery and has been the content creator for their social media since 2021. Amanda also teaches adult art classes at The Columbia Art Center and Howard County Center for the Arts in Howard County, Maryland. The artist competes and displays her artwork in regional plein air competitions, local art galleries, as well as in national exhibitions for both the Oil Painters of America and the American Impressionist Society.

Shirley began her professional art career in 2001 in the Washington, DC area.

Proficient in numerous art mediums her favorite subjects include landscapes, brilliant sunsets, nautical scenes and wildlife that express her enjoyment of nature and passion for artistic realism. She recently discovered the challenge of watercolor painting on black paper for a dramatic non-traditional approach to watercolor painting.

Her art has won many awards and has been featured in major publications, exhibitions, and galleries from New Jersey to Florida. Commission work includes illustrations for a world-wide public relations firm, local businesses, and individual collectors.

Shirley is the Founder of Harbour View Gallery, Cape Coral, FL, a member of COCO Gallery (Estero, FL), the Working Artists Forum (Easton, MD) where she is the Membership Chair, and The Artists’ Gallery and the Chestertown River Arts both in Chestertown, MD.

She is a four-time juried artist for the prestigious Plein Air Easton Local Color exhibition in Easton, Maryland.

Shirley teaches at the Alliance for the Arts, Fort Myers, FL and for Women of Watercolor, Naples, FL.

In 2010 she was nominated for the Southwest Florida annual Angels of the Arts, Arts Organization Leader of the Year Award for creating Harbour View Gallery and spearheading the first annual 2010 “Paint the Cape” plein air competition and exhibition.  She was one of seven Cape Coral artists selected for the 2013 Alliance of the Arts Annual Art Studio Tour.

Shirley and her husband David maintain residences in Cape Coral, Florida and Rock Hall on the eastern shore of Maryland on the Chesapeake Bay.

Hometown: St. Michaels, MD

Born in the southeast of England in the UK, Naomi was strongly influenced by her parents who were both accomplished, amateur artists, and completed her first oil painting, aged 12, for a school art show.

Balancing her love of art with her interest in science, she studied for a BSc and PhD in biochemistry and went on to work in the healthcare industry. In 2002 she was offered a job in the US and moved to Chadds Ford PA, with her family and started studying watercolor and acrylics with Karl J. Kuerner III.

In 2018, Naomi and her husband relocated to St Michaels, MD where she joined the St Michaels Art League (SMAL) and in 2021 was juried into the Working Artists Forum where she is currently its Vice President. Inspired and fascinated by the Eastern Shore of Maryland and the Chesapeake Bay landscapes, flora and fauna, Naomi feels at home and is constantly reminded of her upbringing as a child, close to the familiar saltmarshes of the River Thames in the UK.

Naomi loves variety in her work and continues to challenge herself, learning new media and techniques and enjoys painting on location with Diane Dubois Mullaly and the Plein Air Painters of the Chesapeake Bay (PAPCB). She participates in local art shows and events including the St Michaels Art League (SMAL) Banner program and Labor Day Art Show; the Waterfowl Festival in Easton and the Oxford Fine Arts Show. In 2022 she was invited to participate in one of the Talbot Arts Council online exhibition series, showcasing artists in a variety of mediums and concepts from across the state of Maryland.

Naomi lives with her husband, Jem Turner, and their two English Springer Spaniels in St Michaels on the Eastern Shore of Maryland, USA.