Highlights from 25th Annual LPAPA Invitational

Thursday, October 19th, 2023

Highlights and Winners from the 25th Annual LPAPA Invitational

Enjoy the following highlights from the 25th Annual Laguna Beach Plein Air Painting Invitational, where 28 awards were presented with cash and prizes valued at over $55,000.

Best in Show went to Michael Obermeyer for "Laguna Light." Michael is the only artist to have been invited to participate for 25 consecutive years.

Michael Obermeyer, "Laguna Light," oil, 9 x 12 in.; photo by Tom Lamb

LPAPA's Vice President Celeste Gilles (left) and President Toni Kellenberg (right) presented the Best in Show Award; Photo by Nancy Villere

Zufar Bikbov received the Artists' Choice Award and LPAPA's Award of Excellence for "Precious Time."

Zufar Bikbov, "Precious Time," oil, 18 x 24 in.; photo by Tom Lamb

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Mark Fehlman received the Jean Stern Distinctive Merit Legacy Award for "Lunar Laguna."

Mark Fehlman, "Lunar Laguna," oil, 18 x 24 in.; photo by Tom Lamb

Ryan Jensen received the PleinAir® Magazine Award for "Perfect Day."

Ryan Jensen, "Perfect Day," oil, 20 x 24 in.; photo by Tom Lamb

During the event, LPAPA received a proclamation presented by California Assembly member Diane Dixon, acknowledging the 25th Annual Laguna Beach Plein Air Painting Invitational.

Left to Right: Diane Dixon, Celeste Gilles, Toni Kellenberg; Photo by Nancy Villere

LPAPA also acknowledged its five founding members: John Cosby, Cynthia Britain, Paulette Auster (for Ken Auster, who passed in 2016), Saim Caglayan, and Jacobus Baas.

LPAPA Founding Members and representatives

To include youth at the event as well, LPAPA treated 32 Laguna Beach Unified School District Students to a plein air painting experience in the Future Generation Paint Out.

A moment from the Future Generation Paint Out; Photo by Mitch Ridder

LPAPA's Annual Next Generation Paint Out has students from the Laguna College of Art + Design compete for cash scholarship awards; Photo by Mitch Ridder

Next Generation Award Winners (l-r): 2nd Place, Xiaosy Ava Chen; 1st Place, Taryn Chong; 3rd Place, Michael Hahka; Honorable Mention, Alejandro Velazquez; Photo by Nancy Villere

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Thomas Schaller: A Day at the Park

The following is part of a series featuring a leader in the art community who will be joining us on the faculty of Watercolor Live, a virtual art conference taking place January 24-26, 2024.

Watercolor artist Thomas Schaller recently set up his easel in NYC, sharing on Instagram that it was a "great day in beautiful Central Park teaching plein air painting at the iconic Dairy."

The "Dairy" is a visitor center and gift shop that was originally completed in 1871.

Schaller's plein air watercolor painting of The Dairy Visitor Center and Gift Shop

Join Thomas Schaller and many more artists for the virtual event Watercolor Live, and start 2024 with renewed confidence in your watercolor painting skills.

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