Events

If you watched the 2020 National Awards Ceremony on Thursday evening, September 10, or took part in the  International Wet Paint Competition you know that our Convention is now under way. If you participated in the Wet Paint event you are already registered for the remainder of the 2020 OPA Convention. If you have not signed up yet, there is still time. Convention activities will resume with the virtual awards ceremony announcing the winners of the International Wet Paint Competition on Thursday, September 17. The following is a  condensed version of the presentations and activities planned for this year’s convention, with a number of world renowned artists and speakers offering their insights in the world of art, and related topics. 

On Thursday evening, September 17, at 6:30 p.m. Central Time, Juror of Awards John Pototschnik OPA will announce his decisions concerning the winners of OPA’s First International Wet Paint Competition. This event was open to all current OPA members, as well as non-OPA artists throughout the world, with awards being given in three separate divisions: OPA member plein air, OPA member studio, and non-OPA member open division. You may view the International Wet Paint Competition Awards Ceremony live on Facebook or if you are registered for the Convention you may view it on Zoom. 

Following the Awards Ceremony past OPA president, Kurt Anderson OPA will present a talk on the importance of representational oil painting in today’s current art scene. He will include insights into the significant role that OPA is playing in the pursuit of our mission of advancing “the cause of traditional, representational fine art by drawing attention to the lasting value of fine drawing, color, composition and the appreciation of light” and “preserving and promoting excellence in representational art”. 

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 18 

Convention activities begin again on Friday morning, September 18, at 10:00 a.m. with Signature member David Dibble’s address on how to “Change Your Studies, Change Your Art”. Da vid will explain how his attention to the elements of value, shape, color and composition work into his creation of paintings that embody clarity and conviction after first having been created as small plein air or studio studies. 

A short break, from 11:15 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., will follow David’s presentation. 

Attorney John DiGiacomo, Esq. will begin his lecture on “Intellectual Property Protection for  Artists” at 11:30 a.m. With extensive experience in intellectual property, internet law, corporate law and international law, John will discuss how to ensure the safety of your intellectual property; the creations of your mind such as your artistic works and designs. His vast knowledge of this area of information is attested to by his having appeared in front of courts of appeals and arbitration organizations such as the World Intellectual Property organization and the South African Institute of Intellectual Property Law. 

Take a break for lunch from 12:45 p.m. to 1:15 p.m. 

OPA member Rusty Jones opens the Friday afternoon session with a demonstration of his talent of painting Western American landscape, reminiscent of John Singer Sargent, Julian Onderdon, Portofino Salinas, and Edgar Payne. His use of colors and depth of perception draw the spectator into his paintings, making one feel as if they are not looking at a canvas but standing on the edge of a field, lake or whatever the landscape. 

A short break, from 2:30 p.m. to 2:45 p.m., will follow Rusty’s demonstration.

National Exhibition Juror of Awards, Rose Frantzen, will be interviewed by the editor of  American Art Collector and Western Art Collector Magazines, Joshua Rose, from 2:45  p.m. to 4:00 p.m. Well known throughout the world for her figurative works, landscapes, and still lifes, Rose is not afraid to incorporate diverse stylistic elements into her works that bring contemporary perspectives to her traditional alla prima approach. Find out more about her through Joshua’s personal interview 

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 19 

OPA Signature Member Kelli Folsom opens Saturday morning with her still life demonstration “Taking Risks and Painting Bold”. Having received her B.F.A. from Lyme Academy of Fine Arts, in Old Lyme, CT, Kelli has a background in life drawing, painting, and sculpture with in-depth study and classical techniques. She prides herself on painting directly from life in one or two sittings to pass on the perception and experience to the viewer. Kelli will impart information on how she creates her feelings of intimacy with subjects through her paintings. 

A short break, from 11:15 a.m. to 11:30, a.m. will follow Kelli’s presentation. 

From 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. CMO of Boldbrush and FASO (Fine Art Studio Online), Dave  Geada, will present his lecture “Breaking Through the Artist’s Wall; How to Create and Sell  More Art While Spending Less Time Marketing”. Dave will help artists move to their next level of marketing and step around the stumbling blocks that might be inhibiting their art sales. He will present a better way to market art online, a topic that is of particular importance during these times of social distancing and limited physical exhibitions. Learn from  Dave how to spend less time and get better results. 

Take a break for lunch from 12:30 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. 

Susan Hotard OPA will round out the day of demonstrations with her presentation “How to  Create a Great Portrait” from 1:00 p.m. to 2:15 p.m. Well known for her beautiful, lifelike portraits Susan will demonstrate how she captures the tones and textures of her subjects’ faces and embraces the subtle expressions of children as well as adults. Susan has taught portrait, figurative, and still life workshops in Texas and Louisiana. 

A short break, from 2:15p.m. to 2:30 p.m., will follow Susan’s presentation. 

A group critique session will be the final presentation of the day from 2:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. Some of OPA’s most well respected artists will offer their expertise on a handful of pre-selected paintings. This is a good way to hear input on a multitude of styles and subjects which might introduce you to an idea that you have not had before this time. 

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER FOR THE 2020 NATIONAL CONVENTION

The deadline I’m referring to is the last date to enter OPA’s competition for the 27th National Juried Exhibition of Traditional Oils to be hosted by the Steamboat Art Museum in Steamboat Springs, Colorado. The focus in the jurying process will be to select paintings which show the highest quality in draftsmanship, color and composition, emphasizing a diversity in representational style and subject matter. Online entries must be received no later than Friday, January 26.
Each year OPA receives approximately 2,100 entries and jurors must carefully choose 200 paintings to be included in the exhibition. As always, the goal is to assemble the finest display of representational oil paintings.
This annual national competition is one of the most important endeavors of the OPA mission to promote representational painting. Awards for this annual competition total approximately $100,000 so there is good reason to enter. That said, every artist entering should understand the jurying process and what criteria is used to determine the paintings that are included in the competition.
OPA selects a jurying committee comprised of 5 OPA members. Three are Signature members of OPA and two are Master Signature members. The make-up of the committee is different for each exhibition and jurors do not know who else is jurying with them. The Jurying Chair always attempts to get jurors that represent a variety of painting styles and that are located in different parts of the country. Jurors are asked to use the criteria below in making their selections.

I. Design:
• Is there a dominant value?
• Is there a dominant harmony?
• Is there a clear center of interest?
• Is there balance?
• Do the shapes and lines lead the eyes to focal points within the picture plane?

II. Execution:
• Is the drawing accurate?
• Are the value relationships convincing?
• Are the color temperature relationships consistent and believable?
• Is there an appropriate variety of hard and soft edges?
• Is the paint application varied and interesting?


III. Expression/Idea:
Does the painting’s intent or execution demonstrate a unique, compelling or worthwhile idea?
There are two rounds of jurying. For the first round, jurors are asked to evaluate each painting and assign it a “yes” or “no” vote. Yes means that the juror believes that the painting meets some or all of the criteria and warrants a second, more critical evaluation.
The second round is usually comprised of approximately 600 – 700 paintings. In this round, jurors are asked to vote using a scale of 1 to 7. It is important that jurors are consistent and use the following scoring system when making their selections.

• A one represents a painting that is weak in all or almost all of the above.
• Two represents a painting that is weak in most areas.
• A three represents a painting that may be competent in a few areas but, overall, is a
  weak painting.
• A four represents a painting that displays knowledge of the fundamentals but overall
  is mediocre.
• A five represents a painting that is competently handled in most areas.
• A six represents a painting that is skillfully executed in almost all areas.
• A seven represents a painting that is outstanding and is skillfully executed in virtually
  every area. These are the top 1-3% of entries for this show.

 
Summary:

• Very Weak
• Weak
• Some Competence
• Average
• Competent (top 15 – 25% of entries)
• Excellent (top 10% of entries)
• Outstanding (top 1– 3% of entries)

After the jurors have completed voting, the scores are tabulated and artists receiving the most points will be accepted into the exhibition.
Again, the last date for you to enter is Friday, January 26th. I hope that you will enter the annual competition. Your paintings cannot be selected if you don’t enter, so do so today and use the criteria that the jurors will use to select your entries. Present your very best painting. Follow the entry rules and use the criteria the jurors will be using to judge your painting against the best paintings entered into the competition. And best wishes to each member of OPA. The competition is stiff but it is worth the effort to participate by submitting your entries before the deadline!
Respectfully,

James W Bruce Jr has been pursuing art since he was 14 and still seeks to grow. He believes that art competitions organized by OPA provide wonderful opportunities to learn and hopefully get your paintings included in the show. He is a Signature member of OPA. In September 2016, Bruce and Scott Christensen had a two person exhibition in the Patrons’ Gallery at the Salmagundi Club in New York City. In addition to his love of painting, Bruce has pursued a significant career in banking. After retiring from Banks of Mid-America, the largest banking company in Oklahoma, he acquired controlling interest in American Bank Systems. He is also a member of the Board of Directors of American Bank and Trust Company of Tulsa, Oklahoma and InvesTrust of Oklahoma City. He serves of several boards of the University of Oklahoma and Oklahoma City University, Canterbury Voices, and Oklahoma Arts Institute. In 2006, Governor Brad Henry awarded him one of the prestigious Governor’s Arts Award. A retrospective of 25 of his paintings was held in the Governor’s Gallery at the State Capitol in recognition of this award.