ARTIST STATEMENT
I paint because it’s necessary. It’s part of my DNA. My North star.
The few times I’ve tried to escape it, it’s always chased me down. I feel whole when I paint, directionless when I don’t. I remember every minute of a day spent painting. It tunes the senses and the soul. My inspiration comes always from patterns. They are the first things to draw me to a subject. Divisions of space. Light and dark. The subtle and not so subtle.
Whether I’m responding to something from the natural world, the world of man or an interesting intersection of the two I’m compelled by a need to capture the moment. I have an overwhelming need to first understand what it was that captivated me, second, interact with it using brushes and paint, and finally share the results - my view of the world.
My paintings are always about that elusive quality that compelled me to paint something in the first place. For me a successful painting is the one that is able to communicate that moment, in concert with the more personal feeling known only to the viewer. I consider that the completion of a painting.
BIO
Carrying on the great traditions of representational oil painting and passing that torch to her students are two of Lyn’s great passions in life.
Lyn is an award winning plein air and studio oil painter with works that hang in private collections across the United States. After returning from studying art at the Royal Melbourne Institute in Australia, Lyn began a 25 year career as an American illustrator and painter, garnering awards from the Oil Painters of America, Fine Art Connoisseur Magazine, Plein Air Magazine, Southwest Art, the Society of Illustrators, the Art Directors Club, the Illustrators Workshops, and the American Institute of Graphic Arts among others.
Lyn’s early inspiration came from the great illustrators of the Golden Age of Illustration and their contemporaries, the American and European painters of the late 1800’s and early 20th century. She was captivated by not only the power of the images but their story-telling ability. Lyn takes the focus, energy and ability to respond in the moment required in plein air painting and uses it to inform and bring life to her studio work.
A devotion to painting en plein air and teaching takes Lyn on the road for much of the year before returning to her studio in Durango, Colorado for the winter months. Her commitment to teaching began with nearly a decade as an illustration instructor and now continues through her workshops, instructional videos, demonstrations and private mentoring. Lyn's commitment to the arts has expanded to bring the common languages of painting and music together as a board member for the Durango Celtic Festival, as partner in the Painter-Musician collaborative, Interplay Artists™, with musician David Curley and in painting workshops using sound as a tool to unlock visual creativity.
AWARDS
2021
Invited Artist: Laguna Plein Air Painters Invitational 2021
Invited Artist: 12th Annual Grand Canyon Celebration of Art
Faculty: Plein Air Convention 2021
Video Release: Streamline art Videos 'Wheels & Steel - Capturing the Beauty of the Auto’ 2021
2020
Juried Artist: Oil Painters of America 29th National Exhibition 2020
Award of Excellence: Oil Painters of America Western Regional Exhibition 2020
Faculty: Plein Air Live 2020
Guest: Eric Rhoads Live 2020
Video Release: Streamline art Videos ’No Fear Oil Painting™’ 2020
Guest: Plein Air Podcast with Eric Rhoads
Invited Speaker: Sedona Plein Air Festival 2020
Judge of Awards: Sedona Plein Air Festival 2020
Judge of Awards: Taos Plein Air and Blumenschein Museum Shows 2020
2019
Signature Member: Oil Painters of America 2019
Signature Member: Laguna Plein Air Association 2019
Artist Member: California Art Club
Juried Artist: 50th Anniversary Mountain Oyster Club Show 2019
Juried Artist and Demo Artist: Oil Painters of America National Exhibition 2019
Awarded Artist: Canyons and Monuments Plein Air Invitational 2019
Best Vehicle: Feb-March Plein Air Salon 2019
Invited Artist: 10th Annual Grand Canyon Celebration of Art 2019
Invited Artist: Door County Plein Air Invitational
Invited Artist: 15th Annual Sedona Plein Air Festival 2019
Invited Artist: Durango Celtic Festival 2019
Invited Artist: South Texas Celtic Festival 2019
2018
Bronze Medal: Oil Painters of America Western Regional Exhibition 2018
Award of Merit Nocturne: PAPNM National 2018
First Place Nocturne: Escalante Canyons Festival of Art 2018
Best of Show: 9th Annual Grand Canyon Celebration of Art 2018
Image Award: 14th Annual Sedona Plein Air Festival 2018
Guerrilla Painter Award: 14th Annual Sedona Plein Air Festival 2018
First Place Nocturne: Escalante Canyons Festival of Art 2018
Award of Merit: Escalante Canyons Festival of Art 2018
First Place: Paint Grand Traverse Small Wonders Exhibition 2018
Honorable Mention: Paint Grand Traverse Quick Draw 2018
Honorable Mention: Paint Grand Traverse Gala Exhibition 2018
Award of Excellence: Oil Painters of America Salon 2018
Award of Merit: Oil Painters of America National Plein Air Competition 2018
Juried Artist: Oil Painters of America 27th Annual Exhibition of Traditional Oils - June 2018
Best of Show & Honorable Mention Oils: Santa Fe Plein Air Fiesta 2018
Award of Merit: Southwest Art – Santa Fe Plein Air Fiesta 2018
2017
Award of Excellence: Oil Painters of America Western Regional Exhibition 2017
Collector’s Choice Award: 9th Annual Grand Canyon Celebration of Arts Invitational 2017
First Place: Oils – Red Rocks Art Festival 2017
Artist’s Choice: Downtown Moab Quick Draw – Red Rocks Art Festival
Best of Show: Escalante Canyons Art Festival 2017
Honorable Mention: OPA Summer Online Showcase 2017
Best Western: Plein Air Online Salon 2017
OPA Associates Summer Online Showcase: Honorable Mention - 2017
2016
Best of Show: Plein Air Moab 2016
People's Choice: Plein air Moab 2016
Plein Air Painters of the Southwest Juried Show 2016: Farmington Museum, Farmington NM
Durango Arts Center Juried Plein Air Show 2016: Honorable Mention
Durango Arts Center Annual Members Show 2015: Chamber of Commerce Award
Previous
Faculty: Previous Instructor of Illustration Northwestern Michigan College
Certificate of Merit: The Society of Illustrators Annual National Exhibition
Award of Excellence: The American Institute of Graphic Arts
Neenah Papers Award: The Illustrators Workshops
Silver Caddy Award of Excellence: Creative Advertising Club of Detroit
Award of Design Excellence: Print Design Annual
ORGANIZATIONS
Signature Member Oil Painters of America
Signature Member Laguna Plein Air Painters
Artist Member California Art Club
Master Artist International Plein Air Painters
Member Plein Air Painter of New Mexico
Board Member Durango Celtic Festival
Partner Interplay Artists™
