The Best Part, the Artists

The best thing about doing an event of this kind is meeting and getting know other artists from around the country. The artists in this blog entry are not the only great artists who were at Door County this year, they are just the ones I have some photos of.

Here's Bill Schneider. I know mostly from Oil Painters of America,
and had just seen him in May at the OPA national in Santa Fe.
He's painting at sunset at the Meet the Artists Night.

Shelby Keefe from Wisconsin, multi-tasking during
the Meet the Artists event.
This was Shelby's 3rd year in the Door County Festival!


Next up is John Stewart Price from Ontario.
I met John this day painting at Fine Line Designs Gallery and
was always happy to spent time with this artist from Canada.
He was someone I felt I known for a long time, a hell of a nice guy.

I love this next photo. The young man, Colin Page.
I first met him on Facebook. We had a little Puerto Rican connection.
It was certainly a thrill to meet a young artist that paints as well as he does. I did overhear him say with no pride,
"I do know how to paint."
And . . . he does.
Here he is wowing the crowd who've watched him work.
I joined this group of folks, and met him in person for
the first time shortly after this was taken.

Last years top winner, Tom Nachreiner from Wisconsin.
Tom has the ability to make you feel you're his friend from
the second you meet him.
He's a ball of energy with a winning smile and smiling Irish eyes!
Here he is at the start of a painting he completed on the grounds
of the Woodward Gallery - I think.
Tom is coming to teach a workshop and jury the
Ohio Plein Air Competition in September, but
I'll be in India painting.

Next is Kathie Wheeler from Wisconsin.
I first met her at a dinner given by Diane and Bill Miller.
Kathie was quiet. It was hard to tell if she was tired, shy, or both.
I did rib her a little during dinner, called her "the chosen one" - hey,
I'd just seen the new Harry Potter movie and love Snape.
So why the chosen one?
Cause she won her spot in the Door Co. Festival.
Artists can register to paint the quick paint,
even if they aren't one of the festival artists.
The winner of that competition becomes part of next year's Festival.
Congrats Kathie, I enjoyed meeting you and watching the
the bidding war over your quick paint.

This lovely young lady is Kami Polzin from Minnesota.
I met Kami in May at the OPA National Exhbition in Santa Fe.
It is always a pleasure to see Kami.
She is a friendly person and a solid artist.
We are wondering where we might next meet.


This one is me, working on a painting that didn't make it.
An old car - it's sitting in those trees.
There is something voodoo about going to the Door for me,
I always seem to forget my painting hat. So I have to stop at a truck stop to
see what they have. This one was too big, but the brim was good against the sun.


This is almost a photo of Lori Beringer.
It's the painting she was working on at the Meet the Artists Night.
I loved her palette, each and every time I saw it.


And . . . Debra Groesser from Nebraska.
What a sweet lady, and a dynamite painter!
Her husband was also a great guy and a wonderful support system
for her during the week. They were a good team.


So just a sampling of the wonderful artists I met and painted with last week.