Photo by Heather G. Hunter Maria Reardon paints the world around her. She loves being outdoors, immersed in nature, observing and experiencing everything going on first hand. She is drawn to the unique and ever-changing landscapes. Her home state of Virginia is close to her heart...from the mountains to the shore and the countryside in between. Her passion is painting on location, plein air, using vibrant and diverse colors in an impressionistic fashion, to represent the light and mood of a particular location. She finds inspiration in rural and natural areas and often features horses, farm animals and wildlife in her landscapes. "My desire is to draw the viewer into a world of vibrant color and visual appeal. I strive to engage people to see the world around them with a new sense of emotion and pleasure. My paintings capture the essence of a scene and are just as much about a moment in time as about a specific location or subject.” Maria is a Virginia native and received her formal education from Virginia Commonwealth University, earning a Bachelor’s of Fine Art in illustration. She continued her study of the landscape with nationally known artists. Her work has been exhibited and is in private collections. She has received top awards during plein air events and gallery shows and her work has been published in art journals. She enjoys working in the plein air tradition, working directly from life for the creation of many of her paintings. She often travels for inspirational landscape locations. She participates in plein air events and is currently represented by Cabell Gallery (Lexington VA) and Franco's Fine Clothier (Richmond VA). Maria enjoys teaching and is an instructor for the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts Studio School (Richmond VA) and the Tuckahoe Womens Club (Richmond VA). When she is not painting outdoors from life, she works from her studios in Rockville VA and Goshen VA. Recent Shows, Competitions and Awards Art Experience, Virginia Artists - Virginia Executive Governors Mansion Richmond VA 2022-2023 Virginia Museum of Fine Arts Studio School Faculty Show - Sept-Oct 2022 Floyd Virginia Plein Air - August 2022 - Award Winner Gloucester Virginia Plein Air Festival - May 2022 - Award Winner Plein Air Unleasehed - April 2022 Coastal Plein Air - April 2022 Bath County Plein Air - September 2021 - Award Winner Plein Air Roanoke - May 2021 - Award Winner Plein Air Unleashed - April 2021 Coastal Plein Air - April 2021 - Award Winner Mid Atlantic Pastel Society Member Show - October 2020 - Award Winner Virginia Museum of Fine Arts Faculty Show - September 2020 Bath County Plein Air Festival - October 2019 - Award Winner Party on the Avenues and Arts Richmond VA - September 2019 Chincoteague VA Plein Air Event - September 2019 Floyd Plein Air Festival - August 2019 Bath County Art Show - July 2019 - Best in Show Award Gloucester Virginia Plein Air Festival - June 2019 Award Winner Coastal Plein Air Virginia - April 2019 First Place Award Winner Plein Air Unleashed Virginia - April 2019 Party on the Avenues and Arts Richmond VA - September 2018 Award Winner Chincoteague VA Plein Air Event - September 2018 Bath County Art Show - July 2018 Plein Air Richmond, VA - June 2018 Award Winner Plein Air Crisfield MD - May 2018 Mid Atlantic Pastel Society members show - May 2018 Gallery Flux Garden Show VA - May 2018 Plein Air Unleashed Virginia - April 2018 Paint East Beach, Virginia- May 2018 Gallery Flux Winter Show VA- January 2018 Lexington VA Plein Air Event - October 2017 Plein Air Westhampton, Richmond, VA - September 2017 Chincoteague VA Plein Air Event - September 2017 Floyd County VA Plein Air Event - August 2017 - Award Winner Bath County VA Art Show - July 2017 - Award Winner Highland County VA Artists Weekend - June 2017 Virginia Museum of Fine Arts Studio School - Portrait group show - April 2017 Allure Art Center, White Stone, VA Plein AIr Group Show - April 2017 Artful Healing show, World Pediatrics Project, March 2017 Crystal Moll Gallery, MD - February 2017 UNOS (United Network of Organ Sharing) solo show - January 2017 Gallery Flux, Ashland VA - Miniatures Show 2016 Bath County Plein Air Festival, VA - October 2016 Ocean City MD Plein Air Event - July 2016 Mid-Atlantic Pastle Society Member Show - July 2016 Driggs Digs Plein Air Event, ID - July 2016 Recent Works Solo Show, For Art's Sake Gallery, VA - May 2016 Chestertown, MD Plein Air Event - April 2016 Chincoteague (VA) Plein Air Event - September 2015 Gallery Flux, Ashland, VA - August 2015 Plein Air Easton Quick Draw- July 2015 Art Speaks by the Bay Juried Show, Mathews, VA - May 2015 South Atlantic Juried Exhibition, Montpelier Center for the Arts, Montpelier, VA -April 2015 - award winner Pastel Society of Virginia juried show, Uptown Gallery, Richmond, VA - April 2015 -1st Place award Pastel Society of Virginia member show, Montpelier Center for the Arts - March 2015 Virginia Plein Air Painters group show, Stir Crazy Cafe, Richmond, VA - December 2014 The American Landscape Juried exhibition, Staunton VA - May 2014 South Atlantic Juried Exhibition, Montpelier VA - May 2014 - 3rd Place award Pastel Society of VA member show, Cultural Arts Ctr. Glen Allen, VA - May 2014 - award winner Art of the Horse, Gallery Flux, Ashland VA - September 2013 The Sterling Gallery, Richmond, VA, Seasons Show, December 2013 Plein Air Richmond, plein air juried competition, June 2012 - award winner Galleries Allure Art Center, White Stone, VA Cabell Gallery, Lexington, VA Franco's Fine Clothier, Richmond, VA Teaching Virginia Museum of Fine Arts Tuckahoe Women's Club, Richmond, VA |
|
|
|