Artist Talks/Demonstrations, Gallery Tours and Judges Panel Discussion 2026

Artist Talks/Demonstrations, Gallery Tours and Judges Panel Discussion

Pre-registration Information and Scheduling
Thank you for your interest in the Olmsted Plein Air Invitational Artist Talks/Demonstrations/Gallery Tours and Judges Panel Discussion. These sessions are designed to entertain, educate and provide usable tips to artists, collectors, aficianados and those brand new to plein air. The presenting artists are all well known regionally and nationally. You will be hearing from experts. All sessions are located at our Exhibition Gallery in the Atlantic Station mixed-use development in Midtown Atlanta - 1380 Atlantic Drive Suite 14125 Atlanta 30363.

All of these sessions are FREE and open to the public. By completing this registration form you provide us an opportunity to plan for your visit and set the room accordingly.

Please take some time to peruse the Exhibition Gallery with original work from thirty-one artists from California to Maine, Utah to Florida, Texas to New York, New Mexico to Georgia and many points in between. All work is available for purchase and remember, each day the gallery grows as artists complete and submit new work. One visit is not enough. By the end of the week we expect 350+ paintings in the gallery.

Also, please join us for our ticketed evening events - Artist Welcome Reception, Tuesday, April 21 6:00-8:30; BIG Petite Reveal, Thursday, April 23 6:00-8:30 p.m.; Artist Awards and Collectors Soiree Saturday, April 25 6:00-9:00 p.m. Tickets are reasonably priced and include catered hor d'oeuvres, wine/beer/soft drinks and more. A full description of events can be found on our website -

https://www.olmstedartsinc.org/olmsted-plein-air-events

Parking is available in the decks at Atlantic Station - first 2 hours of parking is free.

We look forward to seeing you
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Sunday, April 19 2:00 p.m.-3:30 p.m. - Ryan Jensen Artists and collectors alike are captivated by paintings of sunsets dancing across water — glowing reflections on lakes, quiet rivers, and peaceful ponds. In this inspiring demonstration, Ryan will share his personal methods for capturing the magic of a sunset on water.Through step-by-step instruction, he’ll explore how to translate light,color, and reflection into a painting that feels alive. Learn how warm tones,atmospheric perspective, and expressive brushwork work together to create ascene that not only captures a moment in time, but also warms the heart andevokes deep emotion.Whether you’re drawn to tranquil lakes, shimmering rivers, or luminousevening skies, this demonstration will offer practical techniques and artisticinsight to help you bring the beauty of sunset reflections to life on canvas.Monday, April 20 10:30 a.m.-12:00 p.m. - Jill Banks People in the urban landscape. It will cover how to use architecture as a guide for determining people proportions, trusting your gut to find the stars of your scene and logistics tips for painting in bustling spots.Tuesday, April 21 10:30 a.m.-12:00 p.m. - Michael Mills One hour+ paint along using plein air techniques. Subject: Landscape. Bring your own supplies: 8x10" panel or canvas (whatever size you have), Oil/acrylic, pastel, watercolor, Pochade Box tripod setup or table easel, palette of some kind, bristle and synthetic brushes, palette knife, paper towels. All skill levels welcome.Tuesday, April 21 1:00 p.m.-2:30 p.m. - Lyudmila Tomova Clark Dramatic Urban Scenes: Lyudmila will demonstrate an urban cityscape in oil, revealing how powerful contrasts of light and shadow can evoke mood, depth, and atmosphere. This demo explores how to design city compositions for maximum impact using strong value relationships, confident shape simplification, and dynamic perspective to create structure, depth, and visual drama.Tuesday, April 21 6:00 p.m.-8:00 p.m. - Susan Waters Susan will be painting outside the exhibition gallery on Tuesday, April 21st during the Artist Welcome Reception. She’ll honor the Brown Thrasher, Georgia’s state bird, by creating a nest with a clutch of unhatched eggs.As she works, she’ll discuss key design elements, demonstrate the use of a limited palette,explain wiping back techniques, and walk through the progression from a transparent underpainting to a more opaque, finished painting.Wednesday, April 22 10:30 a.m.-12:00 p.m. - Trijsten Leach Plein Air Abroad: A Tradition of Travel and Painting For centuries, artists have traveled the world in search of inspiration, carrying their easels across borders and cultures. In this presentation, we’ll explore how painters such as Claude Monet, John Singer Sargent, Joaquín Sorolla, Edward Seago, and Edgar Alwin Payne embraced travel as an essential part of their artistic journey.We’ll also consider what it means to paint abroad today, along with practical insights drawn from my family’s decade of traveling and painting throughout the United States and overseas.Join me for a look at the enduring connection between plein air painting, adventure, and exploration.Wednesday, April 22 1:00 p.m.-2:30 p.m. - Kelley Mogilka Join Kelley Mogilka as she paints an alla prima portrait from a live model. Kelley will share her method and techniques for making a portrait feel alive and present, through brush application, careful observation and a simplified way of seeing to capture "the essentials". At just 25 years old, Mogilka was recognized in Southwest Art Magazine’s“ 21 Under 31: Young Artists to Collect Now.” Her paintings have received awards from the Laguna Plein Air Painters Association and the Salmagundi Club in New York. Most notably,she was the recipient of the Emerging Artist Award at Pence Gallery in Davis, where she held her first solo exhibition in 2023.Wednesday, April 22 7:00 p.m.-8:30 p.m. - Kip Bradley Working from a still life, Kip will lead a discussion of color theory, demonstrating four palette strategies for creating volume three-dimensional form) and space (depth/perspective): analogous color, complementary color, the mud palette, and the soup method. Kip won "Best of Show" at the 2025 Georgia Color Plein Air in Savannah (October 2025).Thursday, April 23 10:30 a.m.-12:00 p.m. - Lori Keith Robinson In the Spirit of Olmsted: Structure, Color & Movement - In this one-hour demonstration, Lori Keith Robinson exploreshow strong underlying structure supports expressive, energetic painting. Inspired by Frederick Law Olmsted’s belief that landscapes should be carefully designed yet never feel rigid or overly formal, she builds a thoughtful compositional framework beneath the surface. From that foundation, movement, calligraphic looseness in the brushstroke, and the pushing of color carry the mood and vitality of the painting — revealing how structure can remain quietwhile color and gesture bring the landscape fully to life.Thursday, April 23 1:00 p.m.-2:30 p.m. - Peggy Immel PAINTINGTREES FROM TRUNK TO TREETOPJoin me for a live oil painting demonstration all about trees — those leafy models who nevercomplain about holding a pose. As I paint, I’ll share how to capture the unique personality of different trees — because cottonwoods don’t behave like pines, and neither look like generic green lollipops. We’ll cover gesture, structure, and the subtle traits that givetrees character. We’ll also tackle mixing fresh, luminous greens without drifting into “green pea soup,” and explore how trees change in shape, value, edges, and color as they recede intothe distance. If your trees all look related or your greens give you trouble, come join me — we’ll sort it out together.Friday, April 24 10:30-12:00 p.m. - Beth Bathe People in the urban landscape. It will cover how to use architecture as a guide for determining people proportions, trusting your gut to find the stars of your scene and logistically tips for painting in bustling spots.Friday, April 24 1:00 p.m.-2:30 p.m. - Robin Cheers Impressionist artist Robin Cheers will demonstrate her painting approach while talking about what makes Impressionism such a perennial favorite among artists and collectors. Impressionism celebrates the ordinary —sun-dappled gardens, bustling cafés, and fleeting moments that anyone can recognize and relate to. In today's digital age, the visible, spontaneous brushstrokes of the style continue to reassert the presence of the artist, offering a tangible sense of human connection. See how Robin interprets her subject with impressionist color, texture and style of her own.Friday, April 24 7:00 p.ml-8:30 p.m. - Jason Bailey In this plein air demo, Jason will show how to simplify a busy street scene into an impression of a moment. He will focus on strong composition, grouping large shapes, unifying values for depth, and using expressive brushwork to suggest movement—leaving out unnecessary detail to keep the painting fresh and atmosphericSaturday, April 25 10:30 a.m.-12:00 p.m. - Vlad Yeleseyev Join Vlad for a Live Watercolor Demonstration and Book SigningRenowned watercolor artist Vlad will demonstrate how to paint light on objects to createloose, painterly watercolors—moving beyond the mindless copying approach to painting. During this inspiring session, he will share his color-mixing method and explain his concept of the Three Planes of Vision , a powerful framework he uses to create a convincing sense of depth and dimension in his work. Following thedemonstration, Vlad will sign copies of his new book, Light and Color in theWatercolor Landscape,released in February 2026. The book is available for purchase online throughAmazon and Barnes & Noble. Please note that books will not be sold duringor after the presentation.Sunday, April 26 1:30 p.m. 3:00 p.m. "Judges Panel Discussion: Selecting a Winning Painting" Our three judges - Lese Corrigan, Nelda Damiano and Christopher Groves -Each year, the Olmsted Invitational convenes a distinguished panel of three experts to review and preview the works submitted to the competition. This dynamic panel discussion has become one of the most anticipated and popular sessions of the event. Attendees gain rare insight into the decision-making process behind selecting successful paintings, as panelists share thoughtful critiques, professional perspectives, and masterful observations about composition, technique, originality, and emotional impact. The session encourages questions, lively dialogue, and meaningful exchange. Highly recommended for collectors, artists, and anyone eager to deepen their understanding of what makes a painting truly stand out, this discussion offers an invaluable opportunity to learn from seasoned experts in the field.
Please add me to your email list. (We will send periodic updates on activities offered through Olmsted Arts throughout the year)*
Please note, circumstances may arise that cause a change in day, time and location of scheduled activities. It is suggested that you visit our website www.olmstedpleinair for the most current information. We will make every effort to advise of changes. By providing your phone number, we are better able to advise in a more timely manner.
Background: "Oak Leaf Hydrangea" by Natalia Andreeva
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