Olmsted Plein Air Invitational

10/06/2026

We’re excited to introduce our Invited Artists for the 8th Annual Georgia Color Plein Air (Oct 13-18) in Savannah, GA!

Meet Michael Mills — a GA-based plein air and studio artist known for his realist impressionist seascapes and landscapes. Originally recognized for his sports and golf artwork, Michael now focuses on capturing the natural beauty of Tybee Island and the Georgia Coast — places he’s passionate about preserving as well as painting. His work, inspired by the freedom of painting outdoors, has been collected across the U.S. and Europe and is featured in four Georgia Coastal Galleries under The Irritable Pelican. Follow his journey at .mills.artist or Michael Mills Fine Art on Facebook.

Meet Lori Keith Robinson — a plein air painter known for her bold, color-rich works and romantic storytelling style. Her artistic journey took flight in 2005 after a transformative workshop with Camille Przewodek, inspiring her to paint on location every day for over a year—even through Savannah’s sweltering summers. That dedication helped her develop a distinctive voice that resonates deeply with collectors. Lori’s award-winning work has earned multiple “Best of Show” honors, and she shares her passion by teaching, judging, and demonstrating at plein air events across the country.

10/05/2026

We’re excited to introduce our Invited Artists for the 8th Annual Georgia Color Plein Air (Oct 13-18) in Savannah, GA!

Meet Luba – Born and raised in Siberia, her artistic journey to her to Savannah, where a Presidential scholarship from the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) afforded her the opportunity to study fashion and further her painting techniques, skills, and artistic aspirations. While studying at SCAD, Luba fell in love with the city’s exceptional beauty and chose to make Savannah her permanent home. or .lowry.1 on Facebook

Meet Atlanta-based artist Katherine LaPlace Meade. Born and raised in Southern California, national award-winning artist she has had a love for art: drawing, painting and creating, since childhood. Katherine deeply admires nature and the physical world around us. This love of nature and a need to learn more about it led her to earn a degree in Botany from the University of California. She perused a career as an analytical chemist with the Forest Service before becoming a full-time artist where her passion for nature is expressed in her plein air painting. Her works are included in both public and private collections nationally. .meade

10/04/2026

We’re excited to introduce our Invited Artists for the 8th Annual Georgia Color Plein Air (Oct 13-18) in Savannah, GA!

Meet Julia Kamenskikh — a Savannah-based artist whose work is rooted in a deep exploration of light as the central subject. Inspired by plein air painting and local travel, her pieces blend heartfelt emotion with classical technique, drawing on the timeless traditions of the old European Masters. Julia’s paintings are held in private collections worldwide and reflect both her technical mastery and emotional depth. An active member of Savannah’s plein air community, she shares her passion through classes and workshops, enriching others through her art and dedication to craft. .kamenskikh

Meet Nancy! She began her love of painting at the age of 13 while studying under Atlanta artist Claudia Hartley, continuing my studies in art at Mercer University in Macon, Georgia. Since then, her life journey has taken her through archaeological digs around the Mediterranean, graduate study in Europe, teaching art to orphans in Morocco, the conservation of artifacts for Jamestown, Valley Forge, and other sites along the East Coast and throughout the Southeastern USA, and conservation of artwork at the Tubman Museum in Macon, puppets at the Center for Puppetry Arts in Atlanta, and social history objects at the Atlanta History Center. In August 2016, she joined the conservation team to move the Battle of Atlanta Cyclorama painting from Grant Park to the Atlanta History Center, cleaning the painting, filling and inpainting the landscape that was completed in 2018. She has since joined the department of Arts and Culture for Fulton County as their Public Art Conservator.
While she enjoys her work in art conservation, her true passion is creating art, especially in oil, whether en plein air or in her studio. or NancySShippenArt on Facebook

09/29/2026

Get to know the artists bringing Savannah’s beauty to life at the 8th Annual Georgia Color Plein Air, October 13–18!

Meet Marietta-based artist John Guernsey. He developed his drawing skills in college courses and workshop study; he now concentrates primarily on landscape painting. Most of his work is ‘en plein air', or alla prima; although he is gradually increasing the output of larger studio paintings. His work reveals a keen observance of atmosphere and light and is inspired not only by nature, but city life and architecture as well. Mr. Guernsey maintains a busy schedule of workshops around the southeast and regularly participates in nationally ranked plein air festivals throughout the country.

Meet Athens-based artist Joshua Hatfield, whose work is inspired by both the natural world and the imagination. A 2018 University of Georgia graduate with a BFA in Scientific Illustration, Joshua often ventures outdoors to paint en plein air, capturing the beauty of forests, skies, rivers, and coastlines in watercolor.

09/29/2026

THREE-DAY ARTIST WORKSHOP WITH STEVEN WALKER - NOV 7-9, 2026. RESERVE YOUR SEAT TODAY!

Move Beyond the Photograph: Painting with Intention Join visiting artist Steven Walker for an inspiring 3-day workshop focused on transforming reference photos into paintings that are dynamic, expressive, and uniquely your own. Rather than simply reproducing what you see in a photograph, Steven will...

09/28/2026

We’re excited to introduce our Invited Artists for the 8th Annual Georgia Color Plein Air (Oct 13-18) in Savannah, GA!

Meet Mimi — a Savannah-based colorist whose work is inspired by the coastal beauty, lush vegetation, and ever-shifting sunlight of the Lowcountry. Known for vibrant palettes and expressive textures, Mimi creates paintings that range from true-to-life to abstract, often using brushes, palette knives, and mixed tools to achieve rich, impasto surfaces. A lifelong artist and dedicated teacher, she also channels her love of color into quilting and continues to study with renowned artists to deepen her craft.

Meet Lydia Ellis — a Georgia native and accomplished painter with over 38 years of teaching experience. Trained at Georgia State University with a focus on painting and drawing, Lydia is known for her masterful use of color, design, and perspective. Whether in the studio or en plein air, her diverse subjects are united by a storytelling quality that invites viewer connection. She has taught workshops across the Southeast and in Italy, and her award-winning work has been featured in PleinAir and Art Connoisseur magazines. Lydia currently teaches in Tyrone, GA.

09/28/2026

For those who love Ossabaw Island, on Thursday October 15 6:00-8:30 p.m. Georgia Color Plein Air is hosting an evening in the Exhibition Gallery (2123 E. Victory Drive, Savannah, GA 31404) just for you. Come enjoy fresh original paintings, artful conversations and lite snacks and beverages while they last. A portion of painting sales on this evening will benefit the Ossabaw Island Foundation.
https://www.olmstedartsinc.org/georgia-color-events/2026/10/15/gallery

A special evening with the Ossabaw Island Foundation in the Georgia Color Exhibition Gallery

09/26/2026

Meet Ken Breier from Duluth, GA. We’re thrilled to welcome Ken and his work!

Meet Keith — a North Georgia-based oil painter whose work is deeply rooted in the tradition of representational landscape painting. With a B.A. in Art and a background as a graphic artist and illustrator, he returned to fine art in the early 1990s and never looked back. Influenced by the Impressionists and trained by renowned artists from the Art Students League of NYC, he brings a reverence for light, shape, and nature to every plein air session. Today, he paints, teaches, and juries shows, driven by a lifelong passion for capturing the primal truth and beauty of the landscape.

09/25/2026

Three-Day Workshop: "Move Beyond the Photograph" with artist Steven Walker. November 7-9, 2026 in Atlanta.
https://olmstedpleinair.myshopify.com/collections/lectures-and-book-signings/products/3-day-workshop-with-steve-walker

Move Beyond the Photograph: Painting with Intention Join visiting artist Steven Walker for an inspiring 3-day workshop focused on transforming reference photos into paintings that are dynamic, expressive, and uniquely your own. Rather than simply reproducing what you see in a photograph, Steven will...

09/25/2026

Meet our invited artists for the 8th Annual Georgia Color Plein Air (Oct 13-18) in Savannah, GA!

Meet Donna Biggee — a Georgia-based artist known for her luminous landscapes and still lifes that beautifully capture light and reflection. Working primarily in oil and pastel, Donna draws inspiration from nature’s quiet elegance. A former interior designer turned full-time artist, she’s earned national acclaim and is a Master Circle member of the International Association of Pastel Societies. Her award-winning work has been featured in The Artist’s Magazine, Pastel Journal, and American Art Collector, and is held in collections across the U.S., including the Georgia Governor’s Office.

Meet Kip Bradley — a contemporary Impressionist whose work captures the emotional undercurrents of everyday landscapes through plein air painting. From coastal waterways to city streets, his expressive brushwork and nuanced use of color explore the atmosphere and memory embedded in place. As Studio Programs Manager at the Telfair Museums in Savannah, Kip leads a variety of community art programs and weekly plein air sessions, championing the social power of art and the beauty of painting in presence.