a    Dorothy Cavanagh, Impressionist Painter  I was born and raised in California. My interest in art began early from my portrait artist grandmother, for whom I remember posing as a child. After receiving my BA degree from UCLA, I began painting when my youngest entered first grade. After years of classical training and workshops with artists whose work I love, I have developed my own Impressionist style. I love to travel each year to paint the things I love: The hills of Tuscany, Sunny Provence in France, Northern California, and the fields around my home in Irvine.   Janine Levy Salzman  CONTEMPORARY IMPRESSIONIST PAINTER Janine Levy Salzman was born and spent her formative years in the exotic Tunis, Tunisia, in North Africa.   Inspired as a child by the mingled sights, sounds and flavors of the French, Arabic and Sephardic cultures of this Mediterranean seaport, she wanted to paint the beauty that surrounded her.  However, her earliest creative impulses were stifled by her conservative Orthodox family. Later in Paris where she attended secondary school, she discovered the great French and British landscape painters such as Corot and Constable and was captivated by the genius of nineteenth century impressionist masters such as Cezanne, Van Gogh, and Monet.  But her family continued to discourage her from pursuing the study of art. Finally in Los Angeles years later as a young wife and mother of two daughters she found herself liberated, back in Mediterranean-like sunlight and now exposed to the strong plein air painting tradition of the nineteenth and twentieth century California.  Now she was determined to follow her dream.  She dedicated every moment she could to painting.  After years of disciplined hard work and many courses taught by international contemporary masters such as C. Hartley, J. Mendez and J. Wang, she has fulfilled her dream of becoming a professional artist. Her work is featured at Studio 7 Gallery, Villas & Veranda Gallery, and in numerous private collections.  In addition she has been recognized by her peers with numerous awards for her plein air landscapes, still lives, figures and portraits. Janine maintains active contact with her fellow artists through workshops and memberships in such professional groups such as the Southern California Plein Air Painter, California Art Club, and Laguna Plein Air Painters. ARTISTIC STATEMENT Painting for me is many things…It can be a spiritual act, an act of love, a timeless meditation and a search within to express a glimpse of a romantic feeling. What is so exciting is the unexpected joy of seeing something that inspires me to paint. My goal is to have that joy felt and experienced by everyone who views the painting.   Jeff Yeomans, Contemporary California Painter  Jeff Yeomans is a native Californian, born in 1954 and raised in a family that encouraged his artistic pursuits. He was initially a muralist, illustrator, and graphic designer, and his art career includes a decade in public television as an award-winning art director. Painting has become his preferred medium, and incorporating influences of both past and contemporary artists, he creates unique perspectives that capture glimpses of our daily experiences. A visual journal of light, color, and form, he explores the fragile beauty of California and the growth and connected urban landscape that impact it. "As a regional painter, I feel a responsibility to document California today, in the same way the early California painters did in their era. I enjoy painting landscapes, especially when they increase our awareness of the value of open space and nature. I also hope that a study of an older neighborhood, of people working, or of Spanish dancers at a Southern California car show, all bring a respect to and celebrate the diversity of the region." Yeomans is represented by Studio 7 Gallery in Laguna Beach and lives near the ocean in San Diego with his wife and two children. Styles: Figurative, landscape, cityscape, representational Memberships: California Art Club; San Diego Art Institute; San Diego Museum of Art Artists Guild; Southern California Plein Air Painters Association; Laguna Plein Air Painters Association Classes: Workshop with Ken Auster Awards & Exhibits: Maurice Braun Award, January 2004, La Jolla Art Association; 2004 April, Juror's Choice Award -- San Diego Art Institute Regional Exhibition; Best of Show (2-Dimensional Work) Art-A-Fair Festival, Laguna Canyon, 2003; 2003 Jan-March, Wave Bench -- The Benchmark Project (a city-wide public arts project) Website: www.jeffyeomans.com   Jim Wodark  Jim Wodark is an award winning plein air artist who was born and raised in Colorado. Throughout childhood, his parents, both artistic in their own right, were incredibly encouraging of his creativity, but drew the line (so to speak) when he filled his 2nd grade teacher's shoes with paint. He went on to earn his Bachelor's degree in Marketing from University of Northern Colorado and attempted to fulfill his passion for art by taking an art class each semester. After several years of working real jobs, and trying to fit art around his schedule, it occurred to him that he either was or was not an artist. Luckily for his many fans and patrons, he chose the former. He started out putting his keen observation skills and humor to use as a cartoonist. Fourteen years later, attracted to the attitude and economy, He moved to Southern California. He found true love in Julie, now his wife of 11 years, and in fine art, as he began to explore the plein air technique, originally using watercolors and acrylics. "When you grow up in Colorado, it's hard not to love the outdoors. For me, being outside and capturing the light, mood and atmosphere on a canvas for other people to enjoy, is just an incredible feeling." His next breakthrough came with the birth of his first child, and his discovery of oil paints as his medium of choice. As his family grew (twin girls!!!) so did his commitment to being a great father, husband and prolific painter, painting out in the field or in the studio every single day. "I paint to express myself. I feel compelled to share the inspiration that I feel when I see a beautiful scene, to be inspired and inspire in return. I want to translate the beauty around me -- a fleeting moment -- into something permanent and timeless that brings those same feelings to life for each viewer. Having dedicated himself to art for the last 22 years and counting, Jim continues to challenge himself creatively by approaching each painting as an opportunity to try something new. "My intention is to paint my masterpiece every time I paint a picture. This gives me never ending room to grow and experiment with my art." And whenever he hits the inevitable rough patch, he just thinks back to that moment when he decided to commit himself to art. The power of that decision, and the path it created, never fail to get that paint brush moving again. "I am doing what I love and hopefully that joy is reflected in my work. I strive very hard to make each and every piece reflect the person that I am and the artist I am becoming." Jim is a member of several painting groups: Laguna Plein Air Painters Association, Southern California Plein Air Painters Association and just recently he was juried into being an "Artist Member" of the prestigious California Art Club. Shows and awards: Fourth Place Raymar National Yearlong Art Competition 2007 out of 1,400 entries First Place University of Redlands Plein Air Painting Competition 2007 Second Place The Lodge at Torrey Pines Plein Air  Invitational 2007 Best Of Show SOCALPAPA Newport Peninsula Plein Air 2007 Honoraable Mention SOCALPAPA Newport Peninsula Plein Air 2007 Second Place "Quick Draw" SOCALPAPA Newport Peninsula Plein Air 2007 Honorable Mention Heritage Art Show Irvine Land Trust 2007 Honorable Mention LPAPA "Best of Plein Air" 2007 Two paintings Juried into the California Art Club's Gold Medal Show 2007 Second Place in the Raymar National painting competition out of 1,700 entries. 9th Place in the Raymar National painting competition. 15th Place Honorable mention in the Raymar National painting competition. 28 painitngs of the final 144 in the Raymar National yearlong painting competition. Second Place in the LPAPA Members Show 2006 First Place LPAPA "Best of Plein Air Show" 2006 California Art Club "Artist Member" (Juried into membership 2005) Art-a-fair Poster Artist 2006 Honorable Mention Crystal Cove Show 2005 Second Place San Clemente Plein Air Painting Competition 2005 First Place at the San Clemente "Quick Draw" Competition 2005 Honorable Mention LPAPA Members Show 2005 First Place at the SOCALPAPA Best of the Back Bay 2004 First Place at the San Clemente Plein Air Painting Competition 2004 First Place at the San Clemente "Quick Draw" Competition 2004 Artist Choice Award SOCALPAPA Best of the Back Bay 2003 LPAPA members show 2002, 2003, 2004,2005 Art-a-Fair Laguna Beach 2003, 2004, 2005   John Eagle  John Eagle was born in Ashtablula, Ohio.  He grew up in Hawaii and the San Francisco Bay area.  His artistic career began in San Jose, California, where he completed his undergradua degree. His post graduate studies were at Otis Art Instite and the Laguna College of Art and Desisn.  He is a member of the Laguna Plein Air Painters Association, Sawdust Art Festival, and serves as a board member for several Laguna art organisations.  He teached painting for several Laguna Art organisations.  John paints outdoors in a style unique to him in a style called mosaic impressionism.  Applying thick, undiluted oil pint with a stiff flat brush, he covers the cancas with uniform downward strokes.  The finished painting resembles a mosia up close, and an impressionistic piece from a distance.  His paintings dramatize the quality of light and stimulate a warm positve feeling of serenity and tranquility. eagleworks@cox.net 949-293-1322   Kathleen Robison  A Southern California native, Kathleen Robison took her creative passion in cartooning and greeting card design to painting landscapes of the California coastline. With a BA in American Studies and a BFA in Art from CSU Fullerton, she continues to develop her artistic style through workshops, lectures and painting on a daily basis. Her style is influenced by the Impressionists using broad and loose brush strokes. Her palette allows her to express emotion and capture that moment-in-time in the tradition of the plein air painter. " I am constantly amazed how color, design and subject matter can evoke emotion. It gives us an opportunity to pause, to take a deep breath and contemplate beauty... to rest a bit in the moment." She is a member of LPAPA, the Orange County Fine Arts Association and the San Clemente Art Club.   Katie Costello  A native of the South, Katie grew up in suburban Birmingham, Alabama. She attended Auburn University and was awarded a BA in Textile, Clothing & Fashion Design. Katie began working in oil and then watercolor while living in Atlanta, and later in Northern New England. She was inspired by the natural grandeur of New Hampshire's White Mountains, and the rugged coast of "down east" Maine. After moving to Orange County and subsequent exposure to California Impressionists, Katie's love of oil painting was rediscovered. As an artist, her goal is to do more than simply capture an image, be it landscape, figure or still life. Katie seeks to share with the viewer the joy and awe she feels as she paints. She tries to touch something in the viewers being, to make them more aware; to "see" the beauty that surrounds us. Katie loves the challenges of plein air painting; the ever changing light, the weather's many moods and the pesky bugs. She enjoys chatting with the interested passer-by about the beauty around us, and her love of painting. She often learns much about nature and local history from the people she meets while painting in the field. Katie is an active member of the Southern California Plein Air Painters Association and Laguna Plein Air Painters Association. Katie is married and has three teenage daughters.   Lynn Wiederman  Lynn Wiederman has devoted her entire professional life to the arts. A graduate of California State University Long Beach with a Bachelors Degree in Fine Art, Lynn spent many years in the graphic arts field working with design firms and creative companies like Mattel Toys and Tomy Toys. Lynn's passion turned toward the fine arts, which she now devotes much of her time. Her specialty is "en plein air" painting where Laguna Beach and Southern California provide a wealth of inspiration.   Her paintings have been displayed in many prestigious shows including the 1998 France Exhibition at the Art Institute of Southern California, the 2000 Laguna Plein Air Painters Association (LPAPA) at Gallery 133, the Millard Sheets Gallery, the Seaside Gallery and the Debra Huse Gallery. Lynn was the Chairperson for the 2001 LPAPA Exhibition at Gallery 133. Lynn continues to refine and enhance her artistic skills through workshops and courses held around the world. Lynn currently shows at Studio 7 Gallery in Laguna Beach.