May was an eventful month.
May was an eventful month. It seemed like nearly every day was filled with a plein air festival, quick paint, sketch outing, or the less glamorous task of matting and framing work for one of those events.
Early in the month, I battled my way through a rainy evening at the Rice Gallery of Fine Art Magic Hour Quick Paint. The weather made things challenging, but the effort paid off with a First Place Purchase Award.
Between organized events, I spent time creating paintings for the month-long STEMS Plein Air Competition. Three of my paintings were selected for the Garden Soirée, and two more were accepted into the overall exhibition. I’ll be delivering those to the gallery in the next few days.
The annual Historic West Bottoms Plein Air Festival has been kind to me over the years, and this year was no exception. I earned several Top Five finishes in the various quick paint events and was honored to receive the festival’s Best of Show award.
To cap off the month, I received a Top Five finish and an Honorable Mention at the 2026 Summit Plein Air Festival. It was a fitting end to a month filled with painting, awards, and a number of wonderful purchases by collectors.
Mark Alan Anderson 