PleinAir Magazine – August 2019

68 August-September 2019 / http://www.outdoorpainter.com

collector profiles

The flourishingofcontemporarypleinairpaintingbecomesevencleareraswehighlight

collectorsfromaroundthecountry.

PA SSION FOR

PLEIN A IR

“HavinggrownupinLagunaBeach,California,

anartcolony,I’vealwaysbeenexposedto

galleriesandartexhibitions,”saysMaryLinda

Strotkamp.“Mymotherwasanartist,andas a

child,I oftenattendedartclassesbyrenowned

artistsat theLagunaFestivalofArts.Although

I dooccasionallypainttoday,mymainfocus

is as anadmirer,supporter,andcollector.My

husband,Jay,alsogrewupinLaguna,andis an

enthusiasticfanofplein air art, both historical

and contemporary.

“Weattenda numberofpleinairevents

andcompetitionsaroundthecountryand

haveenjoyedgettingtoknowmanyofthe

participatingartists.Thatpersonalconnection

ofteninfluencesourchoicesintermsofwhat

wecollect,as dofamiliarsubjectmatter,quality

ofwork,andanappreciationfortheartist’s

approach.

“Infact,weconsidermostoftheartistsin

ourcollectiongoodfriendsandenjoyfollowing

their careers. I made my first major art purchase

—anincrediblylovelyfigurativepaintingby

RichardSchmid,entitledJamieandGretchen

—in 1986 at theGilcreaseRendezvousshowin

Tulsa,Oklahoma.Richardandhiswife,Nancy

Guzik,who’salsoanartist,havesincebecome

dearfriends,andwehaveacquireda fewmore

wonderfulpiecesfromthem.

“Anotherfavorite,ScottBurdick,we

befriendedwhenhewasstilla teenager,

paintingatthePaletteandChiselinChicago.

ThroughScott,Richard,andtheLaguna

PleinAirPaintersAssociation,withwhich

wearebothinvolved,wehavecometoknow

a numberofyoungartistsjuststartingtheir

careers. Every year, we invite the 35 artists

JAYANDMARYLINDASTROTKAMP

A PERSONAL CONNECTION

LagunaCanyon

RandallSexton

2011,oil,14 x 18 in.

Plein air