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Keith Linwood Stover - Curator
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The Cyber Art Show
"Bringing the Museum to You"
- Image of the Day -
"Mount Teewinot"
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Feature Artist Bio
By permission of the artist, The Cyber Art Show is pleased to feature the first of two 12-piece exhibitions of works by contemporary
American landscape painter Michele Byrne (born 1959 in Pennsylvania, USA).
Known for her plein air painting, Michele Byrne of Wyomissing, PA, has been painting since she was 8 years old. She earned her BFA at Kutztown University, where she graduated with a degree in graphic design. Michele worked in that field for 20 years while painting in her free time. She has been painting full-time since 2001.
Painting in plein air is not just a passion for Michele it is a dedication. The artist must make decisions about time of day, direction of light and inclusion of figures despite that in front of you everything is changing. These decisions allow the artist to paint dynamically with light and air as a part of the final image. Says, Byrne, “Painting plein air allows me to create a more fluid diary of the ever-changing activity of a café or street scene.”
Michele often paints using a palette knife. She refers to her work as "palette-knife Impressionism." Her art has been influenced by Sargent, Toulouse-Latrec, Berthe Morisot, Carolyn Anderson, Richard Schmid, Dan McCaw and others. She has studied with Quang Ho, CW Mundy and Richard Schmid.
Michele has won numerous awards and received recognition for her plein air and studio work, including most recently the Award of Excellence at the Rocky Mountain Plein Air Painters Invitational and 2nd Prize in the Urban Life Exhibition at the Salmagundi Club in New York City.
Michele's paintings are found in galleries across the country. She has achieved Signature Membership status with the American Impressionist Society.
Selected Exhibitions and Awards
2016
- Award of Excellence, Rocky Mountain Plein Air Painters Invitational, Grand Teton Nat’l Park, WY
- Oil Painters Of America Eastern Regional Exhibit – Eisele Gallery of Fine Art, Cincinnati, OH
- American Impressionist Society 17th National Juried Exhibition, Howard/Mandeville Gallery, Seattle, WA
- Achieved Signature membership status with the
2015
- Sedona Plein Air Invitational Salon Speakeasy – Third Place Award – Juror Catherine Dietrich
- Jane Impasto Award – Salmagundi Club Fall Auctions – Juror Elizabeth Spencer
- Oil Painters Of America Eastern Regional Exhibit - Eckert & Ross Gallery, Indianapolis, IN
- American Impressionist Society 16th National Juried Exhibition, Trailside Galleries, Scottsdale, AZ
- Featured in Southwest Art Magazine Editorial – "Women in Art," October 2015 issue
- 1st Place - Brush Off Award, Plein Air Invitational, Debra Huse Gallery, Balboa Island, CA, Juror Jean Stern
- People’s Choice Award and 3rd Place Award – Forgotten Coast Plein Air Quick Draw, Apalachicola, FL, Juror Joshua Rose
- 2nd Place Award – Salmagundi Club – Urban Landscape Exhibit, New York, NY
- American Impressionist Society 15th National Juried Exhibition, Abend Gallery, Denver, CO
2014
- Award of Merrit and Randy Higby Award - Just Plein Fun Plein Air Invitational, Juror Jean Stern, Balboa Island, CA
- Invitational Faculty - Demo at PleinAir Magazine Annual Convention, Monterey, CA
2013
- First Place Award, Just Plein Fun- Debra Huse Gallery Plein Air Invitational – Juror Jean Stern
- PleinAir Magazine, June/July – 8 Page Feature Article, by Steve Doherty
- TSKW - The Studios of Key West - 4 Week Artist Residency Fellowship, Key West, FL
2012
- Oil Painters Of America Eastern Regional Juried Exhibit - Bennington, VT
- Second Place Award - Easton Plein Air Quick Draw, Easton, MD - Juror Tim Newton
- Southwest Art Magazine – September Issue – included in Urban Impressions article
2011
- American Impressionist Society - National Juried Exhibition, Mountainsong Gallery, Carmel, CA
- Southwest Art Magazine – September, Editor’s Choice “Artist’s to Watch” section
Gallery #452
December 30, 2016
Twelve Pieces by Contemporary Artist
Michele Byrne (Born 1959)
ARTIST'S STATEMENT
"I prefer to paint outdoors directly on site. I feel that it is the best way to capture the immediacy of the moment. It allows me to immerse myself in the subject. I am not the typical plein air landscape painter in that I enjoy capturing social situations and views of the urban landscape. Whether standing next to a busy café, an isolated beach or inside a jazz club, I know that it is not just the visual information that becomes a part of the painting. The sounds, the smells, the mood and the environment all become integral to the finished image.
My plein air paintings are meant to be mirrors of our lives. There is something magical and mystical about standing with your feet firmly planted on the earth, absorbing all the sounds, smells and conversations as well as the visual information and letting it all flow out onto the canvas. I become a part of the scene and the paintings seem to flow out of me. "
