I was born in Texas in 1928. My childhood years were spent on a ten-acre farm in rural area near Ft. Worth. Growing up during the depression and World War II years was a definitive and nostalgic factor affecting my growth as an artist.

In 1945, before the war had ended, I enlisted in the Army Specialized Training Reserve Program and attended Texas A%M for one year. When the war ended, the draft was still in effect, prompting me to enlist in the Regular Army. I spent my service time in the Army of Occupation on the northern island of Hokkaido, Japan, where I encountered heavy snow, extensive forests, and mountains for the first time.

After being discharged from the Army, I attended the University of Texas, receiving a Bachelor of Architecture degree. While there, I began watercolor painting, originally to render architectural projects. I also took courses in printmaking, and studied the work of inspirational artists, especially Winslow Homer and John Marin.

Influenced by my memories of Japan's natural landscape and culture, I moved to Seattle in 1958 and worked as an architect, principally on commercial and institutional buildings. Watercolor and photography became my interpretative tools as I explored the Northwest through mountain climbing, ski mountaineering, and backpacking. I continued watercolor painting until the mid-1970's, when I took a long hiatus from my art, as I began using computers in my architectural work.

By 1990, health issues forced me to slow down in my architectural practice and mountaineering activities. With introspection, my passion for watercolor painting was renewed. In the past decade I have refreshed the skills I learned in my early years, through a few workshops, extensive experimentation in watercolor technique, and continued study of inspirational artists.

John Amendola

John is a graduate of the Academy of Aeronautics, the Pratt Institute and the Art Center College of Design. John’s work has appeared in national print since November 1953 in the Smithsonian National Air & Space Museum, Time-Life Books, General Motors, Ford, Chrysler, Rolls Royce, Porsche, Playboy Magazine, Automobile Quarterly, Sports Car Illustrated, Grumman Aircraft, Boeing, Martin, Republic Aircraft Corporations, Zeizz-Ikon, Agfa, Century Boats, Reinell, and Uniflite Boats.  

Laif Bannon E-Mail

I have been painting at a professional level for 25 years among my first artistic inspirations were that of Walt Disney and the Warner Brothers. I was born in Putnam,Connecticut In 1953 and my adventure in art started at the age of 5 as I grew up in Lacey, Washington. At a young age I was convinced that I wanted to be an illustrator and work for the Disney studios. After graduation from High school I served in the US Navy. I did not pursue working for the Disney studios After that. Being mostly self taught, I honed my skills by studying with the Art Instructions Schools and also earned an Associates of Fine Art from Highline College. I have studied now under the instruction of artist Mike Casad for two years. And two years with a former Disney animator, Thomas Cook studying animation. I work in Acrylic, oils, pencil, colored pencil and a variety of other mediums including recently, digital painting. My art is constantly evolving in ways I sometimes don't see coming until I start the piece, trying different techniques and combining some.

The work that I do is more of an illustrative/Fine Art style, with some whimsy thrown in. I find a great sense of joy and satisfaction in painting and drawing. I move to paint with a strong story to my work, that has a certain beauty and storybook pleasure which is colorful and vibrant. I paint from the heart and evoke my personal feeling into each painting no matter what the subject is. My hope is that each painting will reach the viewer on more than a superficial level and touch something deeper inside. I want people to have a feeling inside they will never forget.

Frank Bigford became a member of PSGNWP in 1976. He has been painting for 35 years and recently been working with pastels. Awards include: 1st Place Seattle Boat Show; 1st Place Tacoma Boat Show; Several purchase awards from Edmonds Arts Festival including Best of Edmonds Scene. Frank enjoys teaching beginners on an adult level and has studied with several prominent artists. His landscape paintings show his great love of the outdoors.

While attending the U of W School of Art seeking Art Education degree, I studied with: Everett DuPen and George Tsutsukawa (sculpture); Glen Alps (printmaking); Wendell Brezeau and Warren Hill (painting) and Ruth Pennington (jewelry). My primary interest and talents were sculpture and three dimensional designs.

After graduating with a bachelor of Art Education I was commissioned a second lieutenant in the Marine Corps and served two years of active duty during the Korean War. During this experience insight and maturity came with a clarity. I discovered I did not want to teach art but to do it. That is, I wanted to create in some form of art expression.

But how was I to make a living in Art without teaching? The GI Bill allowed me to pursue a degree in Architecture. Four years and two scholarship, one a traveling scholarship, later I graduated and was awarded the AIA Scholastic Medal for Design Excellence.

Although I anticipated designing full scale, walk-through sculptures, I found out quickly that is not what clients wanted or needed. Ah well, I pushed the projects as far toward Art as possible, practicality almost always won out. I did some good buildings, made clients happy and received praise heaped upon me. It was a good life; it was creative and fulfilling. After forty-two years of practice and four hundred plus projects it was time to retire. It was no longer fun.

After retiring from architectural practice I floundered about with little direction, taking some life drawing courses and continuing my life long habit of sketching people and objects around me. In December of 1999 I took an Elderhostel water coloring trip to Mexico. I have been water coloring sporadically ever since. As an art student, I didn’t think I was or could become a painter. Although Wendell Brazeau saw something in my early paintings and tried to steer me to a painting major. I was not convinced and stuck to my sculpture. And today, low and behold I paint. THEREFORE I AM A PAINTER.

EDUCATION
MfA Sculpture, Boston University, Boston MA 1988
BA (Magna Cum Laude) Art History, Hunter College, New York, NY 1984
Art Students League of New York, NY 1981-1982
National Academy of Art, New York, NY 1982
New York Academy of Art, 1984-1985

TEACHING
Gage Academy of Art, Seattle WA, 2003- Present
(Sculpture, Anatomy, Drawing)
Chinese University of Hong Kong, (Resident Artist), 2009
Olympic College. Bremerton, WA, 2002-2003
(Sculpture, Ceramics, Drawing)
University of Oregon, Eugene, OR. 1992-2001
(Sculpture, Design, Drawing)
International Baccalaureate Organization, Geneva, Switzerland,
1998-2004 (Assistant Examiner)
Creative Arts Community, Arts At Menucha, Portland, OR 1992
Howland Art Center, Beacon, NY, 1989

EXHIBITIONS
The Classical Figure, Chung Chi College, CUHK, 2009
Faculty Show, Washington State Convention Center, Seattle WA, 2007
Solo Show, Olympic College, Bremerton, WA 2003
The American Weathervane, Revere Public Library, Revere, MA 2002
Sculpture Exposition '98, Clackamas Community College, Portland, OR
Eleven Northwest Sculptors, Exposidon Escultorica, Mexico City,
Cuernavaca, Guadalajara, Mexico, 1997
National Sculpture SocIety Annual Exhibition, New York City 1996, 1989
Animal Energy •.ASPCAExhibition, Boston Statehouse, Boston, MA 1994
Solo Show, Frye Art Museum, Seattle, WA 1993
Solo Show, laVerne Krause Gallery, Eugene, OR, 1992
National Small Works Exhibition, Schoharie County Arts Coundl,
Cobleskill, NY, 1989

COMMISSIONS
Lobby Relief Sculptures, Degann Obstetrics Clinic, New York, NY 2008
CrudfiJdon, Saint Mary's catholic School, Eugene, OR, 2007
Heron Weather Vane, Heron Building, Eugene, OR, 1999
Pioneer Mother Award, Oregon Foundation, 1994
Faculty Memorial Medallions, University of Oregon, 1992

AWARDS
Gloria Medal (for best body of work) National Sculpture Society, 1996,
1989
Louis Bennet Prize (for best relief) National SCUlpture Society, 1988
Graduate Teaching Fellowship, Boston University, 1986-1988
Hunter College Scholarship for Graduate Study, 1985
Nancy Ashton Memorial Award, Hunter College, 1984

Painter and 3D illustrator to The Boeing Company, 1965-1969 and 1983-2003, 1960-1980 NASA; ITT; The Robbins Company; General Motors, Terex Division; Department of the Interior; and The Battelle Memorial Institute.
Eleven years teaching graduate-level illustration and painting at The Burnley School of Professional Art, Seattle, WA (now The Art Institute of Seattle). Illustrated a trilogy of books, "Song of the Sea" by Stephen Cosgrove published by Graphic Arts Center Publishing Company, Portland, Oregon. Painted the mural "The Water Planet" 70 by 23 feet, which is installed at the Visitors Center at Grand Coulee Dam in Washington State. Disciplined in drawing, painting, and multi-media. Oil, watercolor, acrylic, gouache, I have 40 years of drawing, painting. I work in two-dimensional formats from a variety of verbal and 3 dimensional models.

Born in Bakersfield, CA. in 1943 Castle is a graduate of Duke University . He practiced law until retirement in 1993. He now paints full time in oils, watercolors, pastel and acrylic. Truman studied with Jerry Stitt in watercolor and studied in oil with Ron Lukas. He paints landscapes on location throughout the Western United States.

I have spent most of my life creating art. My formal training at Arts High School in Newark, New Jersey, was followed by an Art History concentration at Rutgers - the State University of New Jersey, as well as studio art courses at several colleges and numerous classes at the extension level. Living in Europe for five years gave me the opportunity to visit many museums and see the work of my favorite artists such as Monet and Pisarro at first hand. Since settling in Seattle, I have studied various techniques and media.

Norm has exhibited Western and Northwest theme paintings throughout the West. Has participated in major Western Art Shows in Great Falls, Spokane, and Ellensburg.

William Cumming (b. 1917) grew up in Tukwila, Washington. Largely a self-taught artist, he began his career as a painter working on the WPA Federal Art Project in Seattle from 1938 to 1940. Mr. Cumming is often referred to as the youngest member of the “Northwest School” of artists, whose members included Mark Tobey, Morris Graves, Kenneth Callahan, and Guy Anderson.
His figurative paintings are a fantastic celebration of color shining forth from the muted grays of the land and life here in the Pacific Northwest. His works capture children and animals in motion by bringing vibrant color out of light and shadow.
In 1941 the Seattle Art Museum devoted an exhibition to his work. This was his first public showing, but he has had one-man exhibitions at numerous galleries since that time. His paintings hang in the permanent collections of several Northwest Museums, including the Frye Art Museum, as well as a number of corporate sponsored collections.
In addition to an active career as a painter, William Cumming has spent many years teaching art. Most recently at the Art Institute of Seattle, and the Cornish School of Allied Arts.

Beginning with studies in college, Paul has nearly 40 years studying, teaching and being an artist. Having studied and painted alongside such luminaries as Ned Mueller, Austin Dwyer, Greg Beecham and Stephen Quiller, Paul has devoted himself to the mastery of his craft.  His artistic focus has been landscape, wildlife and people of the western United States, and it was in pursuit of these subjects that garnered selection to Art for The Parks in 1997, the Pacific Rim Wildlife Art Show and Pac Rim Art Exposition, as well as the Fred Oldfield Celebration of Western and Wildlife Art and the Juried 2005 Tall Ships Tacoma exhibition.  Paul has recently increased his lifelong love of the sea by turning his attention to nautical and marine works and studying at length with Austin Dwyer.  Strong color and sense of the presence of light is a hallmark of Paul's work. 

Dimico studied with Bob Peak, Charles Reid, Del Gish and Bill Reese. He has won the Grumbacher Art Award (NWWS), the Edmonds 1st of Show Award for drawing, First Place Award for drawing and Second Place Painting Awards at the Mercer Island Show.

A highly regarded Northwest artist, member of the PSGNWP.

Matt has been painting and drawing since he was a boy, his father was a game warden and Matt and his Dad spent much time out in the wilderness. Matt developed a great appreciation for wildlife and natural landscapes from his experience in the wilderness.
In 1984 he pursued a career as a commercial illustrator from the Art Institute in Seattle. He graduated in 1989 in Visual Communication as a designer / illustrator. The many mediums and techniques learned there gave Matt the gift of expressing his own views and experiences in his work.
Matt worked in galleries and custom frame shops since 1985. During this time his desire for the creative environment outside of the commercial illustration and design field grew. To follow a dream of owning his own gallery and custom framing business, he moved to the San Juan Islands in 1998 with his wife Barbara, opening Gallery San Juan & Framing. Now that the business was up and running, he was ready to resume his artistic endeavors painting the San Juan Island's and the Northwest.
Oil is his medium of choice. The versatility of this medium and painting plein air (out in the open air), has brought Matt's work forward in his search to capture the images and emotions of the San Juan's and the Northwest.

Mark was born in Puyallup and has been painting for over 40 years.  He was an Army artist in Vietnam and magazine illustrator for 10 years in Los Angeles.  Some of his exhibitions include Arts for the Parks, Oil Painters of America, National Oil and Acrylic Painters Society, Salon International, the Phippen Museum, Paint the Parks and Paint America.  His traditional realism style specializes in landscape and wildlife.  Downey now resides in Kentucky, but is close to becoming a life member of the PSGNWP.

Born and raised in Seattle, artist Kim Drew creates colorful paintings inspired by the immense beauty of the Pacific Northwest.

Kim Drew graduated with honors from the renowned Art Center of Pasedena, California. His work has appeared in numerous publications including The New York Times, Time/Life and Readers’ Digest. Kim Drew is a five-time Award of Excellence winner from the Society of Illustrators and has exhibited his artwork at Seattle’s Pike Place Market since January 2000.

Selected for group shows at the Frye Art Museum, Nordic Heritage, Maryhill, and the Tacoma Art Museum. Kim Drew's work is represented in the following collections: cities of Seattle, Redmond, Issaquah and Renton, Washington State, Daniel Smith, Evergreen Bank, St. Joseph Hospital, Edgewater Hotel, Inn at the Market, Port of Seattle and Starbucks.

Kim Drew Editions offers limited edition giclée prints on canvas and paper of the artists work.

A painter/illustrator, Duffin studied at the College of the Pacific, Chouinard Art Institute and the Art Center College of Design in Los Angeles. Working as a freelance illustrator, he is a founding member and past president of the San Francisco Society of Illustrators. Later he moved to the Northwest to become a successful architectural illustrator. He is past president and “Life ” member of PSGNWP. He is a contributing member of the Air Force Documentary Art Program. His work has been featured in many regional and national juried exhibitions, including “Arts for the Parks ” top 100 and exhibits at the Frye Museum ’s “Northwest Annual.” He is considered by his peers to be an artist ’s artist. 

Austin Dwyer is an author, musician and painter. He is a life member and past president of The Puget Sound Group of N.W. Painters. He is also a signature member and board member of the American Society of Marine Artists. Born in County Tipperary, Ireland, he served as a cadet in the British Merchant Marine. His travels finally brought him to America where he studied commercial art and illustration at the Burnley School of Professional Art. He taught there for fourteen years. His paintings frequently advertise the merits of Foss Tug and Olympic Tug companies for their calendars. Awards include the Frye Museum, West Coast Paper Show, and the Puget Sound Country Exhibit. He was awarded the West Coast Purchase Award twice. He received an honorable mention in the Expressions West exhibit in 2004 and the Directors Award in the Coo’s Art 11th  Maritime Exhibit. In 2005, Austin, was the featured judge for the 12th. Annual Maritime exhibit. In 2005 he won the award of excellence in the Mystic Seaport International Exhibit. The San Diego Maritime Museum awarded Austin, First, Second and Honorable mention in their Maritime Exhibit in 2006. He is listed in the Maritime Masters of America at the Mystic Seaport Maritime Gallery. He resides in Mukilteo with his wife Meg.

Born in 1943 and raised on a farm in Sublimity, Oregon his interest in art began at an early age and he spent much of his time drawing. After earning a degree in commercial art, he found himself more interested in fine art especially the impressionistic art of the old masters. In 1974, he turned to the medium of watercolor to express his feelings of the world around him. The Pacific Northwest with its islands, mountains, and cities, now provide inspirations for his landscapes. He paints what he sees, waterfalls, boats shrouded by mist, and his unique and colorful signature of “rain people” huddled beneath umbrellas waiting for a bus or ferry. He achieves that goal with his instinctive ability to blend colors utilizing his wet style of soft impressionistic painting. John is one of the most widely collected Northwest artists with work in many corporate collections. He is a past President of the Northwest Watercolor Society and a member of the Puget Sound Group of Northwest Painters. His work is published in limited editions and distributed nationally by Minnesota based Hadley House. John and his wife Paula reside on Camano Island, north of Seattle. His home faces west into the sunsets, which illuminate his view of the Puget Sound and its islands beyond.

An art school dropout in 1957, Clark took up painting again in 1984 and soon thereafter began earning widespread recognition for his award-winning work accepted in juried regional and national exhibitions, as well as in one-man exhibits in Washington, Oregon and California. His paintings have been featured twice in “American Artists ” and at the 1986 World ’s Fair. They  are in private, corporate and public collections in Europe, Japan, Canada and throughout the United States. Painting a wide range of subjects, his work in pastels is best described as representational impressionism with emphasis on marine and northwest landscapes. He studied art at Lewis and Clark University in Portland, Oregon, as well as with nationally acclaimed artists Doug Dawson, Albert Handel, Daniel Greene, Lorenzo Chavez, and David Lefell to name just a few. He is a signature member (Master Pastellists) and past president of the Northwest Pastel Society, member of the Oregon Pastel Society and member and past president PSGNWP. He is author and illustrator of the book  “Two Americans in Norway.”

An American Academy of Art graduate Don has over 20 years experience in advertising art. His specialty wildlife art. Don grew up in the Southern Wisconsin dairy community of Elkhorn where much of his childhood was spent in the outdoors fishing, hunting and roaming the countryside. As he watched the Canadian geese, Teal and Mallard migrations they became an inspiration for his early efforts as a wildlife artist. After WW 11, he studied Graphic Arts at the American Academy of Art, the Studio School of Art and the Institute of Design in Chicago. Advertising and studio work followed until he moved west to enjoy the open spaces of Colorado. There he worked 19 years as Art Director and Artist for the Navigators, an international Christian organization. After a trip to Africa to photograph wild life, he began painting full time in the spring of 1975. His art reflects his love of wildlife and captures the natural grace and dignity of the animals hen knows so well. Don’s paintings give the viewer the feeling that he or she has become an unseen observer in the animal kingdom.