June 2025 PleinAir Salon Awards

The awards for the June 2025 PleinAir Salon Art Competition were announced on July 31st. The selections were made by judge, Larry Moore. The overall and category winners will now be included in the judging for the 15th Annual PleinAir Salon Competition being awarded in May 2026.

FIRST PLACE

A dark, moody painting of pale pink and white roses with green stems, softly illuminated against a shadowy background, creating a dramatic and romantic atmosphere. 15th Annual PleinAir Salon Art Competition

Jen Starling, Dreamscape
Oil, 16×12 in.

“The flower painting was an almost immediate choice for best of show. It’s a great example of making the ordinary extraordinary. The way the flowers float in the dark space is compelling. The space itself has variety in the negative shapes, no two distances are the same. There is a beautiful range of variety in mark-making and edges, and the flowers themselves move forward and backward in space.”

SECOND PLACE

Esther Chan (Hong Kong), You’ll Be Alright
Oil, 31.5×23.6 in.

“The figurative piece shows more than just ability. There’s an idea in it, a narrative. The veil means something, symbolizes something important, and it’s up to the viewer to figure out what that means to them. It’s thoughtful, delicate, and masterfully done.”

A woman with closed eyes, wearing a purple top, is gently wrapped in soft, flowing white fabric suspended against a pale blue background. The scene conveys calmness and serenity. 15th Annual PleinAir Salon Art Competition

THIRD PLACE

A garden with pink and purple flowers and lush green foliage stands in front of a house with cream walls and a red chimney, partially obscured by tall plants. The scene is painted in an impressionist style. 15th Annual PleinAir Salon Art Competition

Daniel Keys, Hollyhock Garden
Oil, 10×8 in.

“The plein air landscape is a masterclass in one of the most important tenets I’ve found in creative expression: variation. The house isn’t the star, it’s a supporting cast member for the flower garden. Every leaf and flower has its own identity. No shape or color repeats exactly; that’s variation in a nutshell.”

CATEGORY WINNERS

Each category award winner is now entered into the Annual Competition. Judges will review all the winners from the 15th Annual PleinAir Salon, and we will award over $26,000 at the Annual Competition held in May 2026.

A dramatic desert landscape features tall cacti and dry shrubs under a vast sky filled with billowing clouds, with sun rays breaking through and illuminating patches of the ground. 15th Annual PleinAir Salon Art Competition

Large red and metallic industrial gears and shafts are interconnected inside a structure, set against a backdrop of windows showing green grass and trees outside. Sunlight streams in, casting shadows on the machinery. 15th Annual PleinAir Salon Art Competition

A serene mountain landscape with rugged, snow-capped peaks, sunlit slopes, green forests, and a clear, reflective lake in the foreground beneath a partly cloudy sky. 15th Annual PleinAir Salon Art Competition

Sunlight filters through tall trees onto a cracked driveway leading to a small shed, with scattered tools and objects near the shed, and a shadowed building on the right. 15th Annual PleinAir Salon Art Competition

A colorful trout swims upward with its mouth open among submerged branches in a clear underwater scene, with other fish visible in the background and sunlight filtering through the water. 15th Annual PleinAir Salon Art Competition

Waves crash dramatically against rugged rocks under a cloudy sky, creating white foam and spray in a turbulent seascape. 15th Annual PleinAir Salon Art Competition

An Indigenous elder wearing a feathered headdress and traditional clothing stands outdoors, hands folded, with a calm expression against a natural background of trees and greenery. 15th Annual PleinAir Salon Art Competition

A painting of sunlit broken trees on a hilltop, overlooking a bright, green valley with distant hills and scattered clouds in the sky. Shadows and patches of sunlight highlight the woodland scenery. 15th Annual PleinAir Salon Art Competition

A hazy, atmospheric landscape painting with muted, soft tones. Faint light breaks through heavy clouds above a misty horizon, with small, distant blue lights visible near the ground. The overall mood is calm and mysterious. 15th Annual PleinAir Salon Art Competition

A black-and-white portrait of a young person with long hair wearing a wide-brimmed hat, partially in shadow, looking directly at the camera with a neutral expression. 15th Annual PleinAir Salon Art Competition

A woman in a flowing blue dress poses gracefully on a beach at night, reaching toward a large glowing full moon in a cloudy sky, with waves lapping at her feet and a sheer scarf draped around her arms. 15th Annual PleinAir Salon Art Competition

A painted scene of a sunlit patio with a round white table and two ornate chairs, surrounded by plants and dappled with shadows, against a brick wall with a window and leafy vines. 15th Annual PleinAir Salon Art Competition

A painting of a sandhill crane with a red crown walking in front of large, bright red-orange flowers with green leaves on a colorful, abstract background. 15th Annual PleinAir Salon Art Competition

A vibrant, impressionist-style painting of assorted flowers, including deep purple, pink, and red roses, with white lilies, surrounded by green leaves against a softly blurred background. 15th Annual PleinAir Salon Art Competition

A lush green landscape featuring a large tree with spreading branches, surrounded by dense foliage. Sunlight filters through the leaves, casting dappled light on the ground. A small pond or stream appears in the background. 15th Annual PleinAir Salon Art Competition

A vibrant watercolor painting of rolling hills, featuring layers of green, yellow, and brown tones with touches of blue, under a clear pale blue sky. 15th Annual PleinAir Salon Art Competition

A stone staircase surrounded by lush greenery leads up to an arched stone wall, with sunlight filtering through the trees and casting dappled shadows on the scene. 15th Annual PleinAir Salon Art Competition

A colorful still life painting featuring apples, strawberries, blueberries, and peaches arranged on a table with a decorative teapot and vibrant flowers scattered throughout the scene. 15th Annual PleinAir Salon Art Competition

A tall tree with sweeping branches stands on a hill, overlooking a sunlit, green valley with winding rivers and distant fields under a partly cloudy sky. 15th Annual PleinAir Salon Art Competition

A vintage green race car with the number 20 is being serviced by mechanics in white uniforms at a pit stop, while several people stand and watch in the background near signs and tools. 15th Annual PleinAir Salon Art Competition

CATEGORY HONORABLE MENTIONS

The category honorable mention recipients are eligible to re-enter their paintings into future competitions.

Charcoal sketch of three people outdoors—one seated and drawing, a standing man facing a woman who wears a wide-brimmed hat and is sketching at an easel. The scene suggests an outdoor art class. 15th Annual PleinAir Salon Art Competition

A colorful painting of a pond with water lilies, surrounded by tall green grasses and trees under a bright blue sky with clouds. The artwork uses bold, expressive brushstrokes and vibrant shades of blue, green, and red. 15th Annual PleinAir Salon Art Competition

A realistic painting of a light-colored dog with long ears lying on a furry blanket against a dark brown background. The dog looks relaxed and gazes softly forward. 15th Annual PleinAir Salon Art Competition

A person with long hair and a wide-brimmed hat rides a white horse through a desert landscape with green shrubs, under a sky filled with large, puffy clouds. 15th Annual PleinAir Salon Art Competition

A vast landscape with a dark green field under a dramatic cloudy sky, featuring a faint rainbow emerging from heavy rain and sunlight breaking through the clouds. 15th Annual PleinAir Salon Art Competition

A painting of a green palm tree in the foreground, set against grassy land and blue ocean waves, with a distant sailboat on the horizon beneath a cloudy sky. 15th Annual PleinAir Salon Art Competition

Clear water cascades over large rocks in a forest stream, creating whitewater and splashes. Lush green foliage surrounds the rocky creek, evoking a peaceful, natural atmosphere. 15th Annual PleinAir Salon Art Competition

A clear glass jar lies on its side, spilling out colorful assorted licorice candies onto a reflective surface with a dark background. 15th Annual PleinAir Salon Art Competition

A sunlit storefront with large windows, flower boxes filled with greenery, and shadows of tree branches across the light-colored walls. Inside, plants and displayed items are visible. The sidewalk is made of red bricks. 15th Annual PleinAir Salon Art Competition

An evening street scene shows a warmly lit boutique window display featuring mannequins in colorful dresses, handbags, and hats, viewed from the sidewalk under a striped awning and streetlight. 15th Annual PleinAir Salon Art Competition

A calm, clear lake with rocks and a log visible underwater in the foreground, reflecting surrounding pine trees and a cloudy sky along its greenish surface. Sunlight filters through the trees at the forests edge. 15th Annual PleinAir Salon Art Competition

A vibrant, abstract painting of a waterfall surrounded by rocks and greenery, with broad, energetic brushstrokes in white, yellow, green, and purple, capturing the movement and light of the scene. 15th Annual PleinAir Salon Art Competition

A painting of a blue and white sailboat docked in a harbor with calm water, reflections, and distant hills under a gray, overcast sky. Other boats are partially visible nearby. 15th Annual PleinAir Salon Art Competition

A watercolor painting of a sunlit house with blue and purple tones, surrounded by trees with autumn foliage, a garden in front, and soft shadows creating a peaceful, inviting atmosphere. 15th Annual PleinAir Salon Art Competition

A striped yellow and white vase holds bright yellow gerbera daisies, set against a backdrop of red and white striped fabric that drapes around the arrangement. The scene is vibrant and colorful. 15th Annual PleinAir Salon Art Competition

A vibrant, abstract portrait of a woman with colorful, swirling patterns and shapes overlaying her face and background, blending hues of blue, yellow, green, and orange in a dynamic, dreamlike composition. 15th Annual PleinAir Salon Art Competition

A sunlit forest scene with trees and branches covered in thick, bright snow. Light filters through the trees, casting blue and golden shadows on the snowy ground. 15th Annual PleinAir Salon Art Competition

A still life painting of pears on plates, a knife, a glass, a small bowl, a cup, and a vase of colorful flowers on a pink patterned tablecloth. The arrangement is viewed from above. 15th Annual PleinAir Salon Art Competition

TOP 100 FINALISTS

Each month all the entries are reviewed and scored by a judge. The paintings with the highest scores become the Top 100 Finalists. (In the event of tied scores, there may be more than 100). The awards for the monthly competition are selected from this group of finalist.

June 2025 Awards

FIRST PLACE

SECOND PLACE

THIRD PLACE

CATEGORY WINNERS

CATEGORY HONORABLE MENTIONS

TOP 100 FINALISTS

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