Lori Putnam, AIS & OPAM

Modern Impressionism stretches the boundaries with artists painting in styles ranging from near realism to almost abstraction. Putnam’s work is closer to the latter.

Recognized for her expressive brushwork, contemporary compositions, and intelligent use of color, Nashville, Tennessee native Lori Putnam paints small to medium-sized works in plein air and creates large paintings in her studio. Having painted and taught in more than 30 different countries (including Ukraine, New Zealand, Guatemala, much of Europe, and the UK), she believes that works created from life help her maintain freshness in her studio paintings. Lori Putnam (b. 1962) grew up in the Tennessee countryside. With no neighbors for miles, she credits her love of the outdoors and creative spirit to those many hours spent by herself as a young child. Her high school art classes became one of the first places she recognized an aptitude for drawing and the desire to paint. However, it was many years and career choices later that Putnam considered a life as a fine artist.In 1991, Putnam started and managed a graphic design company. For the next 13 years, she refined her composition and color sense, but a beginning class in 1997 reignited her love of oil painting. By 1999, she was taking weekly lessons. Her early works were more tightly rendered and tonal in style. Painting mainly still life, the artist studied drawing and the techniques of the old masters with bold contrasts, glazing, and little to no apparent brushwork. Those early teachers and mentors taught her foundational principles and skills. But somewhere deep down, she felt a different artist stirring. A pivotal moment came in 2001 when she wandered into the studio of Dawn Whitelaw. Within a year, she rented a studio next to hers, and a lifelong friendship grew.  By 2005, she was burned out with graphic design. The desire to paint was no longer something she could ignore, and she left her business to have time to dedicate to learning to paint. Studying with Scott L. Christensen in May of that year was one of her most important choices. Along with Quang Ho and Kevin Macpherson, these artists’ friendships and emotional support continue to provide a significant source of encouragement.Needing time for more intense focus, she and her husband, Mark, sold their home and belongings and traveled to the Italian countryside in 2008 to live for eight months with the sole purpose of self-study and artistic experimentation. The concentrated work accomplished during that period triggered Putnam's artistic growth and resulted in a personal breakthrough.No stranger to hard work and dedication, Putnam is now recognized as one of the top living artists. Her paintings are highly sought after by collectors. They have been featured in numerous past issues, such as Western Art Collector, American Art Collector Magazine, Plein Air Magazine, Southwest Art, Fine Art Connoisseur, and Art of the West. In addition, she is a member of many respected organizations, including the Salmagundi Club in New York City, the Oil Painters of America, the Portrait Society of America, the National Oil and Acrylic Painters Society, American Women Artists, and the California Art Club. Her paintings have received top awards in exhibitions associated with these organizations and dozens of invitational events and exhibitions. Museums, including The Tucson Museum of Art, The Brinton Museum in Big Horn, Wyoming, The Hockaday Museum of Art in Kalispell, Montana, Custom’s House Museum, Clarksville, Tennessee, The High Museum in Atlanta, Georgia, the Irvine Museum in California, and The Academy Art Museum in Easton, Maryland have sought out Putnam’s works for awards, exhibitions, and permanent collection.  In 2019, she accepted an appointment as Vice President of Art Ambassador for A Colorful World and travels often to work with children in less advantaged areas. These experiences shed light on her purpose. Putnam says, “It is finally clear why I am here on the Earth. Bringing joy and laughter amidst the most horrific circumstances fills my soul.”In 2021, Putnam won the $15,000 Grand Prize and the People’s Choice Award for the Plein Air Salon Competition. The two paintings that received the awards were chosen from over 12,000 entries. Signature Member status in the California Art Club, the top tier of CAC Membership, was granted in 2024. These artists are elected to this status by the CAC Board of Directors and a panel of their peers.In 2025, Putnam was awarded Oil Painters of America Master Signature Member. The highest level of membership, a Master Signature Artist, is conferred by the OPA Board of Directors according to the exceptional merit of work and accomplishment in the field of art. They now have the privilege of using the initials OPAM following their signature.  ARTIST STATEMENTMy work is known for its raw, dynamic energy and freshness. It is an intimate journey that blurs the lines between impressionism, abstraction, and realism and conveys the unique character of a scene. Fearless exploration of color and brushwork allows me to portray the visual and emotional depth of any subject.My painting process is an intuitive response. I do not begin every canvas the same way. Instead, I allow myself the joy and feel of the paint, pulling off the brush, slightly adjusting the pressure onto the canvas, giving in to spontaneity. Having a firm idea is essential for me. Sometimes, my planning is quite thorough. Other times, the idea has been developing in my head for years, and the painting seems to paint itself.I learn directly from nature, seizing the transient qualities of light, color, atmosphere, and authenticity, things I cannot capture in a photo. My on-location studies and visual memories are my primary resources for creating paintings in the studio. Developing a solid visual memory is like recording snapshots of shapes, values, and colors in the Rolodex of my brain. The key to doing this effectively is to practice observing and paying close attention all of the time, not just when I am painting.The hard work is done 20 feet away from the canvas, in my head, making careful decisions. Once I know what to do, I approach the easel and paint an intentional and meaningful brushstroke. No dabbing, no blending. Hard and soft edges are created by varying the pressure of the mark as it is laid down or by subtle shifts in value or hue. I am satisfied only when the painting "reads" from a distance but still appears as abstract shapes when viewed up close.
 Recent, (selected) Awards:
2023First Place, Signature Member Award, American Impressionist Society Online Exhibition
Silver Award, Art in the Open Festival
Alden Bryan Memorial Prize, Salmagundi Club New York 193rd Annual Members’ Show2022Second Place, Pause apre-midi, American Impressionist Society National Juried Exhibition, Awarded by Huihan Liu
Art of the West Award, American Women Artists, Breaking Through: The Rise of Women Artists, Awarded by Terri Jordan, Jim Hoobler, and Susan Tinney.
Best Architecture Award, Paint the Town, Dickson2021Best Cityscape, Pause apre-midi, Oil Painters of America Salon, Awarded by Charles Young Walls
$15,000 Grand Prize, Safe Harbor, Plein air Salon 10th Annual Awards
People’s Choice, Headin’ Home, Plein air Salon 10th Annual Award
3rd Place, Safe Harbor, American Women Artists’ Spring Online Showcase
3rd Place, Safe Harbor, January Bold Brush Competition2020Sicilian Roots: NOAPS 2020 Spring International Online Exhibition, Best Use of Light and Color awarded by Del-Bourre Bach
Summer Cut, First Place Best Floral, Plein air Salon, awarded by Diane Waterhouse
Merit Award, NOAPS Fall Online Showcase, awarded by Larry DeGraff 
1st Place Overall, Safe Harbor, October Plein air Salon Competition, awarded by Karen Hewitt
1st Place Overall, Safe Harbor, November Plein air Salon Competition, awarded by Cynthia McBride Exhibitions:2020Sibling Rivalry: Lori Putnam and James Richardson, Meyer Vogl Gallery, Charleston, SCOil Painters of America 30th National Juried Exhibition, RS Hanna Gallery, Fredericksburg, TXOil Painters of America Salon Show Juried Exhibition of Traditional OilsAmerican Impressionist Society 21st Annual National Juried Exhibition, Illume Gallery of Fine Art, St. George, UTCalifornia Art Club 109th Annual Gold Medal ExhibitionSalmagundi Club New York Annual Members’ ShowCustoms House Museum, Wonders of the West Exhibition, Clarksville, TN2019American Impressionist Society 3rd Annual Impressions Small Works Exhibition, Crooked Tree Arts Center,Petoskey MichiganNOAPS Spring International Online ExhibitionOil Painters of America 29th National Juried Exhibition, Ilume Gallery of Fine Art, St. George, UTSalmagundi Club Annual Members’ Exhibition, NYC, NYTeam USA/HMI Medical Conference, UkraineSalmagundi Spring 2019 Auction, NYC, NYVirtuosos of OPA, Cutter & Cutter Fine Art, St. Augustine, FLNOAPS 2019 Best of America Small Painting National Juried Exhibition, RS Hanna Gallery, Fredericksburg, T2018American Impressionist Society 19th Annual National Juried Exhibition, Peninsula School of Art, Fish Creek, WINational Oil and Acrylic Painters Association 28th International Juried Best of America Exhibition, Eisele Gallery of Fine Art, Cincinnati, OHWaterton-Glacier International Peace Parks Exhibition, Hockaday Museum, Kalispell, MTPlein air Easton Juried Exhibition, Easton, MDFlorida's Forgotten Coast Plein air Invitational Judge's Exhibition, Apalachicola, FLLeQuire Gallery Solo Exhibition, Nashville, TNMaui Plein air Invitational, Maui, Hawaii2017Legacy Gallery Small Works Show, Scottsdale, AZThe Brinton 101, Big Horn, WYAnglin Smith Fall Exhibition, Charleston, SCArt in the Open, Adjudicator and Guest Exhibitor, Wexford, IrelandFlorida's Forgotten Coast Plein Air Invitational, Apalachicola, FLLaguna Plein Air Painters in Residence: Birds, Bees and Botanicals Juried Art Show, Laguna, CAMaui Plein Air Invitational, Maui, HawaiiAmerican Impressionist Society, Impressions: Small Works Showcase, Randy Higbee Gallery, Costa Mesa, CACalifornia Art Club 106th Annual Gold Medal Exhibition, Autry Museum, Los Angeles, CA2016Legacy Gallery Small Works Show, Scottsdale, AZTucson Museum of Art, The New Westward: Trains, Planes, and Automobiles that Move the Modern WestLaguna Plein air Painters Association Signature Member Exhibition, Huntington Beach, CAScottsdale Artists' School Beaux Arts Exhibition, Scottsdale, AZSedona Arts Center, Judge's Exhibition, Sedona AZAmerican Impressionist Society Annual Juried Exhibition, Howard Mandville Gallery, Kirkland, WA, Award of ExcellenceOil Painters of America Salon Exhibition, Castle Gallery, Fort Wayne, INOil Painters of American National Juried Exhibition, Southwest Gallery, Dallas, TXLaguna Plein air Painters Association Plein air Invitational, Laguna Beach, CAThe Chestnut Group, Harpeth River Watershed Conservation Exhibition, Nashville, TNBeverly McNeil Gallery Sporting and Wildlife Show, Birmingham, ALThe Brinton Museum Small Works Exhibition, Big Horn, WYMaynard Dixon Camp Out, The Thunderbird Foundation, Mt. Carmel, UTFlorida's Forgotten Coast Plein Air Invitational, Apalachicola, FL, Artists' Choice Best in Show Award and Third Place Quick DrawOutdoor Painters Society Guest Artist, Southwest Gallery, Dallas, TXCalifornia Art Club 105th Gold Medal Exhibition, Autry Museum, Los Angeles, CAAll Along the Sierra, Epperson Gallery, Crocket, CA, First PlaceCastle Gallery Valentine Invitational, Fort Wayne, INMaui Plein air Invitational, HI, Irvine Museum Award2015Laguna Plein Air Painters Association, Home for the Holidays, Laguna Beach, CALaguna Plein Air Painters Association, Along the Camino Real, San Juan Capistrano, CALegacy Gallery Small Works Show, Bozeman, MT and Scottsdale, AZLaguna Plein air Invitational, Laguna Beach, CAAmerican Impressionist Society Annual National Juried Exhibition, Scottsdale, AZOil Painters of America Juried Salon Show, Birmingham, ALOutdoor Painters Society, Dallas, TXWestern Masters Heart of the West Exhibition and Auction, Coeur d’Alene, IDJudge, Door County Plein air Invitational, Door County, WILPAPA, California Impressionism: Plein air painting, Past and Present, Huntington Beach, CASolo Exhibition, Debra Huse Gallery, Balboa Island, CASpirit of Sedona Keynote Speaker and Guest Artist, Sedona, AZFlorida's Forgotten Coast Plein Air Invitational, Apalachicola, FLOlmsted Plein Air Invitational, Atlanta, GA, High Museum Judge's AwardOut West Show and Sale, Great Falls, MTMaui Plein Air Invitational, HI2014Celebrating Florida’s Landscapes, Solo Exhibition, Sarasota, FLLaguna Plein air Invitational, Laguna Beach, CA, Randy Higbee Gallery AwardPlein air Artists of Colorado National Juried Exhibition, Denver, COJudge, Finger Lakes Plein air Competition, Canandaigua, NYAmerican Impressionist Society National Juried Exhibition, Denver, CO, 3rd PlaceCrested Butte Plein air Invitational, Crested Butte, COSalmagundi Masters, New York, NYForgotten Coast Plein air Invitational, Apalachicola, FL, Honorable Mention Quick DrawOil Painter’s of America National Juried Exhibition, Bennington, VTPlein air Salon, 2013-14, FinalistMaui Plein air Invitational7 in the Spotlight, Illume Gallery of Fine Art, Salt Lake City, UT2013Oil Painters of American Online Showcase, Honorable MentionCumberland Society of Painters, Nashville, TN, Honorable MentionLaguna Plein air Painters Association, Best of Plein air, First PlacePlein Air Richmond, Juried Plein air Festival, Honorable MentionOil Painters of America Fall Salon, Crooked-Tree Arts Center, Petosky, MIPlein Air Artists of Colorado, National Juried Exhibition, Denver, CO, Second PlaceSedona Plein air Festival, Sedona, AZ, Merit Award“Art in the Open” Plein Air, Wexford, IrelandModern Impressionists, Lori Putnam and Murat Kaboulov, two-man exhibit, Nashville, TNOil Painter’s of American National Juried Exhibition, Fredericksburg, TXLaguna Plein air Painters Association, Less is More Exhibition, Laguna Beach, CAForgotten Coast Plein air Invitational, Port St. Joe, FL2012Salmagundi NYC Annual Juried Members’ Exhibition, Certificate of MeritJudge, Easels of Frederick Plein air Festival, Frederick, MDPlein Air Richmond, Juried Plein air Festival, Honorable MentionPlein Air Artists of Colorado National Juried Exhibition, Denver, CO, 1st Place Signature Member AwardLos Gatos Plein air Festival, Best of Show, Los Gatos, CAWomen Painters of the Southeast, Juried Exhibition, Juror’s Choice AwardPlein air Easton Juried Plein air Festival, Easton, MDAmerican Impressionist Society National Juried Exhibition and Vice President, Indianapolis, INForgotten Coast Plein air Invitational, Apalachicola, FL2011American Impressionists Society National Juried Exhibition and Show Chair, Carmel, CAPlein Air Painters of the Southeast, Group Exhibition, Huntsville Museum of Art“Art in the Open” Plein Air, Wexford, IrelandLos Gatos Plein air Festival, Artists’ Choice Award, Los Gatos, CAEric Rhoads Publisher’s Invitational, “Paint the Adirondacks”Randy Higbee, “6x6 Squared” ExhibitionLaguna Plein Air Painters Association, “Best of Plein Air” ExhibitionCallaway Gardens Plein Air Festival, Pine Mountain, GA, First Place in the Quick Draw CompetitionJuror and Judge for the Memphis Germantown Art League National ExhibitionJuror and Judge for the 87th Annual Hoosier Salon, Indianapolis, INPlein Air Artists of Colorado Juried Exhibition, Denver, COForgotten Coast Plein air Invitational, Honorable Mention Quick Draw, Port St. Joe, FL