I feel truly fortunate to be an artist, painting the people and places of my daily life, whether standing outdoors in shifting light or working quietly in my studio, and it brings me great joy to share these daptured moments with others.
ARTIST STATEMENT
I count myself fortunate to be an artist. My paintings reflect the scenes and people in my daily life and many are begun or painted entirely on location or from life. Painting “en plein air” is filled with both challenges and great pleasure. No day is ever the same. To smell the earth and be surrounded by birdsong is a gift, and when it’s the coldest or wettest of weather I can retreat to the sanctuary of my studio. And so, I join a long history of adventurers who translate the beauty of their surroundings onto canvas with brushes and paint. It gives me great pleasure to share these moments in time with those who live with my paintings in their lives.
About Kathie
Kathie Wheeler is a classically trained representational oil painter who's work is inspired by the people and places in her life. She grew up in the Chicago area and studied at the American Academy of Art and now lives on a small farm with her husband in the beautiful Driftless area of Wisconsin. Kathie is a lifelong student of painting and she loves to pass on her passion to others. She is a signature member of Oil Painters of America, American Impressionist Society and American Women Artists, is the Wisconsin State Ambassador and member of the Portrait Society of America, and serves as the chair of the board of the American Impressionist Society.
Affiliations
- American Impressionist Society, Signature Member, Board Chair
- Oil Painters of America, Signature Member
- American Women Artists, Signature Member
- Portrait Society of America, Associate Member, Wisconsin State Ambassador
Education
1982–1983
American Academy of Art, Chicago, IL
Workshops with: Romel De la Torre, Timothy Reese, Clayton Beck, Michelle Dunaway, Deborah Paris, and Brian Stewart.
Gallery Representation
- Gallery 1802 – La Crosse, WI
- Fine Line Designs Gallery – Ephraim, WI
- Mainstreet Gallery – Lake Zurich, IL
- Kathie Wheeler Fine Art – Viroqua, WI (Studio)
Professional Experience, Teaching & Workshops
2018
• The Poetry of Plein Air Painting, Cedarburg, WI
2017
• Portrait Workshop, Stillwater, MN
• Plein Air Workshop, Lake Zurich, IL
2016
• Judge, Red Wing Plein Air
• Judge, Wisconsin Regional Art Program
• Judge, Plein Air Hudson
• Portrait Workshop, St. Paul, MN
• Get Funky Get Loose, Viroqua, WI
• Intro to Oil Painting, La Crosse, WI
• Portrait Workshop, Peninsula School of Art, Fish Creek, WI
2015
• Judge, Cedarburg Plein Air Festival
• Weekly Oil Painting Class
2014
• Judge, Between the Bluffs Plein Air
• Weekly Oil Painting Class
• Plein Air Workshop, La Crosse, WI
• Portrait Workshop, Viroqua, WI
Juried Shows
2024
AIS National Exhibition, Rockport Art Association, Rockport, MA
2023
AIS Small Works Exhibition, District Gallery, Knoxville, TN
2022
AIS Small Works Exhibition, Wilder Nightingale Gallery, Taos, NM
2021
• Portrait Society Members Show
• OPA National Exhibition, Escondido, CA
• AIS National Exhibition, Omaha, NE
2020
• OPA Eastern Regional, Charleston, SC
• AIS Small Works Showcase, Fredericksburg, TX
2019
• AIS National Exhibition, Salmagundi Club, NY
• AIS Small Works Showcase, Petoskey, MI
2018
• AIS Impressions Small Works Showcase, Cincinnati, OH
• OPA Salon Show, Traverse City, MI
• AIS National Exhibition, Fish Creek, WI
• OPA Eastern Regional Show, Annapolis, MD
2017
• AIS National Exhibition, Park City, UT
• Northern National Art Competition, WI – Award of Excellence
2016
• OPA Eastern Regional, Cincinnati, OH
• AIS National Show, Kirkland, WA
• OPA Online Showcase
2015
• Virtuosos of OPA, Salmagundi Club, NY
• OPA Salon Show, Birmingham, AL
• OPA Eastern Regional, Indiana
• AIS National Exhibition, Scottsdale, AZ
2014
• OPA National, Bennington, VT
• AWA National, Orleans, MA
• OPA Eastern Regional, Cincinnati, OH
• AIS National Exhibition, Denver, CO
2013
• OPA Eastern Regional, Annapolis, MD
• Plein Air Easton, MD
• OPA National, Fredericksburg, TX
• OPA Salon Show, Petoskey, MI
2012
• OPA Eastern Regional, Bennington, VT
• OPA Eastern Regional, Orleans, MA
2011
• Door County Plein Air Invitational, WI
• Salon International, San Antonio, TX
• OPA Eastern Regional, NC
2010
• OPA Eastern Regional, NC
• Door County Plein Air Invitational, WI
• Wayne Plein Air Festival, PA
2009
• Door County Plein Air Invitational, WI
• Telluride Plein Air, CO
• Wayne Plein Air Festival, PAI
Awards
2025
• AIS Small Works Exhibition, Best of Show
• American Impressionist Society National Exhibition Award of Excellence
2024
• Modern Impressionist Salon Top 20
2023
• AIS National Exhibition, Best of Show
2022
• AIS Small Works Exhibition, Second and Third Place
2021
• Portrait Society Members Show, Fourth Place
2020
• OPA Eastern Regional, Award of Excellence
2019
• AIS National Exhibition, Portraiture Award of Merit
2018
• AIS National Exhibition, Wet Paint Honorable Mention
• OPA Eastern Regional, Portraiture Award of Excellence
2017
• BoldBrush Competition, Finalist
• Northern National Art Competition, Award of Excellence
2016
• Cedarburg Plein Air Festival, Honorable Mention
2014
• Cedarburg Plein Air Festival, Best in Show
• Cedarburg Plein Air Festival, Second Place Quick Paint
2013
• Between the Bluffs Plein Air, Best in Show
• Between the Bluffs Plein Air, First Place Quick Paint
• Cedarburg Plein Air, Honorable Mention
2012
• Cedarburg Plein Air, Honorable Mention
2011
• Richeson 75 Wisconsin Plein Air Exhibit, Best in Show
2010
• Colorado Mountain Plein Air, Second Place
• Red Wing Plein Air Festival, Best Quick Paint
• Beloit Plein Air, Best of Show
• International Fine Art Painting Competition, Best Portrait/Figurative
2009
• Milwaukee Plein Air, First Place
• Wayne Plein Air, Honorable Mention
Museum Shows
2023
• Brookgreen Gardens, American Women Artists, Pushing Forward, Reaching Back, Murrells Inlet, SC
2022
• Steamboat Art Museum, OPA Juried Show of Traditional Oils, Steamboat, CO
2021
• California Center for the Arts, Escondido Museum, OPA National Exhibition
2020
• Booth Western Art Museum, American Women Artists, Making Their Mark
2018
• Steamboat Art Museum, OPA National Juried Show
• Rockwell Museum, American Women Artists, Corning, NY
2017
• Cedarburg Art Museum, Solo Exhibition, Cedarburg, WI
