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Michael Obermeyer Biography
A native of Southern California, Michael Obermeyer received a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Illustration at California State University, Long Beach. A twenty year career in illustration included works for Disney Studios, the Anaheim Angels, McDonnell Douglas, Coldwell Banker, and the United States Air Force. Because of his illustration background, he is equally comfortable with the landscape and the figure. Many of his paintings are in the U.S. Air Force Historical Art Collection in the Smithsonian Institute and the Pentagon.
He recently won the "Collector's Choice Award" and the “Fine Art Connoisseur Award” at the Laguna Beach Invitational Plein Air Competition as well as the "Best of Show" at the Grand Canyon Celebration of Art and the Gold Medal at the Carmel Art Festival. Collectors include the Marriott Hotels and Resorts, The Irvine Company, Hoag Hospital, California State Parks and many corporate as well as private commissions.
Michael is a member of the Oil Painters of America, The Society of Illustrators, and a Signature Member of both the the California Art Club and the Laguna Plein Air Painters Association.
Currently, his paintings are showing at galleries in Carmel, Sonoma, Claremont, and in Laguna Beach, where he is a regular exhibitor at the Festival of Arts.
He maintains his studio in Laguna Beach, California.

ARTIST STATEMENT
“As an illustrator, I've always created art to fit others needs. Painting, however, offers me the opportunity to create for myself, to allow others to see how I perceive life around me, and to totally escape from the real world for awhile. I enjoy painting outdoors and working quickly. It keeps my paintings fresh and spontaneous. I especially like to paint as much of the open space that I can, as it seems to be rapidly disappearing.
When painting outdoors, en plein air, I must work quickly due to the changing light. Therefore I have a limited palette of four to seven colors. This orderly layout also enables me to mix clean, fresh color.
I try to find subject matter that fascinates me. Nature provides the perfect balance of shape, value and color - the three elements that I find most important in painting. It can be so satisfying and I feel blessed for that.”
Gregory Peck once said, 'I love my God, my wife, my family, and my job. I am the damn luckiest man on earth.' As someone who gets to paint for a living, that pretty much says it all for me.

EXHIBITIONS AND HONORS
• 2014 Laguna Beach Plein Air Painting Invitational - FINE ART CONNOISSEUR
   AWARD and THE ARGYROS FAMILY FOUNDATION AWARD      
• 2014 Grand Canyon Celebration of Art - BEST OF SHOW
• 2014 Carmel Plein Air Painting Competition - SECOND PLACE
• 2014 California Art Club 103rd Gold Medal Juried Exhibition
• 2013 Laguna Beach Plein Air Painting Invitational - SOUTHWEST ART
             QUICK-DRAW AWARD
•  2013 California Art Club 102nd Gold Medal Juried Exhibition
•  2013 Carmel Plein Air Painting Competition - HONORABLE MENTION
•  2012 Laguna Beach Plein Air Painting Invitational - CRYSTAL COVE FOUNDATION AWARD
•  2012 Carmel Plein Air Painting Competition - HONORABLE MENTION
•  2012 “On Location in Malibu” Frederick R. Weisman Museum of Art
     at Pepperdine University
•  2012 California Art Club 101st Gold Medal Juried Exhibition
•  2012 Plein Air Southwest Salon, Dallas, TX - PLEIN AIR MAGAZINE
             AWARD OF EXCELLENCE
• 2012 “Fresh Paint” Exhibition, Laguna Plein Air Painters Association
              FIRST PLACE
•  California Light-A Century of Landscapes  Paintings of the California Art Club,        Skira Rizzoli Publications
•  2011 California Art Club 100th Gold Medal Juried Exhibition
•  2011 “Gold Coast” Exhibition, Oceanside Museum of Art
•  2011 ‘A Luminous Land” Carnegie Art Museum, Oxnard, CA
•  2010 California Art Club Gold Medal Juried Exhibition
•  2010 Balboa “Just Plein Fun” Exhibition - ARTIST’S CHOICE
•  2010 Hearst Castle Plein Air Invitational, “Twilight on the Terrace”
•  2010 Carmel Plein Air Painting Competition - HONORABLE MENTION
•  2009 Grand Canyon Celebration of Art - SECOND PLACE
•  2009 Carmel Plein Air Painting Competition - HONORABLE MENTION
•  2009 LPAPA “Less is More” show - HONORABLE MENTION
•  2008 Balboa "Just Plein Fun" Exhibition, SECOND PLACE
•  2008 Orange County Heritage Exhibition - HONORABLE MENTION
•  2008 Carmel Plein Air Painting Competition - HONORABLE MENTION
•  2008 California Art Club Gold Medal Juried Exhibition
•  2007 Ninth Annual Laguna Plein Air Invitational - FINE ART                    CONNOISSEUR  AWARD
•  2007 Torrey Pines Plein Air Invitational
•  2007 Balboa "Just Plein Fun" Exhibition, FIRST PLACE-Brush Off
•  2007 Carmel Plein Air Painting Competition-THIRD PLACE
•  2006 Fourth Annual Crystal Cove Gala and Coastal Splendor, FIRST PLACE and      BEST OF COVE award
• 2006 Carmel Plein Air Painting Competition - HONORABLE MENTION
• 2006 California Art Club Gold Medal Juried Exhibition
• 2006 Maui Plein Air Painting Invitational
• 2005 Oil Painters of America West/Southwest Juried Exhibition, Santa Barbara
•  2005 "Northern Views:Painting in the Plein Air Tradition" Juried Exhibition,                        Napa Valley Museum
• 2005 Group Show-"The Northern Coast" Trailside Galleries, Scottsdale, AZ
• 2004 "San Luis Obispo Plein Air Festival"-THIRD PLACE
• 2004 "The Spiritual Spectrum"-CAC Exhibit, The Cathedral of Our Lady of                               the Angels, Los Angeles
•  2004 Oil Painters of America National Juried Exhibition Exhibition, Kirkland, WA                        
•  2003 Group Show-"Canyon De Chelly Showcase", Trailside Galleries,                  Scottsdale, AZ
•  2003 "Sights of Southern California" Exhibition-Bowers Museum, Santa Ana
•  2003 Southwest Art Magazine-"Artists to Watch", September Issue
•  2003 California Art Club Gold Medal Juried Exhibition
•  2003 Fifth Annual Laguna Plein Air Invitational-COLLECTOR'S CHOICE AWARD
• 2003 Carmel Plein Air Painting Competition - HONORABLE MENTION
• 2002 - Honorable Mention San Luis Obispo plein air painting festival
•   2002 - California Art Club - Gold Medal Show
• 2002 - Oil Painters of America National Exhibition, Chicago
• 2001 - Charles B. Mitchell Vineyards Art Competition-AWARD OF MERIT
• 2001 - Painting selected as ARTIST'S POSTER for Laguna Beach Festival of Arts
• 2001 - "Echoes & Visions" Laguna Niguel Art Association-SECOND PLACE
• 2001 - La Quinta Desert Plein Air - AWARD OF EXCELLENCE
• 2000 - Laguna Beach Invitational Plein Aire Painting Competition
• 2000 - Carmel Plein Air Painting Competition - HONORABLE MENTION
• 2000 - FEATURED ARTIST - Indian Wells Newsweek Tennis Masters Series
• 2000 - La Quinta Arts Festival
• 1999 - "Echoes & Visions" Laguna Niguel Art Association - FIRST PLACE
• 1999 - Millard Sheets Plein Air - HONORABLE MENTION - LA County Fair
• 1999 - Laguna Beach Invitational Plein Air Painting Competition
• 1999- Carmel Plein Air Painting Competition - FIRST PLACE
• 1999 - La Quinta Arts Foundation Inpressionaire - selected as POSTER ARTIST for Desert Plein Air 2000
•1998 - "California Coast", solo exhibition, Newport Beach City Hall Gallery
•1998 - Millard Sheets Plein Air - THIRD PLACE - LA County Fair
• 1997-2012 - Laguna Beach Festival of Arts Exhibitor

ORGANIZATIONS AND AFFILIATIONS
•Society of Illustrators, Los Angeles
•California Art Club -- Signature Member
• Laguna Beach Plein Air Painters Association — Signature Member                    
• Oil Painters of America