OIL PAINTERS OF AMERICA
Members of the Oil Painters of America elevate the medium to new heights with contemporary ideas and subjects.
Founded in 1991, Oil Painters of America has become one of the foremost organizations for traditional representational artists. With more than 4,000 artist members hailing from throughout the United States, Canada and Mexico, OPA aides in creating connections among its members through educational opportunities as well as elevating their artwork to national and regional platforms through yearly exhibitions.
In promoting representational artwork, Oil Painters of America’s primary focus is “to draw attention to the lasting value of fine drawing, color, composition and the appreciation of light.” This means its members are adept in their work and have an understanding of classical, technical elements. The artists are also pushing the techniques to showcase their own individual voices within their art.
Being such a large group, the members span from emerging through established artists and can be at different membership levels: Associate, Signature and Master Signature. One artist who belongs to the group is Chad Houtz, who paints portraits and landscapes, such as his work Unconscious Elan.
Another OPA member is John Cutruzzola, who was born in the small village of Gagliato in Calabria, Italy, and now resides in Canada. Over the past 30 years, Cutruzzola has continued to develop his techniques and style, which is influenced by impressionism and uses texture and dramatic elements of color and light “to express a sense of presence and underlying emotion.” A sense of principles, community and creativity has been a driving force of his work.
For more information on the group, visit www.oilpaintersofamerica.com.