ABOUT Me
The real joy of painting for me is working directly from life and on location, starting with small study sketches. I feel a painting is successful when I first envision the result, then make that happen. If a painting succeeds without visualizing it in advance, I consider that to be luck. Even though I work from life I don’t feel obligated to represent exactly what I see. I often move, add, or change things to suit my composition. I’m like a fisherman, I don’t always tell the truth, but instead tell the story the way I’d like it to be.
I don’t have any broad statements like, “my paintings are about…” I’m not trying to preserve the past or depict things old or new, or any such thing. Concerning subject matter, I never really know exactly what I’m going to paint and instead act on instinct when a potential painting appears in front of me.
Sometimes the scene serves up a ready painting idea and I just have to put it down on paper. More often ideas come from something less complete; a glimpse of atmospheric effects, the way sunlight lands on a surface, or an element in a landscape. I paint at every opportunity, however the most important part of painting for me is not actually painting, but the mental preparation that I’m doing all the time.
I’ve chosen watercolor for its gestural quality, capriciousness, and spontaneity. The ability to quickly suggest form with loose washes and conjure the illusion of detail with crisp brushwork has always appealed to me. This approach to watercolor requires me to work quickly, and I’m willing to take the risks associated with that to realize its potential.
Thomas BUCCI lives in Maine and has been working full time as a professional artist since 1996.
2023 Exhibitions, Events, & Awards
- Plein Air Easton (MD)
- Olmsted Plein Air Invitational (Atlanta GA), Best Architectural Award
- Plein Air New Bern (NC), Merit Award of Excellence
- Perkins Cove Plein Air (ME)
- Salmagundi Club of NY, B&W Exhibition
- Salmagundi Club of NY, Annual Members Exhibition
- American Impressionist Society Annual National Exhibition
- San Diego Watercolor Society, Plein Air Exhibition
- FabrianoInAcquarello, International Watercolor Exhibition in Bologna, ITALY
2022 Exhibitions, Events, & Awards
- Plein Air Easton (MD), Best Watercolor Award
- Olmsted Plein Air Invitational (Atlanta GA), Judges Award & Best Architectural Award
- Cape Ann Plein Air (MA), Best Americana Award
- Parrsboro (NS) International Plein Air Festival, Best Watercolor Award
- Perkins Cove Plein Air (ME), Honorable Mention
- Salmagundi Club of NY Annual Members Exhibition, Ogden Pleissner Award
- PleinAir Magazine Salon Competition, Best Nocturne Award Runner Up, Apr 2022 for Day Into Night
- PleinAir Magazine Salon Competition, Best Watercolor Award, Feb 2022 for North Beach & Russian Hill SF
- Plein Air New Bern (NC)
- FabrianoInAcquarello, International Watercolor Exhibition in Bologna, ITALY
- PleinAir LIVE Faculty, Streamline Publishing
- Streamline Publishing Podcast Interview with Eric Rhoads
- Plein Air Easton Podcast Interview
- Sketch Class Online with Winslow Art Center, Bainbridge Island WA
- Pay-per-View Sketching Instructional Video Produced by Plein Air Easton
2021 Exhibitions, Events, & Awards
- Plein Air Easton (MD) Award for Best Architectural Subject
- Olmsted Plein Air Invitational, Atlanta GA, Judges Award
- Mountain Maryland Plein Air, Cumberland Maryland, First Place Award in Quick Draw
- Paint Grand Traverse (MI), Artfully Aging Award
- Plein Air New Bern (NC)
- Signature American International Watermedia Exhibition at the Fallbrook Art Center, CA
- Salmagundi Club of NY Annual Members Show, John N Lewis Memorial Award
- Salmagundi Club of NY Cityscapes Show
- Breaking Glass, an exhibition of Varnished Watercolors, The Painting Center, New York NY, sponsored by Golden Artists Materials
- Northwest Watercolor Society Annual Members Show, Seattle WA
- San Diego (CA) Watercolor Society Plein Air Exhibition
- FabrianoInAcquarello, International Watercolor Exhibition in Fabriano, ITALY
- Crystal Moll Gallery, Summer Plein Air Show, Baltimore MD
2020 Exhibitions, Events, & Awards
- National Watercolor Society’s 100th International Open Exhibition, Los Angeles CA
- Transparent Watercolor Society of America’s Annual Exhibition, Edgar A Whitney Memorial Award of Excellence, Kenosha WI
- Feature Article on my work in Feb/Mar 2020 Issue of Plein Air Magazine entitled “The City As Muse” by Bob Bahr
- Plein Air Easton (MD), Chesapeake Maritime Museum Award
- Olmsted Plein Air Invitational, Atlanta GA
- Salmagundi Club of NY Spring Auction, Tuttle Memorial Award for Cityscape
- Northwest Watercolor Society Annual Open Show, Seattle WA, Award sponsored by the Strathmore Paper Co
- Philadelphia Watercolor Society 120th Annual International Exhibition of Works on Paper, Newman & Saunders Gallery Award
- FabrianoInAcquarello, International Watercolor Exhibition in Fabriano, ITALY
- Laguna Beach Plein Air Painters, Featured Artist May 2020
- Parrsboro (NS) International Plein Air Festival, Third Place Award
- Taught a 6-week Sketchbook Class at Chesapeake Fine Arts Studios, online with ZOOM. “Sketchbook Studies: Using Sketches to Prepare for a Painting”
- Pittsburgh Watercolor Society Annual Open Exhibition
- “Sketchbook Studies,” Demonstration presented by the Philadelphia Watercolor Society
- Laguna Beach Plein Air Painters, Waterworks Exhibition
- Louisiana Watercolor Society Annual Exhibition
- Northwest Watercolor Society Members Show, Seattle WA
- Watercolor Demo at Annapolis (MD) Watercolor Club
- Crystal Moll Gallery, 10th Anniversary Show, Baltimore MD
- “Cocktails & Conversation,” a live onstage and webcast 3-person panel discussion on the experience of participating in Plein Air Easton. Avalon Theatre. Followed by a Reception and Exhibition at Trippe Gallery, Easton MD
- Chadds Ford (PA) Paint Out, Chadds Ford Historical Society
- Taught a 4-week Watercolor Class at Chesapeake Fine Arts Studios, Stevensville MD. “Gaining Confidence with Watercolor”
2019 Exhibitions, Events, & Awards
- FabrianoInAcquarello, International Watercolor Exhibition in Fabriano, Italy, Painting Demonstrator & Work Selected for the Traveling Exhibition
- Plein Air Easton Quick Draw, Alumni Award with Invitation to PAE 2020
- Salmagundi Club of NY Fall Auction, Mortimer E. Freehoff Award
- Crystal Moll Gallery, Summer Plein Air Show, Baltimore MD
- Crystal Moll Gallery, 4-Person Show, “Fab 4,” Baltimore MD
- Finger Lakes Plein Air, Canandaigua NY, People’s Choice Award, Quick Draw
- West Reading (PA) Plein Air, Honorable Mention
- Parrsboro (NS) Plein Air, Best Nocturne Award
- Paint It! Ellicott City (MD), Juror’s Award 5th Place
- Chadds Ford Winter Paint-Out, Chadds Ford (PA) Historical Society
- Pennsylvania Watercolor Society Online Member Show, Honorable Mention
- Society of Watercolor Artists Juried International Exhibition, Fort Worth TX
- Illinois Watercolor Society 35th National Exhibition, Outstanding Landscape Award and the Directors Choice Award
- LPAPA Waterworks Exhibition, Ocean View Gallery, Laguna Beach CA
- Northwest Watercolor Society, Seattle WA, FASO Artist Websites & Jack Richeson Materials Award
- Watercolor Art Society-Houston, 42nd International Watermedia Exhibition, Houston TX
- Louisiana Watercolor Society, 49th Annual International Exhibition, New Orleans LA
- Pikes Peak Watercolor Society International Watermedia Exhibition
- Adirondack National Exhibition of American Watercolors, View Arts
- Hudson Valley Art Association, Old Lyme CT
- Pennsylvania Watercolor Society’s PWS 41th Annual International Juried Exhibition, Jack Richeson and Creative Catalyst Award
- Philadelphia Watercolor Society’s 119th International Exhibit of Works on Paper
2018 Exhibitions, Events, & Awards
- Plein Air Easton (MD), Awarded Best Watercolor
- Paint It! Ellicott City (MD), 1st Place
- Mountain Maryland Plein Air, 2nd Place
- Pennsylvania Watercolor Society’s 40th International Exhibition, Bronze Medal for Third Place and Induction to the Sylvan Grouse Guild
- Art Renewal Center (ARC), Selected as a finalist in the Annual International Salon
- Crystal Moll Gallery, Baltimore MD, Summer Plein Air Exhibition
- South Street Art Gallery, Easton MD, Plein Air Group Show
- Philadelphia Watercolor Society’s 117th Exhibition of Works on Paper
- Mid Atlantic Regional Watercolor Exhibition, Blackrock Arts Center, Gaithersburg, MD
- Hudson Valley Art Association, Old Lyme CT
- Adirondacks National Exhibition of American Watercolor, View Arts, Gurdon & Mildred Evans Memorial Award
- Transparent Watercolor Society of America, 42nd Annual International Exhibition, Kenosha Public Museum (WI)
- Red River Watercolor Society, 25th Annual National Juried Watermedia Exhibition, Hjemkomst Center, MN, Holbein Materials Award
- FabrianoInAcquarello, International Watercolor Exhibition in Fabriano, Italy
2017 Exhibitions, Events, & Awards
- American Watercolor Society’s 150th Annual International Exhibition, Salmagundi Club, NYC
- Adirondacks National Exhibition of American Watercolor, Old Forge NY, Dr. Donald & Helen Budd Burness Memorial Award
- Salmagundi Club of NY Annual Non-Member Painting and Sculpture Exhibition, Thomas Moran Memorial Award
- Pennsylvania Watercolor Society’s 39th International Exhibition, Honorable Mention
- Philadelphia Watercolor Society’s 117th Exhibition of Works on Paper, Bonnie & Harrison vonDuyke Award
- Exhibition of Watercolors at Hill Center Galleries, Washington DC
- PleinAir Magazine Salon Competition, Best Watercolor Award Aug/Sept 2017 for Jefferson Market Gothic
- Bucks County (PA) Plein Air Festival
- Chestertown (MD) RiverArts Plein Air Quick Draw Competition, People’s Choice Award and an Honorable Mention
- Paint It! Ellicott City (MD), Quick Draw Competition, 2nd Place (non-juried artist)
2016 Exhibitions, Events, & Awards
- Philadelphia Watercolor Society’s Annual International Exhibition
- Salmagundi Club of NY Annual Non-Member Painting & Sculpture Exhibition, NYC
- Pennsylvania Watercolor Society’s 38th International Exhibition, Mildred Sands Kratz Excellence in Realism Award
- PleinAir Magazine Salon Competition, Best Watercolor Oct/Nov 2016 for River Traffic Pittsburgh
- PleinAir Magazine Salon Competition, Best Watercolor Aug/Sept 2016 for City Hall Philadelphia
Other Exhibitions, Festivals & Awards
- Manayunk Festival of Art, Philadelphia PA –Best of Show Award 2008, Best Painting Award 2014
- McLean Project for the Arts, Strictly Painting Exhibition, McLean VA 2012
- Contemporary Art Center of Virginia’s Annual Boardwalk Show –Best in Printmaking 2009
- DC Commission on the Arts & Humanities Project, Emerge Art Walk Graphic Mural, Washington DC 2008
Memberships
- Salmagundi Club of New York (SCNY), Artist Member
- Pennsylvania Watercolor Society (PWS), Signature Member, Sylvan Grouse Guild Medal
- Philadelphia Watercolor Society (PWCS), Signature Member
- Northwest Watercolor Society (NWWS), Signature Member
- Mid-Atlantic Plein Air Painters Association (MAPAPA)
- Laguna Beach Plein Air Painters Association (LPAPA)
Corporate & Professional Collections
- United States Embassy, Nicosia, Cyprus
- Royal Embassy of Thailand, Washington DC
- United States Embassy, Swaziland Africa
- Ritz Carlton Hotel, San Francisco, CA
- Marriott Hotel, Crystal City, VA
- Louis Berger International, Washington DC
- U.S. Dept of Health and Human Services, Washington DC
- Capitol Hill Park Hyatt Hotel, Washington, DC
- Marriott Hotel, Brussels, Belgium
- Mandarin Oriental Hotel, Washington DC
- Jefferson Hotel, Richmond VA
Education
- M.A. Architecture, 1990, University of Maryland
- B.A. Graphic Design, 1981, Kutztown University of Pennsylvania
More LINKS:
I was interviewed by Creative Catalyst Productions. Read HERE
Laguna Beach Plein Air Painters Featured Artist, May 2020. Read HERE