Joyce Pekala is an award-winning artist who paints “en plein air” or “in the open air”, a term first used by the French Impressionists.   Early in Joyce’s life, she began to travel to France visiting museums to study the French Impressionist’s paintings.  Her numerous visits to Paris and Claude Monet’s home and gardens in Giverny, France have influenced her art.  She is a graduate of the Chicago Academy of Fine Arts where she received classical training.   Pekala painted in the Loire Valley France with Master Signature artist Kevin Macpherson in his Mentorship Program. 

Pekala’s work is modern in its approach and is known for her strong composition, purposeful brushstrokes and vivid color palette.  Her paintings evoke moods and capture a fleeting moment on canvas. You can often find Joyce standing and painting at the edge of a cliff overlooking the Pacific Ocean or capturing the immense grandeur of Yosemite   Joyce was selected as one of seven artists worldwide to work as Artist-in-Residence at Yosemite National Park.  Her work has also been exhibited at the Palm Springs Museum.

Awards

First Place Award                     “The Carmel Plein Air Art Festival 2005”
Third Place Award                    LPAPA’s “The Best of Plein Air Exhibition 2005”
Honorable Mention                   Socalpapa’s “Paint the Back Bay 2005” 

Gallery Representation            Silver Heron Gallery, DePoe Bay, OR 

Solo Exhibitions                       Cedros Village Fine Art Gallery, February-March 2006

Publications                              “Land of Sunlight” Contemporary Paintings of San Diego County,

                                                   San Diego Flora, James Lightner, author,  2007
 

Memberships                           The Plein Air Painters of San Diego/PAPASAN

                                                   Sargent Art Group

                                                   Southern California Artists Association

                                                   Southern California Plein Air Painters/SOCALPAPA

Juried Exhibitions and Awards

• Socalartists “Modern Landscape” Show, October 2008
• LPAPA “Less is More” Show, November-January  2007
• Yosemite Renaissance Program- Juried appointment as Artist-in-Residence 2007.
• Crystal Cove Interpretive, Laguna Beach, Emerging Artist, June-October 2006
• Carmel Plein Air Art Festival, May 2006
• Palm Springs Art Museum Artists Council 37^th Annual National Juried Exhibition, March 2006
• Socalpapa’s “Paint Back Bay” Exhibition, Newport Beach, CA, October 2005, Honorable Mention Award
• San Luis Obispo Plein Air Art Festival,  October 2005
• Socalpapa’s Mission San Juan Capistrano Exhibition,  June 2005
• LPAPA’s Artist Membership Show, May 2005
• Carmel Plein Air Art Festival, May 2005, First Place Award
• LPAPA’s  “The Best of Plein Air” show, March 2005, Third Place Award
• San Luis Obispo Plein Air Art Festival, October 2004
• Crystal Cove Alliance “Coastal Splendor”, September 2004
• LPAPA’s Artist Membership Show, May 2004
• Socalpapa’s “Paint the Back Bay” Show, September 2003
• LPAPA’s Artist Membership Show, February 2003
• Dana Point “Coastal Splash”, June 2002, Honorable Mention Award
• Socalpapa’s The Robert Mondavi Exhibition, May 2002
• LPAPA’s Artist Membership Show, March 2002