Fine Art and Plein Air Artist
RICK J. DELANTY --A New Heaven and the New Earth
My work is about the revelation of God's power in His Creation, and the sight of Heaven touching earth.
ARTIST'S STATEMENT
“My body of work is about the revelation of the divine power of God’s creation in nature. It is my hope that those who connect with my work will be uplifted, to reflect on the original works of God that surround us.”
"In all our Maker's grand designs,
Omnipotence, with wisdom, shines;
His works, through all this wondrous frame,
Declare the glory of his Name."
--poet and artist Thomas Blacklock
Delanty’s luminous seascape captures a fleeting moment of celestial glory when sky, surf, and reflected color merge, the sun’s last glow pulsing through the clouds. The result is a painting suffused with quiet spiritual resonance, inviting the viewer to linger in its radiant calm. --Mary Platt, Executive Director Hilbert Museum of California Art
"Your paintings stand like angels whispering “come quickly for a fleeting glimpse of heaven!” --Heather Lillian, artist
"As you behold his paintings, realize the splendor of nature as interpreted by an exceptional artist." --Jean Stern, author and historian, director emeritus of the Irvine Museum.
“Rick J. Delanty is one of the most accomplished plein air painters working in southern California today. In fact, several of the most prestigious collections of California Impressionist art held by individuals and foundations in southern California also include his work — in some instances, his are the only works made by a living artist among early 20th-century heavy hitters like William Wendt, Granville Redmond and Edgar Payne."
-- Executive Director Amy Behrens, Casa Romantica Cultural Center, San Clemente, CA.
"In his oils and acrylics, Rick intends to reveal the splendor of quiet corners of the earth. He offers viewers an opportunity to experience the wonder and peace of nature, its mood and its mystery. He conveys his own experiences in nature with bold, vibrant colors with bold, vibrant colors, intermingled with a subtlety and sensitivity that speak of peace, hope and life."
--Catherine Singer
"Tremendous energy and movement!" --Arnold Levine, artist
"Provocative impressionistic paintings filled with light. A bold, bright palette and strong shapes add flare and energy. What a gift!" -- Dennis Poirier, artist
"Your work is often like bejeweled tapestry."-- John Hewitt, artist
It's been an immense pleasure watching your artistic career path soar. Your paintings have become jewels to drown yourself in. --Susan DeRosa
"You always manage to bring in that ethereal light factor-- that is what interests me about your work! Artists who understand what that is ignite their canvas with an infused mood of magic! -Bonnie Arizona, artist
"Rick Delanty is a true artist. He paints his heart and beliefs into every canvas. His skills are superlative, but it's the integrity and truth that he pursues in his paintings that makes them valuable." -- Jeff Girard, Art Director, Surfer magazine
"Sometimes we see paintings full of way overdone colors…that somehow shriek like bad noise.. AND there are people with souls whom have this sensitivity as if a fine tuning fork…. feeling their way into harmony. They offer it up by holding onto authenticity.. and carefully turning the volume up just a touch." --Eva Evans, artist
"Your work is powerful, truthful and beautiful! I especially love your last comment: 'Art does the heart good.' & 'My job is to appreciate the power and beauty of God’s creation on earth.' " -Betty Jean Billups, artist
"From a long illustrious career of teaching art and many prestigious award-winning paintings and drawings, evolved a more abstract realism style. Rick's painting technique captures the ephemeral vibrational energy and beauty of the natural and manmade."
"By painting with minimal exuberant large and small brushstrokes, brilliant and soft color palettes, and dynamic compositions, the energy, and beauty of the moment are intensified. This alternate style incorporates the fundamental techniques used in his more traditional Plein Air masterworks and manifestly reflects his passion, experience, and expertise in each of his paintings." --Garry Stahl, artist
“Your art is so transforming. Nothing inspires my love for my country and home state more than its natural beauty, and these paintings capture it.” --Sofia Abolfathi
“We are working not for work’s sake, producing not for production’s sake…. What we are trying to do is find a way to release the truth that lies in all of us.” (from Ray Bradbury’s Zen in the Art of Writing)
"To send light into the depths of the human heart--this is the artist's calling." - Robert Schumann)
Earth’s crammed with heaven,
And every common bush afire with God;
But only he who sees takes off his shoes.
— Elizabeth Barrett Browning
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“Your profession is not what brings home your weekly paycheck. Your profession is what you’re put here on earth to do, with such passion and intensity that it becomes spiritual in calling.” --Vincent Van Gogh
ARTIST'S BIOGRAPHY
A California native, Rick J. Delanty has been painting landscapes and seascape for over four decades. He works in an impressionistic style both plein air and in the studio, using an exuberant calligraphy of color and brushstroke which conveys emotion and movement. His featured subject is the California landscape, and he focuses on compositions built around mood and a deep appreciation for life. Rick maintains a Home Studio & Art Gallery in San Clemente, California.
Delanty’s work has been included in invitational plein air events across the West, and has been exhibited in museums and galleries across the nation. Delanty has received awards at regional, national and international levels, including Finalist in 15th Art Renewal Salon competition in January of 2021; Finalist "Best Acrylic" in the September 2016 Plein Air Salon; Best of Show in 2014 from Plein Air Magazine editor Stephen Doherty in “The American Landscape” national exhibition; twice Outstanding Acrylic in the international “Boldbrush” painting competition; Best of Show in the 2013 ISAP Online Exhibition; Best of Show at the Borrego Plein Air Invitational; two awards in the Sedona Invitational; the Peterson Award at the annual exhibition of the National Society of Painters in Casein and Acrylic; and both the Boseker and Surfrider awards at the Laguna Plein Air Invitational at the Laguna Art Museum. Rick served as curator for the “California Impressionism” show in 2015 at the Huntington Beach Art Center in California, as judge for the Art Muse international painting competition in 2019, and as faculty for the 2019 Plein Air Convention in San Francisco.
Delanty originals have also been selected for such national and international shows as the Art Renewal Center, Plein Air Salon, Oil Painters of America, California Art Club, American Impressionist Society, Boldbrush International Painting Competition, National Art Muse Competition, National Oil and Acrylic Painters, and International Society of Acrylic Painters.
His work appears in Painting in Acrylics, the Indispensable Guide, by Lorena Kloosterboer. Editor-in-Chief Stephen Doherty wrote a 6-page feature article in December 2015, on Rick's work as an acrylic and oil painter, "Unifying Expressions in Oil and Acrylic Paintings". Rick's work is also part of a three-page feature in Southwest Art Magazine's "Three To Watch," November 2016. Additionally, paintings appear in Jean Stern and Molly Siple's book of 2017, Painting California, Seascapes and Beach Towns. Plein Air Magazine features his article "Life-changing Acrylics" in the 2021 October-November issue. Also in 2021, Delanty's new book, Beauty Unites Us, was published (ISBN no. 978-0-578-87234-6), a collection of over 50 artworks and accompanying essays concerning his life and work.
EDUCATION AND TEACHING
2000 Post-graduate, 19th C. European Painting, CSU Fullerton
1975 Life Secondary Teaching Credential, Art Education, UC Santa Barbara
1974 BA Studio Painting and Drawing, English Literature, UC Santa Barbara
1974 -2006 Art Educator, San Clemente High School, Painting and Drawing-- Dept. Chairman
2006 -2022 Workshops and Classes for Adults, Plein Air Painting and Drawing
PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS
Art Renewal Center, Associate Living Master
Laguna Plein Air Painters Association (LPAPA), Signature Member
American Impressionist Society (AIS), Signature Member
National Watercolor Society (NWS)
International Society of Acrylic Painters (ISAP), Signature Member, emeritus
Plein Air Artists of Colorado (PAAC), Signature Member
National Oil and Acrylic Painters Society (NOAPS), Signature Member
American Society of Marine Artists (ASMA), Signature Member
Pacific Rim Institute of Marine Artists (PRIMA), Signature Member
California Art Club (CAC), juried Artist Member
Oil Painters of America (OPA)
National Society of Painters in Casein and Acrylic (NSPCA)
International Society of Experimental Artists (ISEA)
San Diego Museum of Art Artists Guild
Christians in the Visual Arts (CIVA), emeritus
Historical Collections Council
REPRESENTATION:
California Watercolor, Fallbrook, CA
Maecenat Gallery, Anaheim, CA
Waterhouse Gallery, Santa Barbara, CA
Waterhouse Gallery, Montecito, CA
Illume Art Gallery, Philipsburg, Montana.
Delanty Studio and Gallery, San Clemente, CA
Casa Romantica Cultural Center Permanent Collection, San Clemente, CA
Irvine Museum, Institute and Museum of California Art Permanent Collection, Irvine, CA
Coutts Museum, Permanent Collection, El Dorado, Kansas
Hilbert Museum of California Art, Orange, CA, “Fortress Cove,” 40x30, acrylic on board.
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Awards Judge and Lecturer, inaugural Heartland Plein Air, Omaha, September 2026.
Artist Faculty, 14th National Plein Air Convention, Streamline Publishing, Lake Tahoe, Nevada, May 2025.
Curator/Exhibition designer, “Casa Romantica presents California Art Club’s Orange County Chapter Exhibition,” San Clemente, CA March-May 2026.
Lecturer, Paint Maui 25, “Introduction to Impressionism,” Lahaina, February 2026.
Teaching Artist, Laguna Beach Plein Air Painters Association, San Clemente, CA, May 2025.
Teaching Artist, San Clemente Art Association, San Clemente, CA, May 2025.
Faculty online demonstration and presentation for “Acrylic Live,” (24 nationally-known artists presenting techniques and approaches to painting with acrylics), Streamline Publishing, March 2025.
All-mediums Workshop leader for the Desert Plein Air Association, “The Mindset of a Plein Air Painter”--3 days in Palm Desert and Palm Springs, March 2025.
Lecturer, “Lest We Forget: Maui Paintings 1852-2023,” (slides selected by historian/author Jean Stern) at Maui Plein Air Invitational 2025, Ritz-Carlton Hotel, Kapalua.
Awards co-Judge, California Desert Plein Air Invitational and Competition, January 2025.
Awards Judge, 60th Annual Art Association Exhibition, Muzeo Anaheim, November 2024.
Awards Judge, Borrego Plein Air Invitational, March 2024.
Awards Judge,18th Borrego Plein Air Invitational, March 2023.
Demonstrator, Waterhouse Gallery 39th anniversary show, Santa Barbara, CA, November, 2023.
Panel Moderator, Laguna Plein Air Invitational, Laguna Beach, CA, October, 2023.
Mentor, Laguna College Art and Design Students, Laguna Plein Air Painting Invitational, October 2023.
Guest Speaker, San Onfre Foundation, "A Reverence for Nature," September 2023.
Demonstrator, 4th Annual ASMA Conference,(American Society of Marine Artists), Albany, New York, September 2023.
Awards Judge, American Impressionist Society National Online Exhibition, July 2023.
Panel Speaker, “Laguna Beach Now and Then, with Joseph Kleitsch,” moderated by Jean Stern at Laguna Art Museum, July 2023.
Volunteer Docent, “Landscapes at the 112th California Art Club Gold Medal exhibition," July 2023.
Community artwork Project Designer, Laguna Plein Air Painters Association, World Arts Day, April 2023.
Awards Judge, Saddleback Art League, Mission Viejo, CA, May 2023.
Awards Judge, Borrego Plein Air Invitational, Borrego Art Institute, Borrego Springs, CA, March 2023.
Awards Judge and Demonstrator, National Oil and Acrylic Painters Society, Best of America exhibition, Wilcox Gallery, Jackson, WY, September 2022.
Guest Artist, Illume Gallery West Paint-out, Philipsburg, MT, July 2022.
Awards Judge, Saddleback Art League Annual Exhibition, Mission Viejo, CA, June 2022.
Demonstrator, San Clemente Art Association, May 2022.
Selected as Associate Living Master at Art Renewal Center, March 2022.
Awards Judge, Laguna Plein Air Painters Association, for “LPAPA Squared,” December 2021.
Author, Beauty Unites Us—Inspiration and Paintings by Rick J. Delanty, 124 pages, hardcover, ISBN no. 978-0-578-87234-6. Released May 2021.
Juror of Selection, National Oil and Acrylic Painters Society, "Best of America Small Works" show, March 2021.
Awards Judge, Acrylic University Painting Competition, at invitation of Jed Dorsey, October 2020.
Awards Judge, Bingham Idaho Painting Competition, at invitation of Ken Spencer,September 2020.
Demonstrator and Solo Show, University Club, Santa Barbara, CA, September, 2020.
Awards Judge, Gateway International Painting Competition, June 2020.
Signature Membership Judge, Laguna Plein Air Painters Association, June 2020.
Awards Judge, Orange Open annual exhibition, Muzeo Museum, Anaheim, CA, August 2019.
Awards Judge, Art Muse international painting competition, May 2019.
Teaching Artist, "The Landscape in Oil," weekend workshop for the Saddleback Art League, Mission Viejo, CA, October 2019.
Artist Faculty, National Plein Air Convention, Streamline Publishing, San Francisco, CA, April 2019.
Awards Judge, 17th Paint San Clemente Plein Air Painting competition, June 2018, San Clemente, CA.
Teaching Artist," Making Strides in Drawing and Painting," 12 one-day workshops in collaboration with San Clemente Art Supply, CA, August-April 2019.
Teaching Artist, "Fundamentals of Plein Air Painting" Workshop, pre- competition at Paint San Clemente, CA June 2018.
Awards Judge, Fullerton Arboretum Green Scene Painting Competition, April 2018, Fullerton, CA.
Demonstrator, San Clemente Art Association, March 2018, San Clemente, CA.
Teaching Artist, LPAPA and LOCA mentor/instructor, 1-day workshop, Laguna Beach, CA, February and March 2018-2019.
Teaching Artist, Plein Air in the State Parks, 4-day workshop in collaboration with CA State Park system and San Clemente Art Supply, south Orange County, March-April 2017.
Demonstrator, American Impressionist Society, national “Small Works Showcase” exhibition, March 2017, Costa Mesa, CA.
Plein Air Painting mentor, Laguna College of Art and Design Students, during Laguna Plein Air Invitational 2016.
Juror, Orange Open annual exhibition, Orange County Center for Contemporary Art, Santa Ana, CA, 2016.
Artists’ Panel with moderator Jean Stern (director of Irvine ) – “California Impressionism: Plein Air Painting Past and Present,” Huntington Beach Art Center, AC, 2015.
Co-Curator, Museum Exhibition, "California Impressionism: Plein Air Painting, Past and Present." Huntington Beach Art Center, Huntington Beach, CA, 2015.
Guest Speaker, Huntington Beach Artists Council, "Plein Air Painting, Huntington Beach Art Center, CA 2015.
Juror, Paint San Clemente national painting competition, San Clemente, CA, 2014.
Juror, Anaheim Art Association annual exhibition, Muzeo Museum, Anaheim, CA, 2014.
Juror, Orange Open annual exhibition, Muzeo Museum, Anaheim, CA, 2013.
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EXHIBITIONS AND AWARDS (chronological)
2026
North American Watercolor Society Inaugural International Exhibition (“Aliso Nocturne,” 8x10), judge Lana Privitera, July.
National Watercolor Society’s 106th International Open Exhibition (“Celebration Rock,” 16x20 acrylic) National Watercolor Society Gallery, San Pedro, CA, October 2026.
Kenosha Museum, Acrylic International Juried Biennial Exhibition (“Sunset, 72nd Avenue and Central Park, 14x11), Judge Dan Simoneau, August-November.
Second Place Overall, Salon Art Prize (“Radiant” 14x18, oil), judge Catherine Saks of Saks Galleries, April.
35th National Oil Painters of America Exhibition, Steamboat Art Museum, Steamboat Springs, CO (“Tidal Pools, El Capitan,” 12x24), May-August.
American Impressionist Society 10th Annual Small Works, J. Petter Galleries, Douglas, MI. (“San Diego Harbor” 12x16) May.
Laguna Plein Air Painters Association, For Love of the Sea, Frank Cuprien (“Prolonging the Profound Joy,” 16x20 oil) LPAPA Gallery and collaborative exhibition with Laguna Art Museum, Laguna Beach, April-May.
California Art Club, Casa Romantica presents CAC Orange County Chapter (“Color Pyramid, Casa Romantica,” 11x14 oil) Casa Romantica Cultural Center, San Clemente, CA, March-May.
Second Place Award in Excellence in Traditional Fine Art Competition, From Sea to Sierra,(“Prolonging the Profound Joy,” 16x20 oil), judge Mary Platt, Executive Director of The Hilbert Museum of California Art, March-June.
15th Biennial National Art Exhibition, Visual Arts Center-Punta Gorda, Florida, February-March.
Richeson 75 Casein Painting Competition, (Fog Rising, 8x10), virtual, February.
Honorable Mention, Oil Painters of America, Associate Division (“Radiant,” 14x18” oil,,) January.
Top 40 Finalist, Modern Impressionist Salon, (“Prolonging the Profound Joy,” 16x20, oil) November-December issue.
2025
American Impressionist Society, 6th All-Member Online Exhibition (“Radiant,” 14x18 oil), November 6- January 6, 2026.
Third Place, August 2025 Plein Air Salon international painting competition. ("Cotton’s, After Sunset", 12x16 acrylic), Judge Natasha Isenhour.
Top 20 Finalist, Modern Impressionist Salon, judge Colley Whisson (“Reflected Light, Big Sur,” 30x40, acrylic),.July-August issue.
Third Place, July 2025 BoldBrush international painting competition. ("Effulgence", 14x11 acrylic), Judge Marc Hanson.
California Art Club, Echoes of Yosemite, (“Snowfield,” 9x12 acrylic and “Nevada Falls,” 11x14 acrylic) St. Mary’s College Museum of Art, Moraga, CA, September-December.
California Art Club, Excellence in Traditional Art: Golden Horizons juried exhibition, virtual, September 26 to December 12, 2025
Richeson 75 Landscape-Seascape-and Architecture Exhibition, virtual, July 2025
Top 40, international Plein Air Salon, Streamline Publishing, year -long competition (“More Mesa Beach plein air, 9x12 acrylic), 2024-25.
Laguna Plein Air Painters Association, 9th Waterworks Watercolor Exhibition, LPAPA Gallery, Laguna Beach, April-June.
Top 20, Modern Impressionist Magazine Salon competition, February/March—judge Shanna Kunz.
Honorable Mention Plein Air Acrylic Landscape & Gouache, Plein Air Salon international painting competition (“Natural Garden” 9x12) Judge Mark Mitchell, curator of American Paintings and Sculpture at Yale University, December.
California Art Club, Awakening the Earth, (“Natural Garden,” 8x10) virtual, March-June.
Paint Maui Plein Air Invitational, 25 artists, Lahaina, Maui, February.
American Impressionist Society, Small Works Showcase (“Effulgence,” 12x9), Fallbrook Art Center, Fallbrook, CA, February/March.
California Desert Plein Air Invitational (“Golden Sunset, Palm Canyon,” 24x20), Artist Council at the Center, Palm Desert, CA, January.
California Desert Plein Air Invitational (“Oasis,” 18x24), George Stern Fine Art, Palm Desert, CA, January.2024
California Art Club, Frost and Blossom, (“Solar System,” 14x11) Judge Eric Rhoads, virtual, January.
2024
Best Plein Air Acrylic Landscape, Plein Air Salon international painting competition (“More Mesa Beach” 9x12) judge Diane Waterhouse, director of Waterhouse Gallery, December.
Honorable Mention Plein Air Acrylic Landscape, Plein Air Salon international painting competition (“Trestles Trail” 24x36) judge Diane Waterhouse, director of Waterhouse Gallery, December.
National Oil and Acrylic Painters Society, Fall International Online Exhibition (“Morning Prep,” 16x20, acrylic), December.
Finalist, Art Renewal Center’s 17th International Salon, 4 paintings, December.
T.H. Brennen Gallery’s 12X12 Exhibition, “Aliso Beach Nocturne,” acrylic, December.
Award of Merit, First ASMA Awards online (Morning Prep, 16x20 acrylic)—October/November.
Award of Excellence, National Oil and Acrylic Painters Society Best of America Exhibition (“Dusk’s Gentle Touch”, 11x14)—Beverly McNeil Gallery, Birmingham, Alabama, October/November.
Laguna Plein Air Painters Association, 26th Annual Plein Air Invitational, Laguna Beach, CA, October.
Michael Willing Memorial Award, National Watercolor Society 104th International Open Exhibition (“Effulgence” 12x9),
NWS Gallery, San Pedro, CA, October.
Dickinson Signature Member Award of Excellence, American Impressionist Society, 25th Annual National Exhibition ("Eurythmic," 16x20 acrylic) Rockport Art Association and Museum, Rockport, Massachusetts, August-September.
30th Annual Maritime Exhibition, Coos Art Museum, Coos Bay, Oregon 3 paintings, July-September.
National Oil and Acrylic Painters Society, Best of America Small Works (“River Bend, Animas", 8x16)—Sugarman Peterson Gallery, Santa Fe, NM, July.
National Oil and Acrylic Painters Society, Spring International Online Exhibition (“Beach Trail, San Clemente”, 48x48)—200 paintings accepted from 1200 submissions, May.
Best Acrylic Overall (“Beach Trail, San Clemente,” 48x48), Plein Air Magazine’s Annual International Salon competition, 2022-23—over 12,000 global submissions, May 2024.
Semi-Finalist, 3 paintings (“Beach Trail,” “Light in the Mission,” “Sycamores, Casper’s”),13th Annual international Plein Air Salon competition for 2022-23.
Top 100 Finalist (“Surge” and “Linda Lane Beach”),Plein Air Magazine’s International Salon competition for March, judge Camille Przewodek.
Honorable Mention, Plein Air Magazine’s International Salon Painting Competition, “Best Building” (“1332 Santa Barbara Street”), judge Darrell Beauchamp, Executive Director of Western Art Museum, February.
Oil Painters of America, 33rd Annual National Exhibition, Mark Arts gallery, Wichita, Kansas, April-May.
Laguna Plein Air Painters Association, Best of Plein Air (two paintings, “Beach Trail Beauty” and “Old Stone Church) judges Charlie Hunter, Celeste Gilles and Tom Lamb, Laguna Beach, CA, March-April.
California Art Club, Signs of Spring, virtual, March-June.
Watercolor Art Society Houston (WAS-H), 47th International Water-media Exhibition, WAS-H Gallery, Houston, TX, March.
Best Plein Air Acrylic Landscape, Plein Air Salon international painting competition, judge Lisa Skelly, director of Huse Skelly Gallery, January, “Beach Trail, San Clemente.”
California Art Club, Moonlight Serenade, judge Jennifer Moses, California Gallery at the Old Mill, Pasadena, January-May 2024.
National Watercolor Society, International Exchange Exhibition with the Royal Scottish Society of Painters in Watercolour, Edinburgh, Scotland, 40 paintings January 6 - February, 10, 2024.
2023
National Oil and Acrylic Painters, 2023 NOAPS Fall International Online exhibition, virtual NOAPS website, December-January 2024.
AIS 4th Annual Online Exhibition, Judge Peggy Kroll Roberts, November.
Honorable Mention, Modern Impressionist Magazine Salon, Judge Ned Mueller, Sept/October.
Cited as one of the 50 Most Awarded Artists in the Plein Air Salon, 12 awards across 12 years (2011-2023), October.
Collectors’ Choice Award for Body of Work, Laguna Plein Air Painters Association, 25th Laguna Plein Air Painting Invitational, Laguna Beach, CA, October.
Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History, The Artists’ Table, Santa Barbara, CA, October.
Best Plein Air Acrylic ("Sycamores, Casper's") in 13th Annual Plein Air Salon international painting competition, Judge Wm. A Suys, September.
Top 100, Plein Air Salon, judge Wm. A. Suys, September.
Best Plein Air Acrylic, (“Light in the Mission,” 24x30), Plein Air Magazine’s International Salon competition, month of June, 2023.
Outstanding Acrylic, Boldbrush International Painting Competition-judge Blair Atherholt, for “Shadowfalls”, 20x24-- month of May, 2023.
Laguna Plein Air Painters Association, Inspired by Kleitsch, collaboration between Laguna Plein Air Gallery and Laguna Art Museum, Laguna Beach, CA, June – September.
Honorable Mention, “1332 Santa Barbara Street,” Oil Painters of America, 2023 Spring Online Showcase, May.
National Oil and Acrylic Painters, 2023 NOAPS Spring International Online exhibition, virtual NOAPS website, May-June.
Best Acrylic overall (“Sunflowers for Ukraine,” 12x9), Plein Air Magazine’s International Salon competition, 2022-23.
Top 25 Finalist, two paintings, Plein Air Magazine's International Salon Competition, 2022-23.
Semi-Finalist, four paintings, Plein Air Magazine’s International Salon competition, 2022-23.
California Art Club, 112th Gold Medal Exhibition, Bowers Museum, Orange, CA, July-August.
American Impressionist Society, 7th Annual Small Works Showcase, The District gallery, Knoxville, Tennessee, April-May.
Best Plein Air Landscape, Plein Air Salon international painting competition, judge Scott Shields, director of Crocker Museum, February, “Rockpile, Laguna Beach” (plein air).
Top 100 Finalist, Plein Air Magazine’s International Salon competition, 2023--March.
Borrego Art Institute, Borrego Plein Air Invitational, Borrego Springs, CA, March 2023.
Laguna Plein Air Painters Association, Best of Plein Air, Laguna Plein Air Gallery, Laguna Beach, CA, February – April.
Finalist,16th Art Renewal Center, with “Illumination,” Plein Air category, and “String of Pearls,” Landscape category, January.
California Art Club, Excellence in Traditional Fine Art juried exhibition, Winter Wonderland, January – April.
2022
American Impressionist Society, 3rd Annual All-member juried online exhibition, November-December.
Randy Higbee Gallery, 6 Squared juried exhibition, Costa Mesa, CA, November.
Laguna Plein Air Painters Association, 8-inch square All-member juried exhibition, Laguna Beach, CA, November-December.
Laguna Plein Air Painters Association, 24th Annual Plein Air Invitational, Laguna Beach, CA, October.
Top 100, AcrylicWorks 9 international art competition, one of 17 Published Landscape award-winners, September.
California Art Club, Paint-Out with the Autry Museum, Los Angeles, CA, September.
National Oil and Acrylic Painters Society, Best of America exhibition, Wilcox Gallery, Jackson, Wyoming, September.
Coos Art Museum 28th Annual Maritime Exhibition, Coos Bay, Oregon, July 9 – September 24.
American Impressionist Society, 23rd National Exhibition, Mary Williams Fine Art Gallery, Boulder, CO, September-October.
Best Outdoor Still Life, Plein Air Salon international painting competition, judge Diane Waterhouse of Waterhouse Gallery in Santa Barbara, June. “Solar System,” 14x11.
3rd Place overall winner, Plein Air Salon international painting competition, judge Karen Hagan of Hagan Fine Art in Charleston, SC, May. “Sunflowers, Sunlight for Ukraine,” 12x9.
California Art Club, 111th Gold Medal Exhibition, Bowers Museum, Orange, CA, July-August.
American Impressionist Society, Small Works Showcase, Wilder Nightingale Fine Art, Taos NM, May-June.
Finalist, BoldBrush International Painting Competition—Awards Judge Kathleen Dunphy, May. “Sunflowers Sunlight, for Ukraine,” 12x9.
Top 100 Finalist, Plein Air Salon, April.
National Oil and Acrylic Painters Society, Best of America, Beverly McNeil Gallery, Birmingham, Alabama, April-May.
Laguna Plein Air Painters Association, Two-person show with Shuang-Li, Laguna Plein Air Gallery, Laguna Beach, CA, May-June.
Laguna Plein Air Painters Association, Best of Plein Air, Laguna Plein Air Gallery, Laguna Beach, CA, February 28 – April 4.
O'Hanlon Center for the Arts, Monochromatic, online exhibition, Mill Valley, CA, February-March.
Top 100 Finalist, Southwest Art Magazine, January.
2021
Oil Painters of America, Western Regional Exhibition, Mary R. Koch Arts Center, Wichita, Kansas, October-November.
Artistic Palette Award, presented by the Joe Hanks Van Cleave Foundation,Laguna Plein Air Painters Association, Laguna Beach Plein Air Invitational Exhibition, Laguna Beach, CA, October.
Museum of Natural History, Artists’ Table, Invitational exhibition and fund-raiser, Santa Barbara, CA, October.
Huntington Beach Art Center, Scape and Scope: Visions of the Land, Sea, and Urban Space, Huntington Beach, CA, September-October.
National Oil and Acrylic Painters Society, 31st Best of America Exhibition, Dana Fine Art Gallery, Missoula, MT, September-October.
American Impressionist Society, 22nd National Exhibition, 175 works selected from across the US. Gallery 1516, Omaha, NE, September-December.
Best of Show, Nocturne, Sunrise & Sunset category, International Plein Air Art Salon competition, judge Diane Waterhouse of Waterhouse Gallery, August.
Laguna Plein Air Painters Association, Less is More juried exhibition, Forest & Ocean Gallery, Laguna Beach, CA, July.
American Society of Marine Artists, 1st International Digital Exhibition of Contemporary Marine Art, 71 artworks representing 5 countries, May-June.
Oil Painters of America. 2021 Salon Juried Exhibition of Traditional Oils, Quinlan Visual Arts Center, Gainesville, GA, June-August.
Solo Exhibition--“Beauty Unites Us.” Casa Romantica Cultural Center, San Clemente, CA—28 oil and acrylic paintings, May-June.
National Oil and Acrylic Painters Society, Best of America Small Works Juried National Exhibition, March.
Finalist, 15th Art Renewal Center, with “1332 Santa Barbara Street, Plein Air,” December.
Best of Show, Plein air category, International Plein Air Art Salon competition, judge Diane Waterhouse of Waterhouse Gallery, January.
2020
International Society of Acrylic Painters, 5th Online Exhibition, December.
National Oil and Acrylic Painters Society, 2020 Fall International Online Exhibition, December.
Laguna Plein Air Painters Association, LPAPA Squared Juried Exhibition, Laguna Beach, CA, December.
Meritorious Selection, 2 submissions, 2020 Richeson75 Animals, Birds & Wildlife Competition, November.
California Art Club, 2 submissions, Welcome to California, virtual exhibition, November.
Laguna Plein Air Painters Association, Art & Nature Exhibition, Laguna Beach, CA, November.
NOAPS 30th Best of America National Exhibition, Cutter & Cutter Fine Art Gallery, St. Augustine, FL, November 2-29.
Laguna Plein Air Painters Association, 22nd Annual Plein Air Invitational, Laguna Beach, CA, October.
Oil Painters of America, 2020 Virtual Western Regional Juried Exhibition of Traditional Oils, Illume Gallery in St. George, UT, August-September.
Finalist, Gateway International Painting Competition, July. Awards Judge-- Patrick Saunders.
Where in the World is Plein Air? Exhibition at Illume Gallery, St. George, Utah, June.
109th California Art Club Gold Medal Exhibition, Hilbert Museum, Orange, CA, May.
Mission Fine Art Gallery, New Visions Exhibition, April, St. George, Utah, April.
American Impressionist Society 21st National Show, R S Hanna Gallery, Fredericksburg, TX, April-May.
Best Impressionism Award, National Oil and Acrylic Painters Society, Best of America Small Paintings, McBride Gallery, Annapolis, Maryland, April-May. Awards judge Daniel Gerhartz.
San Marino Art League and Huntington Library, Art Matters Exhibition, Pasadena, CA, March.
Finalist, Boldbrush International Painting Competition, online, February. Awards judge—Scott Prior.
California Art Club, California, The Golden State, Old Mill Gallery, San Marino, CA, January-May.
2019
Finalist, Gateway International Painting Competition, December.
Best Acrylic, Plein Air Salon, October - November.
National Oil and Acrylic Painters Society, Fall Online Exhibition, December.
Artistic Excellence Award, Honorable Mention, Southwest Art Magazine, October.
Oil Painters of America, Western Regional Exhibition, Sorrel Sky Gallery, Santa Fe, New Mexico, October.
National Oil and Acrylic Painters Society, Best of America, Montgomery Lee Gallery, Park City, UT, September-October.
Laguna Plein Air Painters Association, 21sth Annual Plein Air Invitational, Laguna Beach, CA, October..
Best of Show--Masters Category, Art Muse International Painting Competition, , September.
American Impressionist Society 20th National Show, Salmagudi Club, New York, September.
Studios-on-the-Park Gallery, Masters Inspire the Greats, Paso Robles, CA, September.
Overall Consistency for Body of Work Award, Mendocino Paint-Out, Mendocino, CA, September.
La Jolla Riford Library, Fresh Paint Invitational, La Jolla, CA, September.
Finalist, Gateway International Painting Competition, August.
Huse-Skelly Plein Air Invitational, "Just Plein Fun," Balboa Island, CA,August.
Paint San Clemente, 100-artist plein air competition, San Clemente, CA, June.
Hilbert Museum, LPAPA Paints Old Town Orange, Orange, CA, June.
American Impressionist Society, Small Works Exhibition, Crooked Tree Arts Center, Petosky, Michigan June-August.
Laguna Plein Air Painters, Waterworks water-media exhibition, Laguna Beach, CA, April.
Laguna Plein Air Painters, Best of Plein Air, Laguna Beach, CA, April.
108th California Art Club Gold Medal Exhibition, former Museum of California Art, Pasadena, CA, March.
Irvine Museum, Upon A Painted Ocean, Irvine, CA February.
California Art Club at the Pacific Grove Museum of Natural History, Monterey, CA, January - April.
National Watercolor Society, Southern California Influences: Past & Present, Oceanside Museum of Art, December 2018-April 2019.
2018
California Art Club, Monumental Miniatures, Old Mill Gallery, Pasadena, CA, September.
American Impressionist Society, 19th Annual Juried Exhibition, Peninsula School of Art-Guenzel Gallery, Fish Creek, WI, September-October.
Excellence In Landscape Award, International Society of Acrylic Painters, First Master & Signature Artist Exhibition, Cathy Kline Gallery, Parkville, MO, July-August.
National Society of Painters in Casein & Acrylic, 64th Annual Exhibition, Salmagundi Club, New York, NY, June 18-July 6.
California Art Club, 107th Gold Medal Exhibition, Museum of Natural History, Los Angeles, Ca, June.
California Art Club, Canyons and Coves, Pasadena, CA, May.
Solo Exhibition, Paintings of the Golden State, Segerstrom Performing Arts Center, Costa Mesa, CA, May.
Laguna Plein Air Painters, 2nd Waterworks Watercolor Exhibition, Laguna Beach, CA, May.
Crystal Cove Alliance, Spring Art Show, Newport Beach, CA, April.
National Oil and Acrylic Painters Society, First Best of America Small Paintings Exhibition, Richland Gallery, Nashville, TN, May.
Second Prize, California Plein Air Painters (CPAP) Fall Online Showcase, January.
American Impressionist Society Exhibition (AIS), 2nd Annual Impressions Small Works Showcase, Greenwich House Gallery, Cincinnati, OH, March.
Salmagundi Club, Historic Black & White Exhibition,New York, January.
2017
Merit Finalist, Richeson 75 International Figure/Portrait Competition 2017, December.
Finalist, Art Muse International Masters Painting Competition, October .
International Society of Acrylic Painters, 2nd All-Member Online Exhibition, October.
Lifetime Achievement Award, Laguna Beach Plein Air Invitational, CA, October.
Spirit of Laguna Award, Laguna Beach Plein Air Painting Invitational, CA, October.
Second Prize, Acrylic Painters USA online, September.
Second Prize, California Plein Air Painters Exhibition, “2017 International Challenge,” Yosemite Valley, CA, September.
Outstanding Acrylic, Boldbrush International Painting Competition, July.
Best Acrylic, Plein Air Salon, July.
Best of Show, San Clemente, Paint-The-Town Competition, judge Kevin Davidson, July.
California Plein Air Painters, Spring Online Showcase, judge Ned Mueller, April-June.
California Art Club, Idyllic Impressions, Pasadena, May-September.
Laguna Plein Air Painters exhibition,First Annual Waterworks watercolor exhibition, Laguna Beach, CA, May.
Laguna Plein Air Painters exhibition, Less is More, Laguna Beach, CA, February-April.
American Impressionist Society Exhibition (AIS), “Small Works Showcase,” Randy Higbee Gallery, Costa Mesa, CA, March.
Makana Aloha Foundation Award, Maui Plein Air Invitational, Hawaii, February.
2016
Finalist, Best Acrylic, Plein Air Salon, August-September.
Second Prize, Renewal Art Center’s International Plein Air Challenge, September.
National Oil and Acrylic Painters Society, NOAPS Fall Online Exhibition, December.
Finalist, Best Acrylic, Plein Air Salon, August-September.
Finalist, Best Acrylic, Art Renewal Center, International Plein Air Challenge, September.
Laguna Plein Air Painters Association Signature members exhibition, Huntington Beach Art Center, CA, November.
American Impressionist Society national exhibitions, 2012, 2013, 2015 and 2016.
California Art Club exhibitions: From San Francisco to San Diego, Urban Landscapes, 2016; The Romance of Europe, Altadena Town & Country Club, Altadena, CA, 2015; Icons of Orange County at Bowers Museum, Santa Ana CA, 2012; California Heritage at Jose Vera Gallery, Los Angeles, CA, 2012; Contemporary Masters III, Pasadena Museum of History, CA, 2012.
Finalist, Master Class, International "Art Muse" Competition, June.
Outstanding Acrylic Painting, Boldbrush international Painting Competition - May.
Laguna Beach Plein Air Painting Invitational, CA, October.
Maui Plein Air Painting Invitational, February.
Laguna Plein Air Painters exhibition, Best of Plein Air, Laguna Beach, CA, March.
National Oil and Acrylic Painters Society International Spring online exhibition, May.
International Society of Acrylic Painters, First Online Exhibition, November.
2015
Outstanding Acrylic Painting, Boldbrush international Painting Competition - December.
Best of Show, National Oil and Acrylic Painters Spring International Online Exhibition.
Second Prize award, Paint San Clemente national plein air competition, San Clemente, CA, June.
Collectors' Choice, juried art exhibition and auction to benefit Laguna College of Art & Design, Laguna Beach, CA.
13th, 14th and 16th American Impressionist Society Art Exhibition, Carmel, Indianapolis, and Scottsdale, 2011-2015.
31st National Society of Artists, Art Exhibition, Clute, Texas.
18th Annual International Society of Acrylic Painters Art Exhibition, Paso Robles, CA.
California Impressionism museum exhibition, Huntington Beach Art Center, CA.
Oil Painters of America 24th Annual National Exhibition, St. Augustine, FL.
National Juried Show , Coutts Museum of Art, Paint the National Parks, El Dorado, Kansas.
2014
Gallery Invitational, McCollum Gallery, The Artist's Sketchbook, featuring Realism-Without-Borders artists, Laguna Beach, CA.
Gallery Group Shows, Slusser Gallery, Plein Air Works and Small Works, Salt Lake City, Utah .
Juried Gallery Show, Urban Beauty, Higbee Gallery, Costa Mesa, CA - October.
Best of Show, The American Landscape, Staunton, VA - May.
Outstanding Acrylic, Boldbrush International Painting Competition -February.
2013
One-man show, Casa Romantica Cultural Center, 35 paintings, San Clemente, CA.
Best of Show,International Society of Acrylic Painters exhibition online.
American Impressionist Society, 14th annual exhibition, Charlestown, South Carolina.
2012
Laguna Beach Plein Air Invitational, 2008 – 16; Boseker award for excellence in painting 2011, "Surfrider Award".
Festival of the Arts, Exhibitor in Acrylics, Laguna Beach, CA.
Laguna Plein Air Painters exhibitions: Less is More, Laguna Beach, CA, 2011-12 ; LPAPA at Jonathan Club, Los Angeles, CA.
Oil Painters of America, Fourth International Online Competition.
First Place, Richeson 75 International Competitions, Small Works, 2012: Landscapes; Figure/Portrait Exhibition, 2011,WI.Kimberly, WI.
University Exhibitions: Golden West College, Santa Ana, CA; Saddleback College, Mission Viejo, CA, 2012.
A.E.S. Peterson Award, 57th Annual Exhibition, National Society of Painters in Casein and Acrylic 2011.
PUBLICATIONS:
Fine Art Connoisseur, “Laguna’s Love of the Sea Endures,” Prolonging the Profound Joy II, 16x20, oil, April 2026.
Modern Impressionist Magazine, feature article “Painting Santa Barbara” by Rick J. Delanty, Jan./Feb. 2026.
Modern Impressionist Magazine, feature article “Off Highway One: Painting in the Land of Millard Sheets” by Rick J. Delanty, Nov./Dec. 2025.
Online publication “Showcase My Art,” at https://showcasemyart.com/rick-j-delanty-painting-the-spirit-of-nature/.
Fine Art Connoisseur, Sun Bouquet 24x12 oil selected by the editor for the Sept/Oct "Botanicals" Portfolio.
Modern Impressionist Magazine, feature article “Inside Paint Maui 2025,” by Rick J. Delanty, May/Junel 2025.
Plein Air Magazine feature article, “Paint A Forest Without Painting A Single Leaf,” by Rick J. Delanty and edited by Kelly Kane, May 2025.
Modern Impressionist Magazine, feature article “A Colorful Oregon Discovery,” by Rick J. Delanty, March/April 2025.
Modern Impressionist Magazine, feature article “December Painting in Yosemite,” by Rick J. Delanty, January/February 2025.
Modern Impressionist Magazine, feature article “Inspired by Creation,” by Rick J. Delanty, November/December 2024.
Plein Air Magazine, “Nature’s Studio” portfolio (with “Garden Highlights”) and article by editor Kelly Kane, May 2024.
Plein Air Today (digital), Streamline Publishing, “Talent is Just a Word…”, by Rick J. Delanty, August 2023.
Art Renewal Center, International Realism, the 16th International ARC Salon, published by ACC Art Books and ARC, 2023.
Art Renewal Center, International Realism, the 15th International ARC Salon, published by ACC Art Books and ARC, 2022.
Plein Air Magazine feature article, “Inspired by History,” by Rick J. Delanty and edited by Kelly Kane, April 2023.
Plein Air Magazine, “Beyond Blue Skies” portfolio, April 2023.
Southwest Art Magazine, “Transcending the Ordinary—Rick J. Delanty captures the natural history and beauty of California,” feature article by Bonnie Ganglehoff, April/May 2023.
Fine Art Connoisseur, Great Art Worldwide, “Inspired by History,” article by senior editor Peter Trippi, March 2023.
American Art Collector, “Destination California,” February 2023
Western Art Collector, “State of the Art, California,” February 2023
Plein Air Magazine, “Night Life” portfolio, with “Moonlight on Monterey Drive,” January 2023.
Plein Air Magazine, feature article “A Perfect Match,” by Rick J. Delanty and edited by Kelly Kane, Oct-Nov 2021.
Inspirational Art book: Beauty Unites Us by Rick J. Delanty -- includes over 50 paintings and short essays. 124pgs, hardbound. ISBN # 978-0-578-87234-6, 2021.
Southwest Art Magazine, "9th Annual Winners, Artistic Excellence Competition," December 2019.
American Art Collector,"Enchanted Oils, at Western Regional Exhibition", December 2019.
American Art Collector, "At the Water's Edge: Collectors' Focus on Coastlines," June 2019.
American Watercolor Weekly, "Postcards from the Road," by Kelley Kane, February 2019.
Southwest Art Magazine, “Show Preview, American Impressionist Society” by Kim Agricola, October 2018.
Fine Art Connoisseur/Fine Art Today, “9 Acrylic Paintings Worthy of Recognition,” Editorial Staff, July, 2018.
Plein Air Magazine, “Travel, a Plein Air Portfolio,” by Stephen Doherty, February-March 2018.
Painting California, Seascapes and Beach Towns, by Jean Stern and Molly Siple, Rizzoli Publishers, 2017.
Southwest Art Magazine, "Three to Watch" article, by Kim Agricola, November 2016.
Plein Air Magazine, "Unifying Expressions in Oil and Acrylic Paint," by Stephen M.Doherty, January 2015.
Painting in Acrylics, The Indispensible Guide (book), by Lorena Kloosterboer, Quarto Publishing, USA and Canada, 2015.
"The Color of San Clemente," by John Hazeltine, The Resource Library, October 2013.
American Art Collector, "Impressive Renderings, American Impressionist Society," October 2013.
“Twenty-First Century Artists,” Art History channel, cable television network, New York, 2011.
Best of Worldwide Landscape Artists (book), Kennedy Publishing, 2010.
Paint the Forests (book), The Redwood Forest Foundation, 2010.
American Artist Magazine, “Gear Up,” by Michael Chesley Johnson, August 2010.
San Clemente, Spanish Village-by-the-Sea (book), Heritage Foundation, cover illustration, 2007.
A California Woman’s Story (book), by Joan Irvine Smith, The Irvine Museum, 2006.
SELECTED COLLECTIONS:
Casa Romantica Cultural Center permanent collection, “Spring Day, San Clemente Pier,”
12x24, acrylic on canvas.
UCI Irvine Museum Permanent Collection, "Trestles, From Afar" acrylic 30x40 Irvine, Ca.
Coutts Museum of Art, “Surge at Otter Cliffs,” acrylic 14x11 El Dorado, Kansas
Mrs. Yvonne Boseker, Santa Ana, Ca.
Jean and Linda Stern, Irvine, Ca.
Jay and Mary Linda Strotkamp, Laguna Beach, Ca.
Gary and Linda Pack, Laguna Beach, Ca.
Jim Morris, former executive director of United Nations World Food Program.
Margaret Cameron, Sussex, England.
