Thomas Buchs

In high school I took all the art classes I could, and got the opportunity to go to a commercial art studio for a day. It was there that I saw what I wanted to do for a living, become an Illustrator. I went to Layton School of Art and during summers I exhibited at Art Fairs and did Pastel Portraits. As an Illustrator I have done work for Major Corporations and Advertising Agencies all over the United States, and I have illustrated numerous children’s books.

Through the years I have also been doing Fine Art, mostly oil painting. Recently I have been doing Plein Air Painting (painting from life outdoors). I am a founding member of Wisconsin Plein Air Painters Association. The WIPAPA has been established as a statewide fellowship of artists dedicated to promoting and practicing the traditional discipline of Plein Air painting. Much of my current work is representative of this discipline. I try to capture the light and atmosphere of a scene within a few hours. I believe that a painting is not just a two dimensional illusion, but also that of a moment in life, captured by an artist on canvas.

My accomplishments in Plein Air Painting events include:

• 3rd place in Quick Paint – 2008 Downer Street Event
• 1st place in Quick Paint – 2008 Mid-Summer Brush
• 1st place in Quick Paint – 2009 Mid-Summer Brush
• Honorable Mention at IPAPA First Brush of Spring 2009
• 1st place in Painting – 2010 Wauwatosa Plein Air and Village Affair
• 3rd place in Dockside Quick Paint 2010 Door County Plein Air Festival
• 3rd place at Indiana Plein Air Painters First Brush of Spring 2011