Resume

Brief Bio

Lynn Mehta is an award-winning Virginia-based artist known for her rich oil paintings, characterized by a generous use of paint and harmonious color. Her art reflects a deep connection to the ever-changing visual world, blending abstract shapes and forms inspired by a diversity of subject matter. Viewers are captivated by her paintings up close and from afar.

Growing up along the Pacific Ocean, Mehta has been an artist as long as she can remember and was inspired by the work of her mother who painted outside. Mehta earned her B.A. in Art from San Diego State University, and has studied with an impressive list of acclaimed artists in the US and abroad.

Mehta is a Signature Member of the American Impressionist Society and the American Society of Marine Artists. She is featured in galleries, private and public collections, books, and magazines worldwide, including the Maryhill Museum of Art in Washington, the National Institutes of Health, and Acadia National Park Artists-in-Residency.

Selected Events and Competitions

2025

Borrego Art Institute Plein Air Invitational, CA
Carmel Art Festival, CA
Casa Posidonia Artist Residency, Oliva, Spain

2024

Carmel Art Festival, CA
Best of Plein Air, Laguna Plein Air Painters Association, CA
Gloucester Plein Air Invitational, VA Best Water Award
Paint Grand Traverse, MI Small Works Award
18th Annual Less is More, Laguna Plein Air Painters Association, CA
Plein Air at the Arboretum, VA, Featured Artist
American Impressionist Society National Juried Exhibition, Rockport Art Association, MA Merit Award
Paint It Orange!, NC, Juror of Awards
RAA&M National Show, Rockport Art Association and Museum, MA

2023

American Impressionist Society Online Juried Exhibition
4th Annual Laguna Plein Air Painters Association Squared Exhibition, Finalist, CA
Paint Grand Traverse, MI
Gloucester Plein Air Invitational, VA, Best Agricultural Award
American Impressionist Society Small Works Showcase, Knoxville, TN
Lighthouse Plein Air, Tequesta, FL
Pacific Northwest Plein Air, Columbia River, Maryhill Museum, WA

2022

Brandywine Plein Air, DE 1st Place
Salmagundi Club Fall Auctions, Sylvia Maria Glessman Floral Prize
Bath County Plein Air, VA Judge’s Choice Award
28th Annual Maritime Exhibition, Coos Bay, OR
16th Annual Less is More Exhibition, Laguna Plein Air Painters Association, CA
Pacific Northwest Plein Air, Columbia River, Best Cultural Award, Maryhill Award, and Museum Purchase Prize
17th Annual Frank Bette Plein Air, Alameda, CA “Island Award”
Estes Valley Plein Air, CO 3rd Place
Salmagundi Club Spring Auctions, Certificate of Merit
Oil Painters of America 31st Annual Juried Competition, Steamboat Springs, CO
Coastal Virginia Plein Air Quick Draw, 2nd Place Quick Draw Award
Coastal Virginia Plein Air Juror of Awards
Plein Air New Bern, NC

2021

Oil Painters of America, 30th National Exhibition, California Center for the Arts, Escondido, CA
American Impressionist Society Small Works Showcase, Principle Gallery, Charleston, SC
Oil Painters of America Juried Salon Show, Gainesville, GA
American Impressionist Society, All-Member Online Juried Show
Salmagundi Annual Members Juried Show, New York, NY
Coastal Virginia Plein Air
Plein Air New Bern, NC
Mountain Maryland Plein Air
Gloucester Plein Air Invitational, VA: Juror’s Choice Juried Quick Draw Award
St George Island Paint Out, FL, 1st Place Quick Draw Award
Juror of Show: Paint It! Ellicott City, MD
Juror of Show: Mattawoman Creek Art Center, Annual Juried Show, MD

2020

American Impressionist Society: Signature Member Status Awarded
Juror of Show: Falls Church Plein Air, VA
Paint Annapolis, Annapolis, MD: Annapolis Gallery Association Award
Salmagundi Club Annual Members Juried Show, New York, NY
American Impressionist Society Small Works Showcase, Fredericksburg, Texas
Washington Society of Landscape Artists, Principle Gallery, Alexandria, VA

2019

American Impressionist Society 20th National Juried Exhibition, Salmagundi Club, New York
American Society of Marine Artists, West Regional Exhibition, Channel Islands Maritime Museum
Washington Society of Landscape Artists, Spak Gallery, Washington, DC
26th Annual Maritime Art Exhibition, Coos Art Museum, Oregon
Los Gatos Plein Air, California
Paint Annapolis
3-person exhibition: Quiet Waters Park, Annapolis, Maryland
Coastal VA Plein Air: 3rd Place
Arts-on-Main Artist-in-Residency, 1 month, Gloucester, Virginia

2018

Salmagundi Club Annual Thumb Box Show, Certificate of Merit
The Art League, Alexandria, VA, Honorable Mention
Juror of Show: Great Falls Plein Air
Tallinn en Plein Air Exhibition, Poska Villa, Tallinn, Estonia
Mid-Atlantic Plein Air Painters Association: Signature Member Status Award
Nautical Show, Salmagundi Club Honorable Mention
Mountain Maryland Plein Air Juried Competition
Parrsboro Plein Air, Quick Draw: Honorable Mention
Paint Annapolis, Juried Artist, Quick Draw: 1st Place Juried & People’s Choice
Paint Snow Hill, 1st Place Artist Choice
East Beach Plein Air Invitational, Virginia Beach
Rice Gallery of Fine Art 3rd Annual National Juried Plein Air Show, Honorable Mention

2017

American Society of Marine Artists, Signature Member Status Awarded
American Society of Marine Artists, Invitational Show at Lyme Art Association
Washington Society of Landscape Artists at The Atheneum, Alexandria, VA
Hudson Valley Plein Air Festival, Honorable Mention & Best Nature Award
Washington Society of Landscape Painters Annual Banquet, 3rd Place
Art in the Open, Wexford, Ireland : Quick Draw Sponsor Award
Mountain Maryland Plein Air Competition, Best Use of Light Award
Gloucester Invitational, Juried Artist Quick Draw 2nd Place
American Impressionist Society Inaugural Small Works Showcase Juried Exhibition, Randy Higbee Gallery, Costa Mesa, California

2016

BSSS Queen City Plein Air Festival: Best of Show
Staunton Quick Draw Art Competition, 1st Place
Women Painters of the Southeast Exhibition: 4th Place
Finger Lakes Plein Air Competition
Capitol Hill Art League Juried Exhibition, Hill Center Galleries. Juror’s Choice Award
Los Gatos Plein Air, Silicon Valley, California
2-person Show: Yellow Barn Gallery, Glen Echo, Maryland
3-person Show: Ballard Gallery, Little Washington, Virginia

2015

American Impressionist Society 16th Annual National Juried Exhibition, Trailside Galleries, Scottsdale, Arizona
87th Grand National Exhibition, The American Artists Professional League, New York, NY: Materials Award
Paint Annapolis, Best Painting Incorporating Water Award, Juried Artist Quick Draw 2nd Place
Salmagundi Spring Auction Exhibition, Thomas Moran SCNY Award
Piedmont Plein Aire Paint Out, North Carolina

2014

Salmagundi 106th Annual Thumb-Box Exhibition, Certificate of Merit
Piedmont Plein Aire Paint Out, 3rd Place
Bath County Plein Air Festival
Plein Air Shenandoah Invitational
4-person show: Chesapeake Fine Art Studio, Kent Island, Maryland
28th Annual Invitational Oxford Fine Arts Fair, Maryland
Paint Annapolis: 2nd Place
Mattawoman Creek Art Center Juried Exhibit, Best of Show
Paint Snow Hill, Artists Choice Award

2013

Solo Show: East Alcove Gallery, National Institute of Health
Small Wonders National Juried Exhibit, Maryland Federation of Art, Juror’s Choice Award
Easels in Frederick, Best Rural Landscape/Town Award
Callaway Gardens Plein Air Competition, Georgia
Hammonton, NJ 6th Annual Plein Air Competition, 1st Place
April All-Media Exhibition, Capitol Hill Art League, 1st Place
March All-Media Exhibition, Capitol Hill Art League, 1st Place
Winter Member Exhibit, Maryland Federation of Art, Juror’s Choice Award

2012

Third Annual Plein Air Exhibition, Salmagundi Club, Open Box M Merit Award
Art in the Open Plein Air Painting Event, Wexford, Ireland
Plein Air Brandywine, Artist’s Choice for Best Artist Award
Plein Air 757, Virginia Beach, Plein Air Magazine Merit Award
Solo Show: VOLT Gallery, Artique Underground, Frederick, Maryland
Solo Show of 80 works: Yellow Barn Gallery, Glen Echo, Maryland
Solo Show: Meet-the-Artist at La Piccolo Roma, Maryland Federation of Art
Cranford Plein Air Festival, New Jersey
San Luis Obispo Plein Air, California

2011

The American Artists Professional League 83rd Grand National Exhibition, New York, NY, John Collins Memorial Award
Solo Show: East Gallery, National Institute of Health, Bethesda, MD
San Luis Obispo Plein Air, California
Mountain Maryland Plein Air
Plein Air Brandywine Valley
Chadds Ford Annual Winter Plein Air Paint Out
Out and About Norfolk Plein Air Competition In The French Tradition Award
“Strokes of Genius” National Show, Maryland Federation of Art, Caruso Award For Painting
Solomons Paint the Town: Quick Draw Award, 2nd Place
February All-Media Show. Capitol Hill Art League, Best Of ShowMembers’ Gallery,
Solo Show: Fredericksburg Center for Creative Arts, VA.

2010

Out and About Plein Air Competition, Norfolk, Virginia
Solo Show: Fredericksburg Center for the Creative Arts
2-person Show: Philip Carter Winery of Virginia, Hume, VA

2009

Mountain Maryland Plein Air Competition
Solomons Plein Air Competition

Residencies

Artist-in-Residency, Arts on Main, Gloucester, VA, February 2019.
Acadia National Park Artist Residency, May 2016.
Community Residency, The Compact C-Scape Dune Shack, Cape Cod National Seashore, November 2011.
Nimrod Hall Summer Arts Program for Artists, Bath County, VA. Summers 2008-12.

Education

San Diego State University, emphasis Environmental Design, B.A. Art
workshops and classes with internationally acclaimed artist in the U.S. and abroad
Smithsonian World Art History Certificate

Membership

American Impressionist Society, Signature Member
American Society of Marine Artists, Signature Member
Maryland Federation of the Arts, Annapolis, MD
Mid-Atlantic Plein Air Painters Association, past Board Member, Signature Member
Oil Painters of America, Juried Membership
Salmagundi Club, New York, NY, Juried Membership
The Art League, Alexandria, VA
The American Artists Professional League, New York, NY, Fellow
Washington Society of Landscape Painters, Washington, DC, Juried Membership

Publications

“Artistically Speaking with Lynn Mehta: Painting on Location.” The Lake-Front. 5 May 2019. http://www.lakefrontmagazine.com/artistically-speaking-with-lynn-mehta-painting-on-location/

Christian, Michelle Brosco. “Plein Air Painting: A Breath of Fresh Air.” Southern Maryland This Is Living 13.1 (2011): 27-29. Print.

Doherty, Steve. “Artist Profile: Structured ‘Messes’.” Plein Air Magazine, September 2016: pp. 48-52. Print.

Doherty, Steve. “Paint in New York City.” Outdoor Painter., 22 Sept. 2012. Web. 02 July 2013. http://www.outdoorpainter.com/featured-events/paint-in-new-york-city.html

Fesperman, Will. “Plein air competition draws painters into the streets of Annapolis.”. The Baltimore Sun.
Web. 29 June 2014. http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/anne-arundel/annapolis/bs-md-ar-paint-annapolis-20140629-story.html

“First Artist in Residence to speak at Arts on Main”. Daily Press. 11 Feb 2019. https://www.dailypress.com/blogs/dp-ugc-article-first-artist-in-residence-to-speak-at-arts-on-20102-11-story.html

“Hiking Rough Terrain to Paint Spectacular Scenes” Outdoor Painter, 19 August 2013. https://www.outdoorpainter.com/hiking-rough-terrain-to-paint-spectacular-scenes/

“Lynn’s Landscapes.” The Free Lance-Star [Fredericksburg, VA] 3 Mar 2011, Weekender sec.: 13. Print.

“Lynn Mehta Makes an Impression” Rapp News. Web. 9 January 2014. http://rappnews.com/2014/01/09/the-rapp-for-jan-9/

Magner, Jim. “Artist Profile: Lynn Mehta”. “Art and the City”. Hill Rag [Washington, DC] February 2016: 114-15. HillRag.com 02 March 2016. http://www.capitalcommunitynews.com/content/art-and-city-30

Pendleton, Gary. 100 Plein Air Painters of the Mid-Atlantic. Atglen, PA: Schiffer Publishing, 2014. pp. 170-71.

Rameswaram, Sean. “Take a Hike.” “Art Beat” With Sean Rameswarem. WAMU 88.5 American University Radio. 5 May 2011. Radio.

Taylor, Sara K. “Making an Impression.” Maryland Independent 27 Apr. 2011, sec. B: 5. Print.

“Update Rail Trail Art.” Charles County Update. CCGTV. Cable Access Channel, La Plata, Maryland, 19 Apr. 2011. Charles County Government. Television. 9 June 2011. http://openstream.charlescounty.org/mediaVideoExternal.jsp?&file=/CC_updates/2011/Updaterailtrailart.mp4

Teaching Experience

Winslow Art Center, Bainbridge Island, WA:

“Loosening Up with Palette Knife and Brushwork” 4-week online course. March and October, 2024

Beverly Street Studio School, Staunton, VA:

“Painting in Oils” – Summer 2024
“Loosening Up in the Studio” – Winter 2023
“How to Loosen Up your Paintings” – Spring 2022
“Building Better Landscapes: Improving your Studio Paintings” – Fall 2019
“Using Color Studies for Bigger and Better Landscape Painting” – Fall 2018, Spring 2019
Bigger and Better Landscape Painting” Spring 2018.

Chesapeake Fine Art Studio, Stevensville, MD:

Zoom Online Classes – July 2020 – July 2021
“Thursday Classes” – October 2018 – December 2019
“Saturday Mornings with Lynn: Learn, Create, Explore”. January- March 2018.

Mattawoman Creek Art Center, Marbury, MD:

“Plein Air Workshop”. Identifying and translating elements of a scene that are inspiring for a successful plein air painting. June 2017.
“Bringing the Outdoors In”. Studio Workshop focusing on using memory, photographs, and outdoor sketches. May 2013.
“Landscape Painting from Photographs, Sketches and Memory”. March 2012.

Weekend Workshops and Live Painting Demonstration Include:

“Capturing the Impression” – 3 day Workshop in conjunction with Paint It Orange Plein Air, Orange County Arts Commission, Hillsborough, NC, October 2024.
“Inspiration to Completion” – 1 day workshop in conjunction with Blandy Plein Air, Virginia State Arboretum, September 2024.
“Painting with Color and Expression – 3 day Workshop”, Arts-on-Main, Gloucester, VA, February 2022.
“Inspiration to Completion – An Artist Workshop” Coastal Virginia Plein Air, April 2022.
“Painting the Impressionist Landscape” MAPAPA demo, Exmore, VA, September 2017
MAPAPA Winter Plein Air Demo at Chesapeake Fine Art Studio, January 2017.
“Painting Sunsets Quickly Plein Air”, Oxford Fine Art Fine, 2012.

Burgundy Farm Country Day School, Alexandria, VA:

Art Program Head Summer Counselor 2003-2008.
Art Director After School Program 2003-2008.