Artist Biography
At age 18, Blair Atherholt set out on an undergraduate Pre-Med course of study at Temple University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. However, at exam time, when Atherholt thumbed through his notebooks from his classes, he came face to face with the reality that the notebooks were full of drawings and sketches instead of the notes he needed to study.
From that day forward, Atherholt determined not to pursue a medical career but an art career instead. He entered the Schuler School of Fine Arts in 2011 in pursuit of learning the techniques and disciplines of the Old Masters. The life works of Hans Schuler, Sr. (1874-1951) and Jacques Maroger (1884-1962) and their dedication to excellence in art represent the hallmark of the Schuler School and its mission in training students of the school.
Since his graduation from the Schuler School of Fine Arts in 2015, Atherholt’s artistic focus has remained concentrated upon traditional still life painting in oils. Within this genre, his continual ambition is to compose works made distinctively his own by utilizing contemporary, imaginative subject matter. He strives with each new painting to improve his control of the medium, one measured brushstroke at a time.
His work has been included in multiple national shows and international publications. Most recently, he was awarded the American Art Collector Editor’s Choice in the 15th Annual International Guild of Realism Exhibition, an Award of Excellence in the Oil Painters of America Wet Paint Competition, 2nd Place in the Artists Magazine Annual Art Competition: Still Life + Interiors, as well as the Windows to the Divine Award in the Art Renewal Center’s 14th International Salon. He also received the Realism Award of Excellence in the Oil Painters of America 28th National Juried Exhibition, as well as the Best Still Life Award in the National Oil and Acrylic Painters Society’s Best of America Small Works Exhibition. He has been honored to have been publicized in the August/September 2020 issue of International Artist Magazine with a feature demonstration article, Painting with Precision. He was also a featured artist in Southwest Art Magazine’s 21 Under 31 issue, in September 2017. His paintings are part of numerous public and private collections.
Education
Schuler School of Fine Arts, Baltimore MD: Certificate of Completion, 4 Year Program; Additional Post-Graduate Year of Study (2011-2016)
Competition Awards and Special Honors
- Artists Magazine Annual Art Competition: Still Life + Interiors: Second Place (2019)
- Art Renewal Center: 14th International Salon: Windows to the Divine Award (2019)
- Oil Painters of America: 28th National Juried Exhibition: Art Renewal Center Realism Award of Excellence (2019)
- National Oil and Acrylic Painters Society: Best of America Small Works: Best Still Life Award (2019)
- International Artist’s Magazine Art Prize Challenge #105: Still Life: Finalist (June/July 2018) Artists
- National Oil and Acrylic Painters Society Spring Online International: Award of Excellence (2018)
- BoldBrush: 3rd Place (January 2018)
- Art Renewal Center’s 13th Annual International Salon: Honorable Mention (2018)
- National Oil and Acrylic Painters Society Holiday Small Works Show: 3rd Place (December 2017)
- Art Renewal Center’s 12th Annual International Salon: Finalist (2017)
Selected Group Exhibitions
- Oil Painters of America: Eastern Regional Exhibition (October 2019)
- National Oil and Acrylic Painters Society: 29th Best of America National Exhibition (September 2019)
- Oil Painters of America: 28th National Juried Exhibition (May 2019)
- National Oil and Acrylic Painters Society: Juried Best of America Small Works (March 2019)
- The Wilson Studio Art Show (December 2018)
- Oil Painters of America: Eastern Regional Exhibition (October 2018)
- National Oil and Acrylic Painters Society: 28th Best of America National Exhibition (September 2018)
- Allied Artists of America: 105th Annual Exhibition (August 2018)
- Oil Painters of America Salon: Juried Exhibition of Traditional Oils (June 2018)
- National Oil and Acrylic Painters Society: Juried Best of America Small Works (May 2018)
- The Schuler School of Fine Arts: Student and Faculty Holiday Exhibition (December 2017)
- The Wilson Studio Art Show (December 2017)
- National Oil and Acrylic Painters Society: Juried Annual Holiday Small Works (November 2017)
- Oil Painters of America: Juried Eastern Regional Exhibition (November 2017)
- The Schuler School of Fine Arts: Student and Faculty Spring Exhibition (June 2017)
National Memberships
- Oil Painters of America: Associate Member
- National Oil and Acrylic Painters’ Society: Signature Member
- The International Guild of Realism
