An Art Collection Spotlight
“On a lark, my wife and I stopped by the Broad Ripple Hoosier Salon gallery in 2006, the weekend before an exhibition opening, and were invited to attend the show preview,” says Bill Wissel, a collector of contemporary landscape and plein air paintings.
“We bought a painting that ended up winning an award, and we were hooked. After that experience, I attended a paint-out in Brookville, Indiana, and bought my first plein air piece from Mary Ann Davis. It remains one of my favorite paintings to this day.”
“Today, we buy work at gallery openings, plein air events, and competitions, but we especially enjoy buying directly from the artists themselves. If an artist works in multiple mediums, we like to buy pieces that reflect that range; for instance, we’ve purchased prints and etchings from artists primarily known for their paintings.”
Mary Ann Davis, Winter in Brookville, 21 x 24 in. pastel.
Among the artists Wissel and his wife collect are Mary Ann Davis, Carol Strock-Wasson, Lynn Dunbar, Donna Shortt, Charlene Brown, Beth Forst, Tricia Hillenberg, Chris Newlund, Jeff Klinker, Dan and Tom Woodson, Larry Rudolech, Ron Mack, Lyle Denney, Kyle Ragsdale, Alan Larkin, David Seward, Roy Boswell, and Wyatt LeGrand.
“We have a personal relationship with all the artists in our collection, many of whom I met during my tenure as president of the Indiana Plein Air Painters Association. “One of my favorite sayings is ‘Artists are a better class of bum.’”
“l took some art classes in high school, but consider myself a collector and a patron,” Wissel says. “My wife, on the other hand, majored in art in college. Her family also collected a little, and she told me some great stories about family excursions to buy artwork.”
“In my own experience, I’ve come to think of collecting artwork as collecting stories,” he says. “My biggest concern is that I don’t have enough wall space, so I have to rotate my stock.”
Landscape painting by Kyle Ragsdale
Artist Kyle Ragsdale grew up in Texas and New Mexico, witnessing from a young age a mix of vibrant cultures and large wild spaces. Since earning degrees at Baylor University (BFA) and Southern Methodist University (MFA), Kyle has been painting full time, working periodically as a decorative painter and stage set designer, and making fine art. He has served as curator for exhibits in Texas and Indiana and currently is curator for the Harrison Center, Indianapolis.
Kyle’s work has changed many times—the paint has been thick, thin, shiny, and flat. He often delves into decorative floral patterns, landscapes, and portraiture, but probably is best known for his mysterious elongated figures. Sometimes formal, sometimes casual, these signature figures and their often ambiguous settings leave room for interpretation; like an open-ended novel, relationships and meanings are found in the viewer’s gaze.
Landscape painting by Kyle Ragsdale
The Big Plein Air Convention is Here!
PleinAir™ Magazine’s 12th annual Plein Air Convention & Expo (“PACE”) will kick off in a little under a month in Lake Taho & Reno, NV. More than 25 expert artists will be doing demos and teaching techniques and painting philosophies May 19-23. For more info, check it out here.
Andy Evansen, “Down at the Lake,” 2024, watercolor, 10 x 14 in.
Mastering Hollyhocks in Watercolor: A Tip for Crisp, Fresh Paintings
Buffalo Kaplinski, “Scarlet Hollyhock,” 2021, watercolor, 12 x 17 in., private collection, plein air
“Painting hollyhocks looks simple to paint at first, but the characteristic leaves and stalks can be a challenge,” says Buffalo Kaplinski. “I find watercolor to be the best medium for capturing their crisp edges and shapes. Found in a number of Western landscapes, and grown in a variety of colors, they seem to thrive in dry places in my garden.
“Most of us who make representational art are interested in drawing and take time to hone that skill; in watercolor especially, there’s no faking it. The trick to a crisp, fresh, and believable watercolor is making a careful drawing without detailing every shape; watercolor is a fluid media, after all.
“I prefer an HB pencil for drawing, but before putting in even the lightest values, I think carefully about the color I want for the painting. Even when I’m painting en plein air, I use the best brushes I can find to get the best results in my work — most often a No. 7 (or No. 8) long-handle professional red sable by Winsor & Newton, a Princeton No. 6 liner, a No. 4 by Black Velvet, and a No. 6 Silver Brush script. I also like Cheap Joe’s Dream Catcher brushes. I never use any masking fluid. I prefer painting around negative and positive shapes the way I was taught by Irving Shapiro.”
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Editor’s Note: Join us for the 6th Annual Plein Air Live online art conference, featuring Kathleen Hudson, Kevin Macpherson, Kami Mendlik, and many more! The event takes place November 6-8, 2025, with an Essential Techniques Day on November 5. Learn more at PleinAirLive.com.
