Elizabeth Tolley - Award Winning Artist

Quotes from Jurors and Museum Directors

"To me, Libby Tolley's work succeeds on two levels: First, there is the outward beauty of the land, sky and ocean, presented in clean and direct areas of glorious color. This is the level that appeals immediately to anyone who views her work. Secondly, there is the deeper, softly spiritual level, the one that comes to the viewer very soon after the initial look. This meaning is manifested through her adept handling of color. Color is the messenger, and in Libby's case, the narrative is merely foreground. Libby's work is a treat to the eye and the spirit."

Jean Stern
Executive Director
The Irvine Museum
April 2006

“I was struck by the fact that I kept having to return to Libby's work while jurying the Plein Air Festival at SLO. I always believe that when you can't stop looking at a painting that it means that it carries a depth beyond the surface. There is no doubt that Libby is a fine artist with a great sense of composition, color, texture, style. Where she goes beyond many artists is in her sense of light and mood. In the first place winning painting titled “Daybreak” she has captured the fragility of morning in a most ethereal and delicate way. Her sky is the palest pinkish yellow, transparent and soft and new. Her work looks realistic from afar yet abstract close up. This is another act of genius. Up close her trees appear to be "scraped back" with a palette knife appearing old in juxtaposition to the newness of the morning sky. The “content” of her works goes so much further beyond the simple landscape they appear. There is a spirituality about the works, even in her quick draw piece created Saturday morning in less than two hours, where she describes the trees as revealing the coming of fall. Something seems to be “pending,” about to happen, ever changing. She appeared to have studied with the masters or at least with a highly academic art institute or university or mentor artists(s) the latter which is true. She is impressive as an overall artist in her technique, spirit and depth of content... probably the best Plein Air painter I have seen in my time as curator at the Bakersfield Museum of Art.”

Emily Falke
Curator
Bakersfield Museum of Art
October 2005

Among Libby Tolley's recent awards are the following:

Honorable Mention, The 2007 Heritage Invitational Art Exhibition and Sale, May 2007, Sponsored by the Irvine Land Trust
Best of Show, San Luis Obispo Plein Air Festival 2005
Award of Excellence, Best Signature Member, Oil Painters of American Western Regional 2005
Second Place Award, San Luis Obispo Plein Air Festival 2004
Finalist, The Artist's Magazine Landscape Painting Competition 2004
Award, Carmel Plein Air Competition and Exhibit 2004
O.P.A Award of Excellence, Oil Painters of America, Western Regional 2003
2 ^nd Place, International Artist Magazine, Seascapes, Rivers and Lakes 2003
Juror Commendation, Sonora Desert Museum Plein Air 2003
2002 Selected as an artist member, California Art Club
Honorable Mention Award, San Luis Obispo Plein Air 2002
Finalist, The Artist's Magazine Landscape Painting Competition 2002
2001 Awarded Signature Membership in Oil Painters of America by the Board of Directors.
"After the Rain, Morro Bay" 24 x 30 oil painting selected for The Artist's Magazine 2002 Limited Edition Calendar.
Finalist, in The Artist's Magazine Landscape Painting Competition 2001
Brushstrokes 1994: Oil Painting, Best of Show; Grumbacher Gold Medal
Central Coast Watercolor Society: Merit Award
Central Coast Watercolor Society: 1st Place, Plaza Gallery Show
Rockport Publisher: Award of Distinction
Rockport Publisher: Best of Oil Painting
San Diego Watercolor Society: Award of Excellence, 1999
San Luis Obispo Mozart Festival Artist: 1995, 2000
Watercolor West: Brand Library and Art Gallery Award
Winsor & Newton: Achievement Recognition

For an artist, to be selected to exhibit work in a prestigious show constitutes a very special kind of award. Libby Tolley's work has appeared in over 60 national and international juried exhibitions and solo shows. Most recently, these have included:

San Luis Obispo Plein Air 2007
97rd Annual Gold Medal Juried Exhibition, California Art Club, Pasadena Museum of California Art, Pasadena, CA
Crystal Cove 5th Coastal Splendor Sale and Gala Crystal Cove State Park, CA
The 2007 Heritage Invitational Art Show and Sale May 2007
The event was the result of the leadership and vision of Mrs. Joan Irvine Smith, a primary patron of the Plein Air art style and the great-granddaughter of James Irvine. It was organized by the Capistrano Valley Conservancy and the Irvine Ranch Land Reserve Trust, along with the County of Orange, Harbors, Beaches and Parks department. It was accomplished primarily through the efforts of more than 65 dedicated and hard-working volunteers. Mrs. Smith also provided the prize money of $11,000 for the event. All paintings were judged by Jean Stern, Executive Director of The Irvine Museum.
Nearly 40 nationally-known artists participated in the Heritage Art Show. Mrs. Smiths' vision was for them to create paintings showcasing the Irvine Family's legacy in defining Orange County and the forward-thinking preservation vision and stewardship of Donald Bren, Chairman of the Irvine Company. The art would help celebrate the newly designated Irvine Ranch National Natural Landmark. And it would also honor the County of Orange's management of many important cultural, historic and natural resources. Artists chose from 23 of the County's most breath-taking locations, including several on the wildlands and parks of The Irvine Ranch that had never been accessible before. This inspiration resulted in almost 150 spectacular paintings.
Capistrano Light Invitational Exhibit 2006 , San Juan Capistrano
Oil Painters of America National Exhibition, 2006, Missoula, MT
California Art Club’s 95th Annual Gold Medal Juried Exhibition, 2006, Pasadena, CA
Maui Plein Air Painting Invitational, 2006, Maui, HI
San Luis Obispo Plein Air Festival, 2005
Oil Painters of American Western Regional Exhibit, 2005, Santa Barbara, CA
Oil Painters of America’s 14 ^th Annual National Exhibition, 2005, Chicago, IL
The Palos Verdes Athletic Club’s California Plein Air Invitational, 2004, Palos Verdes, CA
OPA 2005 Western Regional Juried Exhibition of Traditional Oils, Santa Barbara, CA
California Art Club 94 ^th Annual Gold Medal Juried Exhibition, 2004-2005, Pasadena, CA
San Luis Obispo Plein Air Festival, 2004
Carmel Plein Air Competition and Exhibit 2004, Carmel CA
California Art Club, Spiritual Spectrum: Paintings and Sculptures, 2004
San Luis Obispo Plein Air Festival, 2003
Carmel Plein Air Competition and Exhibit 2003, Carmel CA
Oil Painters of America National Show 2003, Taos NM
Oil Painters of America National Show 2002, Chicago Ill.
Carmel Plein Air Competition and Exhibit 2002, Carmel CA
81st Annual National Watercolor Society Show 2001, Brea, CA.
National Watercolor Society Travel Show, 2000-2001
Oil Painters of America National Show, Palm Desert, California, 2001
Alla Prima International Exhibition, Ellen Noel Museum, Odessa, Texas, 2000
Arts for the National Parks, Top 200, National Park Academy of the Arts, Jackson, Wyoming, 2000
Oil Painters of America National Show, Carmel, California, 2000
One-Woman Show, Vault Gallery, Cambria, California, 2001, 2000, 1995
Riverbend Invitational, Riverbend, Texas, 2000
National Watercolor Society Annual Juried Exhibit, 19

In addition to her work being included in the above shows, Libby has been invited to be a juror in a number of art shows, including the following:

Gold Coast Watercolor Society Show, 2005
National Watercolor Society National Exhibition, 2004
Paso Robles Regional All-Media Show of Paintings, 2001
Gold Coast Watercolor Society Show, 1999
Paso Robles All-Media Show: "Color of Autumn", 1999
Monterey Museum of Art: California Art Educators' Juried Museum Show, 1996