About the Artist
Paul Keysar is known for his classic, representational oil paintings and drawings of landscapes, still lifes, and portraits. He has received numerous awards for his portraits, including, a 2014 Certificate of Excellence and 2015 Honorable Mention from the Portrait Society of America, Best in Show in the Richeson75 Figure/Portrait 2014 Competition, 1st Place in The Representational Art Conference 2015 competition, Honorable Mention in the Artistic Excellence 2015 Competition from Southwest Art Magazine, 2nd Place Overall in the Dec 2015/Jan 2016 Plein Air Salon, and finalist in the figure/portrait category of The Artist’s Magazine's 2014 Annual Competition. For his plein air paintings, he has received First Place in the 2016 Plein Air Easton Quick Draw Rehearsal, Best Work Overall in the 2015 Plein Air Crush Weekend, and Honorable Mentions in Floyd Plein Air 2019/2017, Ellicott City 2017, Plein Air Richmond 2016, the 2016 NC Open Plein Air, and the 2016 Harford County Plein Air Festival, where he also received 2nd Place in the quick draw. His work has been featured in Fine Art Connoisseur and PleinAir Magazine and his painting, Jacob in Winter, was featured as the cover of Southwest Art Magazine's December 2015 issue.
He has a passion for the land and is intrigued with the interaction of man and nature. “As an artist, I am continually observing life around me. I am fascinated by the effects of light, atmosphere, and weather. The figures I am currently working on reflect a moment of stillness and thought—a reflection on the subject’s place in time and their hope for a better future.”
Keysar started his formal art training at the age of fourteen with lessons at The Art League in Alexandria, Virginia. In 2000, he completed four years of fine arts education at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts in Philadelphia. In addition, his training included a year of study from 1997–1998 under nationally-known portrait and landscape artist Carolyn Egeli of Valley Lee, Maryland. He has also studied the figure with Robert Liberace and Dan Thompson.
Keysar’s greatest artistic influences have been the art of Homer, Eakins, and the Barbizon School, along with the contemporary work of Randall Exon, David Graeme Baker, and many others. He has participated in numerous solo and group shows, and his work is owned by collectors throughout the country. He is available to give demonstrations and lectures and serve as judge/juror for art competitions. Keysar offers private art lessons, classes, and workshops for beginner through advanced students in drawing and painting. He accepts portrait, landscape, and still life drawing and painting commissions. Keysar currently resides in Charlotte, North Carolina, with his wife and children, and maintains a studio at ClearWater Artist Studios, in Concord, NC.