About the Artist
Based in
Medford, NJ
Biography

Neal Hughes is a graduate of The Philadelphia College of Art (University of the Arts) and resides in the historic town of Medford, New Jersey .

Neal is a Fellow of the American Society of Marine Artists, a signature member of Oil Painters of America and the National Oil &Acrylic Painters Society, a member of the Salmagundi Club, American Impressionist Society and the Mid Atlantic Plein Air Painters Association.

A former illustrator, Neal has been painting professionally for over 35 years. His work is part of the permanent collection of the New Britain Museum of American Art and he has been accepted into numerous juried exhibitions including the national exhibitions of the American Impressionist Society, Oil Painters of American, American Society of Marine Artists and the Portrait Society of America.

His work has been featured in Plein Air Magazine, Southwest Art, American Artist and American Art Collector magazines.

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Exhibitions and Events

2021
Best of Show – National Oil & Acrylic Painters Society 2021 Fall International Online Exhibition
Award of Excellence – American Impressionist Society National Juried Exhibition
Best Marine Painting Award – Cape Ann Plein Air competition
Best of Show – Paint Grand Traverse competition
Artists Choice Award – Paint Grand Traverse competition
Life on the Farm Award – Plein Air Easton competition
Architectural Award – Paint Annapolis competition
Annapolis Gallery Association Award – Paint Annapolis competition
Best Nocturne Award – Paint Annapolis competition
Best of the Bay Award – Paint Annapolis competition
Award of Excellence – Oil Painters of America 2021 Salon Show
Best Urban Landscape Award – Lighthouse Art Center Plein Air Festival
Honorable Mention Award – Art Renewal Center International ARC Salon Competition
Award of Merit – National Oil & Acrylic Painters Society Spring International Online Exhibition

2020
Best of Show – Richeson75 Landscape, Seascape & Architecture 2020 competition
Second Place Award – National Oil And Acrylic Painters Society, Best of America Exhibition
Cezanne, Best Use of Light Award – Olmsted reImagined, Plein Air Invitational
Honorable Mention – American Impressionist Society 2020 Online Juried Exhibition
Subaru Award For Excellence – Paint Annapolis
Texas Artists’s Camp Award (Artists Choice) – En Plein Air Texas
Landscape Honorable Mention – Oil Painters of America 2020 Virtual Juried Salon Show
Artwork Archive Award of Excellence – American Impressionist Society 21st Annual National Juried
Exhibiton
Second Place – National Oil and Acrylics Painters Society Fall 2020 International Online Exhibition

2019
Gold Medal – Oil Painters of America Eastern Regional Exhibition
Best Associate Award of Excellence – Oil Painters of America National Exhibition
Best Landscape – National Oil and Acrylic Painters Society Fall On-Line International Exhibition
Artists Choice – Lighthouse Art Center Plein Air Competition and Festival
Best Nocturne – Lighthouse Art Center Plein Air Competition and Festival
Fourth Place – Lighthouse Art Center Plein Air Competition and Festival
Best of Show Award – Saint George Island Paint Out plein air competition
Founders Vanishing Landscape Award – Olmstead Plein Air Invitational
Best Architectural Award – Wayne Plein Air Competition
Honorable Mention – Eureka Springs Plein Air Competition
Honorable Mention Award – 14th Annual ARC International Salon Competition
Best Nocturne – Gloucester Arts Festival Plein Air Competition
First Place – Gloucester Arts Festival Quick Draw
Second Place – Parrsboro Plein Air Competition
First Place – Parrsboro Plein Air Quick Draw
Second Place – Paint Grand Traverse Quick Draw
First Place – Paint Grand Traverse plein air competition
Second Place – Bath County Plein Air Festival
Best in Show Peer Review – Bath County Plein Air Festival
Third Place – Cape Ann Plein Air Festival and Competition
Best Architectural Painting – En Plein Air Texas Competition
Best Landscape – National Oil and Acrylic Painters Society Fall On-Line International Exhibition

Other awards include an Award of Excellence from Oil Painters of America at the 2012 Eastern Regional Exhibition, the Maritime Gallery Yachting Award and Awards of Excellence (2006 and 2013) at the prestigious International Marine Art Exhibition at the Gallery at Mystic Seaport. He was also awarded a Certificate of Excellence at the Fourteenth Annual Art of the Portrait Conference by the Portrait Society of America and First Place in the Richeson Figure/Portrait Competition. He has received an honorable mention award and has been a finalist many times in the ARC Salon. In addition, Neal was the grand prize winner of the Utrecht 60th Anniversary Art Competition, winning the top prize out of over 12,000 entries.