My artistic journey began as a small child growing up on our family farm surrounded by the beauty of the natural environment. My home and studio are located on this same land which has been in our family for 7 generations and my love of nature and the land runs very deep. I am frequently asked how long I have been painting. I can not remember a time when I have not been looking at the world through the eyes of an artist, eager to put my vision on paper or canvas.
I began my career as an artist painting from life in the studio and “en plein air”outdoors. I combine the knowledge learned from direct observation with sketches and photos for studio work.
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Geraldine presenting her painting of the set of the movie “Beloved” to Oprah Winfrey after the premier in Philadelphia, PA.
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The subjects I choose to paint are a reflection of my daily life and include the land, architecture and people around me. I am attracted to color, line, texture and light and I strive to capture a sense of time, place and season through mood and atmosphere. I am a traditional realist and have painted in transparent watercolor for over 30 years. I enjoy the luminosity of this challenging medium in which the white of the paper reflects the light. I have recently returned to the mediums of oil and acrylic when the subject calls for an opaque approach. 7
Art is a connection to the inner soul and my paintings are a direct response to a subject that has touched me emotionally. Being an artist is learning to see and for me the joy of painting is to capture and share a moment in time from the world around me.
Awards and Achievements
2021 Official Artist of the Maryland 5 Star at Fair Hill
2020 Baltimore Watercolor Society Mid-Atlantic Regional Watercolor Exhibition
2019 "Paint Cecil County " Plein Air Show, The Palette & The Page,Elkton, MD
Honorary Chair - 22 Annual "Expressions of Healing " Art Exhibit
2018 Featured in publication "Artists of the Delmarva Peninsula"
" Paint Cecil County" Plein Air Show, The Palette & the Page, Elkton, MD
2017 Arches Watercolor Award - On Location: Artists on the Brandywine Art Show
2016 Merit Award in "Best of the Chesapeake", McBride Gallery, Annapolis, MD
2015 "Favorite Places" Solo Show, The Palette & The Page Gallery, Elkton, MD
" Maryland My Maryland" Art Exhibit, MD House of Delegates, Annapolis, MD
2014 Solo Show, Heron Point, Chestertown, MD
2011 Best in Show, Cecil County Arts Council Annual Members Show, Elkton, MD
Watercolor published in "SPLASH 12", North Light Books
2010 Juror of Selection and Awards for the Delaware Watercolor Society
Juried into the Plein Air -Easton Painting Competition, Easton, MD
2008 Juror of Selection and Awards for the Philadelphia Water Color Society
Members Show
2006 | Selected for the 25th Anniversary Adirondack National Exhibition of American Watercolors, Old Forge, NY |
2005 | Best Floral Painting - Plein Air -Easton! Plein Air Competition, Easton, MD
Colson Art Printing Award, Baltimore Watercolor Society Mid-Atlantic Regional Watercolor Exhibition
Snowbound received the Rifkin Family Award in the Philadelphia Water Color Society's 105th Annual Exhibition at the Berman Museum of Ursinus College, Collegeville, PA |
2004 | H. Clinton Greene Award for Watercolor, 56th Juried Exhibition of the Chestertown Arts League, Chestertown, MD. |
2002 | Marian Couse Award for Watercolor, 54th Annual Juried Exhibition of The Chestertown Arts League, Chestertown, MD |
2001 | Best of the Eastern Shore Award, 53rd Annual Juried Exhibition of the Chestertown Arts League, Chestertown, MD |
2000 | Arts for the Parks Top 200 National exhibition, Jackson Hole, Wyoming
Artists Equal Award, Cecil County Arts Council, Elkton, MD |
1999 | Best in Show 51st Annual Juried Exhibition of the Chestertown Arts League,
Chestertown, MD
Arts for the Parks, Top 100 artists Competition and Museum Tour |
1998 | Daniel Smith Award, Mid-Atlantic Watercolor Exhibition, Bethesda, MD |
1996 | Best In Show, 48th Annual Juried Exhibition of the Chestertown Arts League, Chestertown, MD |
1994 | Towson Art Supply Award, Mid-Atlantic Watercolor Exhibition, Baltimore, MD |
1990 | Di Vinci Paint Award, Mid-Atlantic Watercolor Exhibition, Baltimore, MD |
1988 | Watercolor selected for a wine label by Chaddsford Winery, Chadds Ford, PA
Arts for the Parks Top 100 National Exhibition and Museum Tour |
1984 | Silver Medal, Mid-Atlantic Watercolor Exhibition, Baltimore, MD |
Collections
Geraldine McKeown works of art are a part of these collections:
Collections of Oprah Winfrey, Danny Glover and numerous other private collections in the U.S.A., Canada, & Germany
Peoples Bank of Elkton, Elkton MD
Cecil Federal Bank, Elkton MD
Department of Motor Vehicles, Elkton MD
Union Hospital, Elkton MD
University of Delaware Art Collection, Newark, DE
Bank of America, Newark DE
AT&T, Washington, DC
DuPont Company, Wilmington, DE
Legg Mason, Baltimore, MD
Bell of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
Bank of Delaware, Wilmington, DE
Wilmington Trust Co., Wilmington, DE
Philadelphia National Bank, Philadelphia, PA
DuPont Country Club, Wilmington, DE
Cecil Federal Savings & Loan, Elkton, MD
Lumbermans Insurance Co., Philadelphia, PA
Subaru of America, Cherry Hill, NJ
Colonial Penn, Philadelphia, PA
TSO Financial Co., Philadelphia, PA
Philadelphia Reinsurance Co., Philadelphia, PA
Wilmington Country Club, Wilmington, DE
Chaddsford Winery, Chadds Ford, PA