Martha Elchert
Martha uses watercolor to describe landscapes and streetscapes with a Joie de vivre. Viewers often comment that her paintings make them feel happy!
Martha (Marty) grew up drawing and painting. As an oil painter she majored in fine art at Heidelberg College, Ohio. She worked in advertising design for a newspaper and marketing for a group of Ford dealerships in Ohio. She later studied watercolor at San Juan College, NM and Snow College, UT. Martha continues to refresh and finesse her work by taking classes and workshops each year. In recent years she has delved into watercolor portraits.
Martha’s work has received awards in state and National juried shows in New Mexico, Minnesota and Michigan. She achieved Signature Member status in New Mexico Watercolor Society in 2017.
Plein air painting is a joy for this artist as it pairs her passion for watercolor with her love of the outdoors. Her Plein air watercolors have been awarded in the Gene Rantz, Glen Arbor, Clinton County and Dexter Plein air events.
Her work is held in the permanent public collections including Gateway Museum Farmington, New Mexico as well as private collections across the United States.
Marty is intent on creating opportunities for other artists through volunteering.
She serves on the board and as exhibition chair of the Great Lakes Plein air Painters Association, a Michigan statewide non profit. Elchert leads the Old Art Building Plein air Painters summer program. She is a founder and administrator of Urban Sketchers Traverse City.
“I am thrilled to be included in this show and have the opportunity to share my watercolor impressions of beautiful places at home and abroad. “
Debra Howard
My work reflects a lifetime shaped by vivid landscapes. Raised in Miami amid intense light, color, and contrast, I later spent 27 years sailing Ling Ling through Hawaii, Mexico, Central America, the Caribbean, and the Bahamas. Surrounded by turquoise waters, coral hues, and rainforest greens, I began to paint. My unconventional palette—three colors plus white—draws on classical color theory to create harmonious, striking compositions. Influenced by my early career as a designer and illustrator, my paintings emphasize strong design and rhythmic flow. Each piece is a series of deliberate choices, translating the ever-changing 3D world onto a 2D panel. Through expressive brushstrokes, enhanced color, and dynamic patterns, I aim to share the wonder I’ve witnessed—inviting viewers into a dialogue with nature’s beauty.”
Barbara Reich
Barbara is a nationally recognized artist specializing in soft pastel, a medium that is very exciting and beautifully complex. Capturing moments, subjects, and strong visual concepts, with the near pure pigments of soft pastel is exhilarating, and sharing this knowledge with others is something she is passionate about. Barbara enjoys both studio and plein air painting, working from life as often as possible. Early instruction instilled in her the intense desire to draw better, paint color with more emotion, and to always hunt and study the changing light. It is her desire to capture each settings unique spirit in every painting.
Barbara regularly exhibits in juried exhibitions, as well as group and solo shows. She has achieved Signature Status with the Great Lakes Pastel Society and the Pastel Society of the West Coast. In the summer 2025, Barbara was awarded the first ever GLPS Master Pastelist Designation. She participates in numerous plein air paint-outs each year, finding them to be uniquely challenging and rewarding. Barbara is a founding member of the Mid-Michigan Plein Air Painters. Her paintings have been included in multiple publications, and she was honored to be invited to participate in the first NAA Group Invitational – Harbor of Creativity. Barbara is represented by Mr. Miller’s Art Emporium in Douglas, Michigan.
Website: https://barbarareich.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/Barbara-Reich/100011446667340
Adam Van Houten
Adam VanHouten is a professional artist who has years of experience teaching as a visual art instructor, painting workshops, and as an adjunct painting instructor at Northwestern Michigan College. VanHouten received his Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree in Painting and Art Education from Western Michigan University and a Masters in Education from Michigan State University. Adam is an artist with a commitment to sharing his learning through his teaching and to continue to develop and grow his practice as a working artist. VanHouten's paintings glow with light and texture displaying the colors and nuance of Northern Michigan.
