About the Artist

Blair Atherholt never needed encouragement to draw. From early childhood through adolescence, he steadily filled numerous sketchbooks with pencil drawings done from both imagination and observation. This ever-growing love of creative expression led to his enrollment into the Schuler School of Fine Arts in 2011 to pursue the study of techniques and disciplines of the Old Masters. The life works of Hans Schuler, Sr. (1874-1951) and Jacques Maroger (1884-1962) and their dedication to excellence in visual art represent the hallmark of the Schuler School and its mission. Atherholt graduated the four year Schuler program and emerged in 2015 with one goal: to pursue a career as a fine artist. 

 

Atherholt continues to fill sketchbooks, but is focused primarily upon traditional still life painting. Fusing traditional techniques with contemporary and imaginative subject matter, he strives with each new painting to improve his control of the medium one measured brushstroke at a time.

 

Atherholt is an award-winning Master Artist of the National Oil and Acrylic Painters Society (NOAPS) and Signature Member of the Oil Painters of America (OPA). His work can be seen regularly in national shows through both organizations, as well as international publications, each year. Most recently, he was awarded Best in Show in the NOAPS 2025 Fall Online Exhibition, and received both a Purchase Award and Honorable Mention in the Still Life Category in the Art Renewal Center's 17th International Salon. He is also the recipient of the Gold Medal in the Associate and Signature Division in the 2024 OPA Salon. His demonstration article “Precision in Painting” can be found as the cover article of International Artist Magazine issue #134. His work is part of numerous public and private collections.

 

 

 

Education

 

Schuler School of Fine Arts, Baltimore MD: Certificate of Completion, 4 Year Program; Additional Post-Graduate Year of Study (2011-2016)

Awards and Special Honors

 

National Oil and Acrylic Painters Society: 2025 Fall Online Exhibition: Best in Show (November 2025)

 

Oil Painters of America: Virtuosos of the OPA Exhibition: Award of Excellence (November 2025)

 

Demuth Foundation: 2025 Community Art Exhibition: 3rd Place

 

National Oil and Acrylic Painters Society: 2025 Spring Online Exhibition: Best Use of Light and Color

 

Art Renewal Center: 17th International Salon: Purchase Award (January 2025)

 

Art Renewal Center: 17th International Salon: Honorable Mention, Still Life Category (January 2025)

 

National Oil and Acrylic Painters Society: Best of America 2024 Exhibition: Best Use of Values

 

Oil Painters of America: 2024 National Juried Salon: Gold Medal (July 2024)

 

National Oil and Acrylic Painters Society: Small Works Exhibition: 2nd Place (July 2024)

 

National Oil and Acrylic Painters Society: Spring Online Exhibition: Merit Award (Spring 2024)

 

National Oil and Acrylic Painters Society: Best of America 2023: Award of Excellence (August 2023)

 

National Oil and Acrylic Painters Society: Best of America Small Painting: Award of Excellence (May 2023)

 

Oil Painters of America: 2023 National Convention and Exhibition: Still Life Honorable Mention (March 2023)

 

National Oil and Acrylic Painters Society: 32nd Best of America Exhibition: Best Still Life Award (September 2022)

 

National Oil and Acrylic Painters Society: 2022 Spring Online Exhibition: Award of Excellence (Spring 2022)

 

National Oil and Acrylic Painters Society: 31st Best of America Exhibition: Best Still Life Award (September 2021)

 

Oil Painters of America: 2021 Salon: Award of Excellence (June 2021)

 

International Guild of Realism: 15th Annual Exhibition: American Art Collector Editors Choice Award (October 2020)

 

Oil Painters of America Wet Paint Competition: Award of Excellence (September 2020)

 

Boldbrush: Finalist (September 2020)

 

The Demuth Museum: Annual Community Art Exhibition: 3rd Place (2020)

 

National Oil and Acrylic Painters Society: Spring Online: 3rd Place (2020)

 

Artists Magazine Annual Art Competition: Still Life + Interiors: Second Place (2019)

 

St. James Annual Juried Exhibition: People's Choice Award - First Place (2019)

 

Art Renewal Center: 14th International Salon: Windows to the Divine Award (2019)

 

Oil Painters of America: 28th National Juried Exhibition: Art Renewal Center Realism Award of Excellence (2019)

 

National Oil and Acrylic Painters Society: Best of America Small Works: Best Still Life Award (2019)

 

International Artist's Magazine Art Prize Challenge #105: Still Life: Finalist (June/July 2018) Artists

 

National Oil and Acrylic Painters Society Spring Online International: Award of Excellence (2018)

 

BoldBrush: 3rd Place (January 2018)

 

Art Renewal Center's 13th Annual International Salon: Honorable Mention (2018)

 

National Oil and Acrylic Painters Society Holiday Small Works Show: 3rd Place (December 2017)

 

Art Renewal Center's 12th Annual International Salon: Finalist (2017)

 

 

Solo Exhibitions:

 

Canary Gallery, Birmingham AL: Solo Exhibition of Works III (July 2023)

 

Canary Gallery, Birmingham AL: Solo Exhibition of Works II (May 2019)

 

Canary Gallery, Birmingham AL: Solo Exhibition of Works (March 2018)

 

David Lyall Home & Design, Lancaster PA: Chiaroscuro (June 2022)

 

 

Publications

 

Artists & Illustrators: How I Make It Work - Artist Feature: January Issue (2026)

 

American Art Collector: Artist Focus: Issue 239 (September 2025)

 

International Artist Magazine: Painting with Precision (Front Cover Article): Issue 134 (August/September 2020)

 

Memberships

 

Oil Painters of America: Signature Member

 

National Oil and Acrylic Painters' Society: Master Artist