BIO:

Antwan started his career as a caricaturist. Learning the art of portraiture as an adolescent, he put himself through art school drawing people face-to-face. Antwan studied art in Southern California in a classical atelier. Antwan’s aspirations were leading him toward concept art for film and TV. His classes were rich with fundamental drawing and painting, giving him a strong understanding of the disciplines of representationalism. After several years of working as a professional commercial artist for companies such as Royal Caribbean Cruises, Universal Studios, and Pepsi, Antwan began to oil paint on location while hiking and traveling. Over time, Antwan became acquainted with the wonderful plein air community and was inspired to begin painting full-time in 2016. Originally from rural Wisconsin, Antwan has always been inspired by nature’s beauty and relishes the time on location, sketching and observing the essence of the moment. 

Antwan is a full-time painter, winning numerous awards as a signature member of The Oil Painters of America and the American Impressionist Society. splitting his time between the studio painting for galleries and plein air events around the country. He loves to paint during his extensive travels, but spends most of his time in his studio in central Florida.

Artist Statement:

I paint in oil and consider myself to be a contemporary impressionist. Perceptual realism is achieved through careful observation of color and light while celebrating the paint with a variety of thicknesses and expressive mark-making techniques, suggesting just enough realism for the viewer to complete the image in their mind's eye. I want viewers to see the picture, see the paint, and finally, see beyond all of that and FEEL the moment. I look to inspire questions that shift our foregone perception of reality to both deepen and make visible the mysteries that enrich our experience of life. I am not looking to create a narrative through symbolic representation, but rather through the ineffable qualities of light and form that appeal to something deeper. I distill the scenes that inspire me down to their most evocative essence. There are no particular subjects I am drawn to more than others; instead, what usually catches my eye are compositional relationships, rhythm, and ephemeral moments of light.

Please contact Antwan for commissions and price inquiries. 

I am represented by:

Awards and Recognition

Best in Show - Mt. Dora Fine Arts Festival 2026

Best New Artist to Easton, MD - Easton Plein Air 2024

Best Water - Smokies Plein Air invitational 2024

Honorable Mention - Door County, WI Plein Air invitational 2024

1st place plein air painting, Oil Painters of American national convention - 2023, Charleston, SC

Artist Choice + 3rd place overall - 2023 Shadows on the Teche, LA

2nd place artist choice award - 2022 Telluride, CO Plein Air

Best Urban Landscape - 2022 Lighthouse Plein Air. Tequesta, FL

Best Louisiana Landscape - Shadows on the Teche Plein Air. New Iberia, LA

Contemporary Impressionist solo-show at the Lightner Museum in St. Augustine, FL. April/May 2021. See video here

Award of excellence Nation Oil and Acrylics Society national show Sept 2021

Best quick paint award - 2021 Plein Air Texas, San Angelo

Best in show - 2020 Mineral Point, WI Plein Air

Plein Air Magazine’s best plein air painting Aug/Sept 2020

Best in show - 2019 Cedarburg Plein Air

Cover artist of the year - 2019 NSB, FL paint out

Best industrial scene - 2019 Dubuque, IA

3rd place - 2019 Oshkosh fine arts plein air event

1st place - 2019 St.Augustine Plein Air

1st place - 2018 New Smyrna Beach quick-paint

1st place - 2018 St.Augustine Plein Air

Best in show - 2018 Tarpon Springs Paint Out

Artist choice award - 2018 Plein Air PalmBeach

2nd place overall – 2018 Plein Air Palm Beach, FL

Best Nocturne - 2018 Mineral Point Plein Air

      Best in show – 2017 Tarpon Springs Paint Out