Atlanta area Artist Gloria Perkins was awarded the Grand Prize for her painting "Hotel Baudy Poppyfield" at The Fete de la Peinture in Giverny France, June 2009. Mayor Claude Landais and The Association of The Friends of Giverny presented Perkins with The Claude Monet Certificate for outstanding work in Plein Air Painting.

The annual competition for outdoor painting draws oil painters from around the world who compete in a 1 day festival at the home of impressionist painter Claude Monet who lived and worked at Giverny from 1833 until his death in 1926.

"You feel the spirit of Claude Monet" said Perkins, "I had to capture the scene quickly because the light changes continually. You seize a moment that will never again be repeated."

     Achieving a lifelong dream of painting in Monet's Garden, Gloria fell in love with Plein Air painting 3 years ago when she studied  in France with Master Painter Huihan Liu. She has also studied with Richard Schmid, Quang Ho and Robert Johnston.  Perkins travels extensively in the U.S. and internationally teaching workshops on impressionist painting styles.  She also teaches ongoing oil painting classes at her local studio in Sharpsburg Georgia, and may be contacted through her web site www.gloriaperkins.com

  Perkins is excited to announce that she has received a special invitation to return to Paris in Fall 2009. As a result of this award, her works will be showcased in a series of gallery exhibitions throughout France..  In the United States, her works have been on display in the State of Georgia Capital Building, “Roswell on the Square”, in Roswell, Ga., and CallowayGardens.  Gloria was selected by the National Society of Painters to have her work exhibited in Japan during 2008.  The work is now part of a permanent collection maintained by the Society.  Her work is also displayed in private collections throughout the world.