Elaine Hahn, a native of Kansas City, Missouri, holds a BA and MA in Art from the University of Missouri, and has studied with noted artists throughout the United States, England and Mexico. Her early career was influenced by her experience at Hallmark Cards in Kansas City. She is a Signature member of the Florida Plein Air Society, the Paint America Association Signature Society, a member of the Oil Painters of America, the American Impressionist Society, the American Society of Marine Artists and is a Signature member of the American Watercolor and the National Watercolor Societies. Her paintings have achieved prominence through acceptance and awards in major national juried exhibitions.

Her works are included in private and corporate collections throughout the United States. She has taught and conducted Workshops in the US and Europe and has served as a judge in Art Shows on the local, regional and national levels.

Elaine has participated in and won awards at many of the Art Festivals where she has exhibited. Her images have been chosen for the Show Posters at the Miami Coconut Grove Arts Festival; the Naples Invitational Arts Festival; the ArtiGras Arts Festival in North Palm Beach, FL.; the Mainsail Arts Festival, St. Petersburg FL. and the Art Fest by the Sea Art Festival in Jupiter FL.

While gaining a national reputation for her watercolors, her current work in oil painting bring a new dimension to Elaine’s work and has resulted in her art work being accepted in regional and national exhibits with several winning awards.

She works from her studio on the Gulf of Mexico in Florida, where she focuses her efforts on developing and expanding her oil painting techniques, capturing images of the beautiful coastal and marine subjects in the area, and traveling for painting and Plein Air Events throughout the United States and Europe.

Artist Statement

Through the years I have focused on developing my work and style to capture the beauty of what surrounds me. It allows me to share the beauty and simplicity of the subject and capture a sense of being there. I love doing the unique subjects of the seashore, boats, crabs, fish and shells. I strive to blend the fine nuances of color, texture and shapes to create an image that draws the viewer to a pleasant experience.

While much of my work is in the studio, I feel that outdoor painting is vital and enhances all my work as an artist. Being forced to “see” light and color before the sun changes is wonderfully challenging. I particularly like the early morning and afternoon light, which enhances the colors, creating unique and interesting reflections and shadows.

Recently I have begun to explore the world of still life painting, expanding on the experience of painting what I see outdoors with what I see on the still life indoors.

I feel that the more I learn the more I realize this will be a life long learning process. I find painting a real challenge as well as a great joy.

I use linen canvas on boards or stretched, using professional grade oil paints. 

Trekell Brushes

I love working with Trekell brushes. They are some of the best brushes I have ever used. They retain their shape and are very flexible. They are my brush of choice.

Baskets of Crabs, 17” x 17” 

Bushels of Crabs, 17" x 17” 

Dory Dock, 16” x 24” 

Fish Eye, 16” x 16” 

Fish on Ice, 12” x 16”

Galesville Harbor, 36” x 48” 

Jumbled Up, 16” x 20” 

Nautilus Reflections, 16" x 20”

Wekiva Sunrise, 9” x 12” - Winner of Paint America Mini Top 50 Grand Prize Purchase Award

Wekiva Sunset, 12” x 9

Recent Awards

Paint America, 2010 Mini Top 50 Grand Prize Purchase Award, Paint America Association, Topeka, Kansas, January 2011

Second Place Award, Human Figure, 36th Annual International Miniature Art Show, Miniature Art Society of Florida, January 2011

Signature Membership, Paint America Signature Society - July 2010

Paint the Parks, Top 100 Competition, 2010 - Traveling Exhibit - Throughout 2010
Paint the Parks, Mini Top 50 Competition, 2010 - Traveling Exhibit - Throughout 2010

Third Place, Artists Choice Award, Crescent Beach Paint Out, Crescent Beach, FL – October 2009

Selected as One of the Top Fifty, Salon International, 2009 Juried Exhibit, Greenhouse Gallery, San Antonio TX – April 2009
Finalist in the International Artist Magazine, Landscape Challenge #49, February - March 2009

Salon International 2011 Exhibit, Greenhouse Gallery of Fine Art, San Antonio, Texas - April; 2 - April 22 2011
Paint America, Mini Top 50 Competition, 2010 - Traveling Exhibit - Throughout 2011
36th Annual International Miniature Art Show - Dunedin Fine Art Center, Dunedin FL - January 9 - January 30, 2010
77th Annual Exhibition of the Miniature Painters, Sculptors,& Gravers Society of Washington, DC, North Bethesda, MD - November 21 - December 30, 2010
Florida Museum for Women Artists, First Annual Juried Exhibition, Deland, FL - November 19, 2010 - February 6, 2011
Richeson 75 2010 Landscape Competition Exhibit, Richeson School of Art & Gallery, Kimberly WI – November 1, 2010 - January 9, 2011
American Women Artists 2010 National Juried Exhibition, Southwest Gallery, Dallas, TX - October 9 - November 9, 2010
Oil Painters of America 2010 Easton Regional Exhibit, Walls Gallery, Wilmington, NC - October 15 - November 13, 2010