About the Artist
Hema Gupta is an award winning self-taught artist, working primarily in watercolors.
She enjoys watercolors for their spontaneity and challenge. With a keen interest in plein air painting, her goal is to paint in a loose and impressionistic style. She enjoys painting all types of subjects from urban landscapes and still-life to portraits.
Her primary intention is to capture the mood and feeling of a place or character of the model in a simple manner, evoking an emotional response from the viewer.
She has been juried in, participated, and won awards in several notable regional and national Plein air events.
She has several of her paintings in private collections in USA, India and Singapore.
Hema holds a Bachelors degree in Electronics and Communications and continues to work in the field of software development.
She always loved art as a child and continued drawing and painting even as she chose to study and work in Engineering.
She draws her art inspirations from the natural world around her, the interplay of light and shadow, color and emotion, with each piece reflecting her experiences and travels. Her art is an invitation to the viewer to pause and reflect on the stories behind each painting.
She is a signature member of the Northeast Watercolor society and associate member of National watercolor society and Garden State watercolor society amongst other local art organizations.
Feature in the Oct/Nov 2024 issue of the Plein air magazine
Awards & Exhibitions
2025:
- 12th annual Plein Air Convention Field Faculty
- Gloucester Plein air Invitational 2025: Best Animal
- Long Beach Island Plein air plus festival: Second place in Classic Plein air category.
- Art Venture NJ Plein air Quick Draw: 1st Place
- Seaview Plein Air Invitational 2025: Noyes Collection Purchase Award
- New Jersey Watercolor Society 83rd Annual Open Juried Exhibition: Accepted and received Philadelphia Museum Society Award
2024:
- Gloucester Plein air Invitational 2024: Best figure in landscape
- Long Beach Island Plein air plus festival: First place in Classic Plein air category.
- Garden State watercolor society’s 54th annual open Juried show- Silver Award
- Solo show at SUNY and demonstration as Judge for the Northeast watercolor society's Annual member exhibition
2023:
- Garden State Watercolor society - Small but Mighty - Second place
- Hudson Valley plein air festival (Juried artist) Quick Draw - First place
- Long Beach Island Plein air plus Juried Artist - Honorable mention
2022:
- Paint Annapolis Juried Artist - Best body of work
- Plein air Easton Juried Artist: Best new Artist to Plein air Easton
- Dutot museum Plein air (Delaware water gap) : Second place
- Hudson Valley Plein air Festival (Juried Artist): Wine label award in Quick draw
- Garden State Watercolor society - Small but Mighty - First place
2021:
- Plein air Easton Public Quick Draw: First place
- Long Beach Island Plein air plus (Juried Artist): First Place
- Hudson Valley Plein air Festival (Juried Artist): Second Place
- Garden state watercolor society’s annual members show - Merit award
2020:
- Absecon Cultural Arts Alliance (ACAA) Plein air paint out: First place Best Seascape
- Belvidere Victorian Days plein air event: Third place
2019
- Garden State watercolor Society - Members show 2019: Honorable Mention (Blick award)
- Dutot Museum (Delaware Water Gap) paint out 2019, 1st place
- Belvidere NJ Victorian days plein air 2019 - 2nd place
- HighBridge NJ, paint out: 1st place
- Paint the Town”, Cranford NJ (2019)- 3rd Place
- Small but Mighty Exhibit (Garden state watercolor society) -2nd place
2018:
- Antoine Dutot Museum (Delaware Water Gap) paintout 2018, 3rd place
- Belvidere NJ Victorian days plein air 2018 - 1st place
- Bucks County Plein air event 2018, 1st Place(Public Quick Draw)
- HighBridge NJ, paint out 2018 , 3rd place
- Guerrilla painter ward I - Northeast watercolor society international Juried exhibition 2018.
- Judge’s choice – Fidela San Miguel award for “Golden evening” at the Spring 2018 FAS open exhibit
Others
- Judge’s choice – Fidela San Miguel award for “Rain Rain Go Away” at the Spring 2015 FAS open exhibit.
- Best In Show – “Allaire State Park” at Oakley Farmhouse Spring Festival (FAS) 2015
- Best In show- “Monmouth Race track” at Oakley Farmhouse Spring Festival (FAS) 2014
- Judge’s award- “A Vintage Ride” at Oakley Farmhouse Spring Festival (FAS) 2013
- Judge’s award- “Supper Time at Long street Farm” at Oakley Farmhouse Spring Festival (FAS) 2012
- Multiple time Judge’s award winner in the rotating art exhibits at the Freehold Public Library.
