A painter known for his realistic watercolors, oils, gold leaf, and handmade framing, the artist’s bold, yet sensitive and thought-provoking works are in the permanent collections of several American museums and hundreds of corporate and private collections nationwide. Born the son of recognized painter, Hubert Shuptrine (1936-2006), Alan has continued the legacy of realism that both Andrew Wyeth and his father Hubert established. Following a 2022 exhibition an exhibit of his works in Florence, Italy, Shuptrine has garnered international recognition as well.
A resident of Lookout Mountain, Tennessee, Shuptrine's style is Realism with highly detailed and dramatic lighting in his landscapes and figurative paintings. His medium is primarily watercolor which he applies and controls in various techniques, from wet-in-wet to drybrush. He prefers to handcraft, carve, and gold leaf his own one-of-a-kind, custom frames for his paintings.
Covered by publications such as Fine Art Connoisseur, American Artist Magazine, Watercolor Artist Magazine, Okra, and numerous others, Shuptrine garnered additional recognition when he was asked to participate in the exhibit, In the Tradition of Wyeth: Contemporary Watercolor Masters at The Vero Beach Museum of Art in 2010. The exhibition opened with Alan’s paintings displayed alongside the works his two childhood heroes: his father and Andrew Wyeth.
Following the museum exhibition at Vero Beach, Shuptrine participated in a solo 2-year, American museum traveling exhibition showcasing over 80 of his paintings. The exhibition celebrated the land, people, and culture found along the Appalachian Trail. All three fine American museums selected Shuptrine’s watercolors for their permanent collections.
At the conclusion of the museum exhibition, Shuptrine kicked off a literary collaboration with National Geographic’s Adventurer of the Year, and Appalachian Trail expert, best-selling author, Jennifer Pharr Davis. This fine art, coffee-table book is self-published and titled I Come From A Place. The book features the collection of paintings by Shuptrine and accompanying verbiage by Pharr Davis. The book was awarded the Independent Publisher’s Gold Medal Award for Best Regional Non-Fiction.
Shuptrine continues to create themed collections of his work while planning future museum exhibitions, speaking engagements, appearances at national literary and art showcases, and workshops. In Fall of 2022, Alan was invited to exhibit his gilded works, as well as teach a master course on water gilding curriculum, at The Florence Academy of Art in Florence, Italy. He will return in 2024 as an encore instructor. For 2023, Alan has been invited as an Artist in Residence at Palmetto Bluff Resort, Bluffton, South Carolina where his works will be on exhibit, and he will offer a selection of watercolor and gold leaf workshops. He continues to focus on watercolor, oil on canvas, and gilded, sgraffito panels, as well as traveling to Scotland for inspiration on a new collection of watercolors as an encore to I Come From a Place.
Exhibitions and Collections:
• Artist in Residence, Palmetto Bluff Resort, Bluffton, SC, Fall 2023
• Featured Artist, Grand Bohemian Gallery – The Kessler Collection, Asheville, NC, Fall 2022
• American Watercolor Society, Associate Members Exhibition, 2022
• Featured Artist, Paderewski Fine Art & The Sportsman’s Gallery Ltd.
• Shuptrine- A Gilded Age, September, Florence, Italy 2022
• Arts at Erlanger, Erlanger Baroness Hospital, Chattanooga, TN, 2021 and 2022
• ArtFields, Selected Artist and Featured Speaker, Lake City, SC, 2021 and May 2022
• First Place and Best in Show for Watercolor, Mountain View Americana Art Show, South Carolina, 2021
• Featured Artist, Grand Bohemian Gallery – The Kessler Collection, Birmingham, AL, April 2020 and 2021
• Biltmore Farms Featured Speaker, Asheville, NC, May 2019
• Reframed: American Women from the Sellars Collection featuring framing by Alan Shuptrine, The Huntsville Museum of Art, Summer 2019
• Generations, Monthaven Arts and Cultural Center, Hendersonville, TN, 2019
• The Serpentine Chain, Clayton Center for the Arts, Maryville, TN 2019
• Alan Shuptrine: Appalachian Watercolors of The Serpentine Chain, 2017-2019 Tennessee State Museum (Nashville, TN); The Morris Museum of Art (Augusta, GA); The Huntsville Museum of Art (AL); The Museum Center a 5ive Points (TN)
• California Watercolors, Los Angeles and Portland, Oregon 2016-2017
• In the Tradition of Wyeth: Contemporary Watercolor Masters, Vero Beach Museum of Art, Vero Beach FL, 2011-2012
• Tennessee Watercolor Society Juried Exhibition, Nashville, TN, 2016
• Water Gilding: A Lost Art, Huntsville Museum of Art, Huntsville, AL, 2016
• Gold Leaf Master Craftsman (Katrina Restorations) New Orleans, LA
• The Serpentine Chain Collection Preview, The Poinsett Club, Greenville, SC, 2016
• The Serpentine Chain Collection Preview, The Biltmore Forest Country Club, Asheville, NC, 2015
• The Bascom Guest Instructor Exhibition, Highlands, NC, 2014
• Hudson Valley Art Association Juried Exhibition, New York, 2013
• National Watercolor Society Members Only Juried Exhibition Finalist, New York, 2012
• National Watercolor Society, Finalist in Members Juried Exhibition, San Pedro, California, 2011
• The Bascom: Shuptrine Exhibition, Highlands, North Carolina, 2010
• Tennessee Watercolor Society Annual Juried Exhibition, Chattanooga, TN, 2010
• Salmagundi Art Club Floral Exhibition, New York, 2010
• Huntsville Museum of Art Annual Gala, Huntsville Museum of Art, Huntsville, AL, 2009
• The Southern Watercolor Society Juried Annual Exhibition Finalist, 2009
• Spectrum, Hunter Museum of American Art, Chattanooga, TN, 2009
• Salmagundi Art Club Annual Juried Painting/Sculpture Exhibition, Non-Members, NYC, 2008
• Tennessee Watercolor Society Annual Juried Exhibition, Knoxville, TN, 2008
• Southern Watercolor Society Annual Juried Exhibition, Quincy, FL, 2008
• Greenville County Museum of Art Antiques & Exhibitions, Greenville, SC, 2006
Awards & Recognitions:
• Distinguished Alumnus Award, The Baylor School, Chattanooga, TN, 2021
• First Place, Best in Show, and Founding Member Award, Mountain View Americana Art Show, South Carolina, 2021
• Gold Medal Award, Best Regional Non-Fiction, Independent Publishers Book Awards, I Come From A Place, coffee table art book by Alan Shuptrine and author, Jennifer Pharr Davis, 2020
• Best Noted Revolving Exhibition, The Tennessee State Museum, Nashville, TN, 2017-19, Alan Shuptrine, The Serpentine Chain
• My Artist Portfolio Landscape, International Competition, Honorable Mention, 2012
• American Artist Magazine All Media Competition, Watercolor, Honorable Mention, 2012
• 35th Annual Southern Watercolor Society Juried Exhibition Finalist, Winner of the Colart Americas (Winsor and Newton) Award, 2012
• Tennessee Watercolor Society Biennial Juried Exhibition Finalist, Winner of the Beauty of Water Media Award, and achieved Signature Membership, 2012
• Salmagundi Art Club Annual Juried Exhibition, Certificate of Merit, 2011, 2014, 2015, NYC
• Tennessee Watercolor Society Juried Exhibition, Outstanding Technical Award, 2010
Cover Finalist for American Artist Watercolor Magazine, Summer 2008 Issue
