Neal Hughes is a graduate of The Philadelphia College of Art (University of the Arts) and resides in the historic town of Moorestown, New Jersey.
A former illustrator, Neal has been painting professionally for over 30 years. His work has been accepted into many local and national juried exhibitions such as the Oil Painters of America National and Regional Exhibitions. His work has also been juried into the International Marine Art Exhibition at the Gallery at Mystic Seaport, the ARC Salon and the National Exhibition of The American Society of Marine Artists.
Plein air painting awards include Best Plein Air painting December/January 2016 Plein Air Salon, First Place and Artists Choice Award – Plein Air Rockies 2016, Second Place – Cape Ann Plein Air 2016, Artists Choice Award – Mountain Maryland Plein Air Festival 2016, First Place – Bath County Plein Air Festival 2015, first place quick draw – Plein Air Easton 2015, Best Use of Light – Easels in Frederick 2015, Wayne Art Center Award – Wayne Art Center Plein Air Festival 2015, First Place – Lighthouse Art Center Plein Air Festival 2015.
Other awards include an Award of Excellence from Oil Painters of America at the 2012 Eastern Regional Exhibition, the Maritime Gallery Yachting Award and Awards of Excellence (2006 and 2013) at the prestigious International Marine Art Exhibition at the Gallery at Mystic Seaport. He was also awarded a Certificate of Excellence at the Fourteenth Annual Art of the Portrait Conference by the Portrait Society of America.
In addition, Neal was the grand prize winner of the Utrecht 60th Anniversary Art Competition, winning the top prize out of over 12,000 entries and his work has been featured in Plein Air Magazine, Fine Art Connoisseur Magazine, American Artist Magazine and other publications.
Neal was elected a “Fellow” of the American Society of Marine Artists and is also a member of the American Impressionist Society and the Mid Atlantic Plein Air Painters Association.