A lifelong resident of Sheboygan, Keary spent 34 years capturing life through a different lens…as Director of WSCS, the city’s cable TV station. But even before the cameras, art had always come naturally to him. His creative roots run deep, and over the past decade, he has bloomed into a prolific painter…. studying under celebrated watercolorist James Michael and finding his voice en plein air, painting directly in the great outdoors.
Keary is drawn to the changing light, sounds, and textures of nature. Whether it is the movement of water along the Lake Michigan shoreline, the bustle of local events, or the quiet magic of Sheboygan’s parks, he paints to capture a specific moment in time. His Impressionistic style, often rendered with only a palette knife, emphasizes mood over detail…offering the viewer a sense of what he felt in the scene.
Among his hundreds of pieces, one painting holds a special place: Artist Point, created on-site at the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone. He recalls being photographed nearly as much as the falls themselves that day…a true testament to the draw of art in action.
While Keary has painted all over the world…from Monet’s Gardens in France to the Great Wall of China…his heart remains anchored in Sheboygan. He is a regular at local art shows, a passionate supporter of fellow creatives, and a member of Sheboygan Visual Artists, the American Impressionist Society, and the Laguna Plein Air Painters Association. His work can be seen at Plum Bottom Gallery online and in Door County and online at KearyKautzer.com and on Facebook: Keary Kautzer.
AWARDS
Keary’s painting Springfield won the Best of Show and 1st Place honors at the 2009 Joan Kohn “Alive in the Arts” juried exhibition, Gallery 110 North, Plymouth, Wisconsin.
At the 2009 Door County Plein Air Festival, Keary’s painting Journeyman won 1st place at the Dockside Quick Paint Competition. Keary was one of the forty featured artists from across the country invited to the Door County Plein Air Festival in 2010.
In 2013 Enjoy the Day won Second Place Award at the 18th Annual Holiday Membership Exhibition, Gallery 110 North, Plymouth, Wisconsin.
In 2014 Onion River won the 1st Place Watercolor Painting award at the Endangered Places, Historic Places show, Gallery 110 North, Plymouth and
Missing Paris won the Viewer’s Choice Award at the Art and Wine Festival, Blind Horse Restaurant and Winery, Kohler, Wisconsin.
In 2015 Meyer’s Park won Second Place Award at the Paint the Town En Plein Air exhibition, Gallery 110 North, Plymouth, Wisconsin.
In 2016 Best Male Artist Award at the Sheboygan Visual Artists Juried Art Show, EBCO Artworks Gallery, Sheboygan, Wisconsin.
In 2017 Out to Pasture won the People’s Choice Award at the Paint the Town en Plein Air exhibition, Gallery 110 North, Plymouth, Wisconsin
In 2018 Pigeon River won the State Exhibit Award at the Wisconsin Regional Art Program Exhibition at The Pyle Center, Madison, Wisconsin.
Jail Alley won the 2nd Place Nocturne at Paint the Point, Mineral Point, Wisconsin.
Main Market won the 2nd Place Award at Paint the Market Quick Paint, West Bend Plein Air, West Bend, Wisconsin.
In 2020 Fall Birches received a Merit Award at Paint the Town in Fall Color, Plymouth, Wisconsin.
In 2021 Springtime won a Merit Award at Alive in the Arts, Plymouth, Wisconsin.
In 2022 Dry Dock won the 3rd Place Open Class Award at the Quick Draw, 2022 Forgotten Coast en Plein Air, Port St. Joe, Florida
Dusk won the State Exhibit Award at the 2022 Madison Wisconsin Regional Art Program, Madison, Wisconsin
In 2023 Hillside Farm won the 3rd Place Award at the Paint the Towns en Plein, Plymouth, Wisconsin.
In 2024 Midday Light won the 3rd Place Award and Amber Fields won the Artist Choice Award at the Paint the Town in Fall Color, Plymouth, Wisconsin.
In 2025 Shoreline won Merit Award at Alive in the Arts, Gallery 110 North, Plymouth, Wisconsin.
Lake Sunrise won 2nd Place Paint the Lake Award at Paint Cedarburg, Cedarburg, Wisconsin
MEMBERSHIPS
Keary Kautzer is a member of the Wisconsin Plein Air Painters Association, the American Impressionists Society, Laguna Plein Air Painters Association and Sheboygan Visual Artists.
PAINTINGS
Paintings are for sale online at www.kearykautzer.com and at Plum Bottom Gallery in Door County and online at www.plumbottomgallery.com. Follow him on Facebook: Keary Kautzer.
EMAIL: Kearykautzer@gmail.com