Neal and his wife Betsy at the Gallery at Mystic Seaport
(Neal's Painting The Stephen Taber Off Curtis Island in background)

About the Artist

Painting has been a part of Neal Hughes’ life since he took art lessons in grade school. He went on to graduate from the Philadelphia College of Art (University of the Arts) and mastered the skills necessary to do book and magazine covers, advertising, and other types of illustration.

He has completed major commissions for the Philadelphia 76ers basketball team and The National Civil War Museum and has won numerous awards, including the Maritime Gallery Yachting Award and an Award of Excellence at the prestigious International Marine Art Exhibition at the Gallery at Mystic Seaport.

Neal’s inspiration comes mostly from coastal subjects from the Chesapeake to Maine. He started sailing as a young boy and many of his compositions involve both historic and contemporary sailing craft.

Neal is a member of the American Society of Marine Artists and Oil Painters of America.

Recent and upcoming exhibits include:

Modern Marine Masters show at The Maritime Gallery at Mystic Seaport, Mystic, CT

Plein Air Painters Invitational at The Gallery on Chase Hill, Kennybunkport, ME (June 08)

American Society of Marine Artists National Exhibition 08

SmallWorksNA show at the Greenwich Workshop Gallery (November 07), Fairfield, CT

The International Marine Art Exhibition at the Maritime Gallery at Mystic Seaport (September 07), Mystic, CT

Past exhibits:

Two man show at Art of the Sea Gallery in South Thomaston, ME

Great Lakes Regional Maritime show of the American Society of Marine Artists at the Krasl Art Center in St. Joseph, MI

Modern Marine Masters show at The Maritime Gallery at Mystic Seaport, Mystic, CT

Sea Fever -An Exhibit of the American Society of Marine Artists at the Cold Spring Whaling Museum of Long Island, NY

Artists in Winter show at The Maritime Gallery at Mystic Seaport, Mystic, CT

A Gathering of Marine Masters show at the Art of the Sea Gallery in South Thomaston, ME

Save the Bay Foundation Show at the Gallery on Merchants Square in Williamsburg, VA

The Art of Lobstering show at the Penobscot Marine Museum in Searsport, ME

The American Society of Marine Artists National Exhibition at the Vero Beach Museum of Art in Vero Beach, FL

Visions of Maine - one man show at the Art of the Sea Gallery in Rockland , ME

Other Exhibition Highlights:

The Society of Illustrators show in NY

Garden State Watercolor Society

Society of Illustrators Traveling Exhibition at the Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design and the University Art Gallery/Museum at Western Illinois University

Artist Guild of the Delaware Valley at the Philadelphia Art Institute

Publications:

Marine Art Quarterly

Fine Art Connoisseur

Contemporary American Marine Art (ASMA)

American Art Collector Magazine

Print Magazine

Graphis

The Annual of the Society of Illustrators