Cape Ann Plein Air 2026 Judges

Mike Hernandez, Entry Juror

A native Angeleno, Mike Hernandez is a plein air painter skilled in gouache, oil and acrylic, who’s works have been featured in several on-line publications as well as galleries.
His process began as a young child, painting still life images. Influenced by the likes of Edgar Payne, Sorolla and Franz Bischoff, Mike soon explored the foundations of color and light in the outdoors – striving to find the beauty in the ordinary.
With a palette that resides at the crossroads between industrial and landscapes, he finds inspiration anywhere from the Eastern Sierra range to the muddy concrete banks of the Los Angeles River. Mike studied at Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, graduating with a B.A. in 1998.
Mike was a Production Designer and Art Director as well as a concept artist at Dreamworks Animation and worked on such films as Shrek, How to train your Dragon, Turbo, Penguins of Madagascar and many other films.
Mike is also a member of a limited group of the finest painters in the US called PAPA as well as a nation-wide sought-after workshop instructor. His works can be found in several private collections around the world.

Jeff Weaver, Events Judge

Jeff Weaver was born in 1953 in Framingham, Massachusetts. He began drawing and painting at an early age, accepting portrait commissions by age fourteen. In his high school years, he won awards in drawing & sculpture in the Boston Globe state-wide art competitions. During this time his teacher was Eleanor Marvin, accomplished sculptor and graphic artist, who nourished his draftsmanship skills. After graduating from high school, he entered the Boston Museum School. In 1972 he took up residence in Gloucester, sketching and painting the waterfront on an almost daily basis.
In his early years in the city, he supported himself at various waterfront jobs, as well as from commissions for boat portraits from fishing vessel captains, and for murals in commercial establishments and private homes. This eventually led to many years of commercial work, including over 30 murals painted in different parts of the city.
Returning to fine art pursuits in the 1990s, Jeff again focused on depicting Gloucester and its environs in various media. He currently operates a studio/gallery at 16 Rogers Street on the Gloucester waterfront.