Dylan McKnight, 1st Place, PAL 2025

A young father, a cyber IT technician, a fine artist, a master watercolorist.

That is one way to describe Dylan McKnight.

Those of us who paint know how difficult it is to master the tricky art of watercolor.

One has to think many steps ahead to achieve the desired result.

Dylan McKnight is a distinguished New England-based artist recognized for his impressionistic paintings that vividly capture the essence of the region's landscape and its people. A 2002 BFA graduate of the Lyme Academy of Fine Arts (Old Lyme, CT), McKnight’s artistic journey has encompassed drawing, oil painting, printmaking, and sculpture.

After a hiatus from art making to raise a family and pursue a successful career in technology, McKnight recently returned to painting with a renewed perspective, enriched by life's experiences. Currently focusing on watercolor, with a loose and expressive style, he embraces the medium's spontaneity to create a dynamic interplay of pigments, each revealing their unique character on the paper. Using a limited palette, his refined brushwork, strong foundational drawing, and careful depiction of light and shadow seek to portray the very essence of his subjects.

McKnight's paintings have been exhibited and collected across the nation, gaining acclaim through prestigious organizations such as the International Watermedia Exhibition in Houston, the American Impressionist Society, and the American Watercolor Society. He currently holds the position of Vice President at the New England Watercolor Society, contributing to the promotion and appreciation of water-based media throughout the region.

Fife &n Drum, Kent, CT

West Street, Litchfield, CT