Meet more of 2014's Plein Air Artists

Dot Courson

Hometown: Pontotoc, MS

Medium: Oil

Mississippi native Dot Courson is a full-time artist whose art depicts the beautiful southern landscapes of Mississippi, Tennessee,

Alabama, Georgia, and South Carolina. She has traveled the US painting and photographing the scenery but still prefers the beauty of the southern landscape.  She also does still life paintings, and portraits of good folks who have character and integrity.

Dot took her first art courses in college where she obtained a Master’s in Nursing/ Healthcare Administration. She worked as a registered nurse, nurse administrator and taught nursing for several years while painting part-time and studying privately with the late Billy Kirk -- a noted and respected Mississippi artist who she considers her true mentor.

Courson’s goal in painting is to remind the viewer of the beauty of the ever changing landscape—not to paint a photographic likeness but to interpret the light and atmosphere and essence of the subject as she sees it and feels it.

Amanda Leigh Lovett

Hometown: Gainesville, GA

Medium: Oil

Born and raised near Atlanta, Georgia, Amanda Lovett has always had a fascination with drawing.  After graduation from the Atlanta Portfolio Center, she worked for the advertising firm of McDonald and Little in Atlanta until founding Image Impact, a full service-advertising agency.

While still working in advertising, Lovett studied watercolor landscape under Frank Broadhurst. Making the decision to be a full time painter and switching to oils, she has continued seeking instruction, studying with David Leffel, Bill Davidson and Peggy Everett, as well as several local instructors. She is currently represented by galleries in Georgia, Utah, and Wyoming, Carder shows her work in regional fine art shows

Artist Statement:

“I find myself looking at life with increasing wonder as I grow as an artist. I am surrounded by a world of beautiful moments; my desire is to express the simple details that make those moments exceptional.”

Millie Gosch

Hometown: College Park, GA

Medium: Oil

 A native of Newnan, Georgia, Millie Gosch finds the lowlands and rural fields in the area and the marshes and waters of coastal Georgia inspirations for her landscape paintings.

She pursued her passion in art studies at Salem College in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Later, she returned to her native Georgia and settled in the Atlanta area. After a successful career in the decorative arts, Ms. Gosch returned to her first love of fine arts.

I love to paint from life and I love to be outdoors, so naturally painting en plein air is a good fit for my art. During the spring and fall, I spend a lot of time painting field studies. From those studies, I paint larger pieces in the studio. I don’t use photographs at all. I paint what I know, and what I love is nature. My favorite subjects are big open fields, sunrises, sunsets, trees, the lowcountry, and the southland. I use a limited palette of primary colors. In my work I strive to bring my viewer into the painting and let them make it their own experience. .

She is active in bringing well-know plein air painters to the Southeast to teach workshops. Ms. Gosch has won several awards, most recently as a finalist in the prestigious RayMar Second Annual Fine Art Competition with her oil painting “Sunrise in Summer.”

Artist’s Statement: “For me, art is an expression of my love of nature. The colors and energy of the outdoors create in me a need to capture those qualities in a permanent way. I especially love serene landscapes, and I try to simplify them to highlight that serenity. With my brushstrokes I hope to take the viewer to a special place:  the quiet reflection of a special moment in time.”

Meet some of this year's Plein Air Artists

Donna Chieves

 Hometown: 

 Birmingham, AL

Medium:  Oil

Donna Chieves has painted, taken art classes, and passed along her art knowledge by teaching classes and workshops for over 50 years.  Venues include Alabama, Atlanta, GA, Paris, France, and Bihar India. In 2001, she earned a B.A. in Art from Montevallo University.  Her previous alma mater, Oglethorpe University in Atlanta, featured her creative talent in their Winter 2001 Alumni Magazine.  From 2006 until 2012, she was the leader of the Alabama Plein Air Artists and still enjoys joining friends to paint beautiful Alabama landscapes.  She is represented by Arceneaux Gallery in Birmingham, Blue frog Gallery in Montevallo, and Comer Museum in Sylacauga.  Donna enjoys working in oils, watercolors, graphite, or ink.  Her works are in corporate and private collections such as Delta Airlines, Energen, and Amsouth.

 

Diane Munkittrick

Hometown:

Santee, SC

Medium: Oil

Dianne has been a nature lover since childhood. After staying home with her young children, she returned to school to get a degree in graphic design. While there she discovered her long lost love of painting and decided to channel her efforts in that direction. Predictably, her subject matter choice was wildlife and nature. She initially drew her inspiration from north Idaho where she lived for over 30 years.  Living in South Carolina has provided new and inspiring sources to draw from. Her use of light and color set the mood for her work, allowing the beauty of nature to shine through. She strives to capture and reflect the essence, color and changing light of the moment, as well as the spirit of the animal.  Dianne’s goal is to paint beyond the literal interpretation of nature and instill the awe and wonder that nature inspires.

Gina Brown

Hometown:

Glencoe, AL

Medium: Oil

A native of Glencoe, Alabama, Gina Brown showed an early talent for art and that interest continued into college where she earned a B.A. in Graphic Design.  Her professional career includes several years as an art director for a national marketing agency as well as running an independent advertising agency.  Brown’s impressionistic style fills her canvases with loose, painterly strokes of vibrant color and movement.  In describing her inspiration, Brown says, “Our Creator made us with a desire to create.  I am trying to honor Him by showing the world the way I see His creation.  

PLEIN AIR ARTISTS COMING TO GADSDEN FOR 2014 INVITATIONAL

I know you have been waiting for this - the list of artists coming to Gadsden April 9 - 13 for the Plein Air Invitational.  Just look at this!
Gina Brown - Glencoe, AL
Donna Chieves - Birmingham, AL
Dot Courson - Pontotoc, MS
Beverly Ford Evans - Franklin, TN
Sharon Gates - Birmingham, AL
Millie T. Gosch - College Park, GA
John Guernsey - Marietta, GA
Christian Hemme - Pensacola, FL
Amanda Lovett - Gainesville, GA
Dianne MunKittrick - Santee, SC
Diane G. Newsome - Trussville, AL
Amy R. Peterson - Trussville, AL
Craig Reynolds - Rainbow City, AL
Robin Roberts - Decatur, AL
Jennifer Stottle Taylor - Taft, TN

Five new artists are on the list and each brings a unique plein air technique - flair, if you will!  Just a teaser today - tomorrow I will show a brief bios and some images of some of the artists work.  Can't wait for you to see them painting - round town!

Only a Few Workshop Spots Open!

The Roger Dale Brown Plein Air Workshop hosted by the Gadsden Museum of Art has only a few openings left! Here is an opportunity for intermediate and advanced artists to raise their paintings to a new level using the experiences and insights of master plein air painter Roger Dale Brown as a springboard.  Events include:


Sunday, April 6 at 2: Mr. Brown’s keynote presentation for the Southeastern Plein Air Invitational—a public lecture on the practice of plein air painting and its relevance to artists and collectors.

Sunday, April 6, 6-8: Orientation for workshop participants

On Location--

Day 1: Hokes Bluff

Monday, April 7, 9 to 5: Painting at a working farm in the Hokes Bluff with the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains as background.



Day 2: James Martin Wildlife Park

Tuesday, April 8, 9 to 5: Painting in the James Martin Wildlife Park in Gadsden offers water views, native plants, herons and other waterfowl.

Day 3: Noccalula Falls

Wednesday, April 9, 9 to 5: Painting at Noccalula Falls, a location that offers wrap-around views of a dramatic 90-foot waterfall, the rocky stream that feeds it and the deep gorge below the falls.  

Bonus: Artists have the option of sending one of their workshop paintings to be exhibited in the Southeastern Plein Air Invitational in the galleries of the Gadsden Museum of Art from April 13 (opening reception 2-4) through May 2.

More about the workshop:  Roger Dale Brown’s paintings have won first place and best of show awards, been juried into national exhibitions, published in Artist Magazine and American Art Collector, displayed in galleries throughout the United States, and collected by celebrities and corporations. He is dedicated to painting from life, on location, as the best way to enhance the ability to see the nuances of a scene. His goal is to capture the emotion what he sees and distill that into his paintings. Roger Dale Brown believes in passing along what he has learned through teaching. To learn more, visit Roger Dale Brown's website at www.rogerdalebrown.com

Workshop tuition: $425 (supplies not included).  A 50% deposit is required to reserve a space, $100 of which is not refundable.  Don’t delay, Mr. Brown’s classes fill quickly and space is strictly limited!  

To register for the workshop or request more information about the workshop or the SPAI, contact Elaine at the Gadsden Museum of Art (256-546-7365 or ecampbell@cityofgadsden.com).   

New @ Plein Air! Workshop, Nocturnes, Classic Cars, Contest

Jill Berry painting in 2012 SPAI

The Southeastern Plein Air Invitational (SPAI) lights up early April with new events and locations. The week begins with a Roger Dale Brown Workshop (details below) with three days of on-location painting, demos, and individualized instruction (April 6-9). Then, over a dozen experienced plein air painters will converge to paint locations in Gadsden/Etowah County (April 9-13). The opening reception on Sunday, April 13, 2-4, will launch the exhibition of their work in the galleries of the Gadsden Museum of Art through May 2.

New this year--

Downtown: Dusk to Dark  The latest trend in plein air painting is the nocturne—atmospheric works of the night often featuring the artificial lights of storefronts, neon, and street lights.  Gadsden’s Broad Street offers the ideal location with a vintage movie theater, period storefronts, and a bustling retail, restaurant, and bar scene.  

Classic Cars on the Coosa  Gleaming chrome, racy styling, and brilliant color combinations make classic cars an appealing and nostalgic subject for plein air painters. Gadsden’s car club members bring their best to the necklace of city parks along the Coosa River for a day that combines natural and automotive beauty.

Dueling Brushes  Prizes, a two-hour time limit, and a picturesque setting make for an exciting contest. In Gadsden’s Historic District, a Victorian house with landscaped garden, a white picket fence, gracious columned porch, and water feature offers the artists many options but they must be quick! Only two hours from start to finish with first, second, third prizes to be awarded and potential sales to me made while the paint is still wet!

The Southeastern Plein Air Invitational for 2014 offers artists, photographers, spectators, and collectors a diverse experience of on-location painting from workshop to exhibition!

About the workshop: Orientation on Sunday, April 6. Painting on location at a working farm, a wildlife park, and a waterfall, April 7-9.  Participants have the option of sending one of their workshop paintings to be exhibited in the Southeastern Plein Air Invitational in the galleries of the Gadsden Museum of Art.

Roger Dale Brown’s paintings have won first place and best of show awards, been juried into national exhibitions, published in Artist Magazine and American Art Collector, displayed in galleries throughout the United States, and collected by celebrities and corporations. He is dedicated to painting from life, on location, as the best way to enhance the ability to see the nuances of a scene. His goal is to capture the emotion what he sees and distill that into his paintings. Roger Dale Brown believes in passing along what he has learned through teaching. To learn more, visit Roger Dale Brown's website at www.rogerdalebrown.com

Workshop tuition: $425 (supplies not included).  A 50% deposit is required to reserve a space, $100 of which is not refundable.  Don’t delay, Mr. Brown’s classes fill quickly and space is strictly limited!  

To register for the workshop or request more information about the workshop or the SPAI, contact Elaine at the Gadsden Museum of Art (256-546-7365 or ecampbell@cityofgadsden.com).