More Plein Air Artists!

Craig Reynolds

Hometown: Gadsden, AL

Medium: Oil

    The artists in my family can be traced back for many generations.  My Dad was an artist; his Dad was an artist and had several brothers and sisters that were artists as well.  So people ask me today “how long have you been paintings?” and my reply can only be “well as far back as I can remember, it’s simply something that we just always did.”

     I began my part time art career in 1984.  That’s when I began to show out of town and out of state more while maintaining my paying job at our local steel mill.  Back then I scheduled the weekend art festivals for the spring and summer, had four of my paintings made into limited edition prints.  I opened my art gallery and studio in Gadsden in 2004 and began teaching private classes and selling my work through my own and other galleries. 

     The first gallery that accepted my work was the Gale Gallery in New Orleans and they sold sixteen of my paintings in two months.  My next gallery was the Renaissance Gallery in Northport, Al, then the Shelby Lee Gallery in Charleston, SC. 

     My art career has evolved from a watercolorist to oil painter en plein air and studio impressionism. 

 ARTIST STATEMENT

I guess one could say that my work is heavily influenced by my experiences and training as a realistic watercolorist.  Even though my oil paintings have evolved into more of an impressionistic style with influences of realism, the style also sometimes may be viewed as somewhat expressionistic as well.  None the less, I just do what feels right at the moment to convey the sense of movement, tension or atmosphere set by the subject.

 

Robin Roberts

Hometown: Decataur, AL

Medium: Oil

     Oil painter Robin Roberts has lived in five states but North Alabama roots keep her grounded.  Especially inspired by ordinary views by the side of the road, Robin seeks nobility in the everyday scenes we encounter.  Her southern landscapes draw us into the excitement and mystery of light and shadow, bringing to life that delicate time of day that is so fleeting.  Through vigorous brushwork, delicate touches, subtle color combinations and unusual compositions we are able to see the common transformed into places you know by heart. 

     Robin is equally attracted to painting animals and the figure as well as her signature landscapes.  She is grateful that she was trained to translate a vision into beautiful canvases by painting outdoors on location. This is Robin’s favorite method, and it allows her to add truth to larger paintings.  She especially enjoys participating in outdoor painting events.

 ARTIST STATEMENT:

“I am honored to have been an invited artist to the Huntsville Museum of Art Gala for five years.  I have received many awards, but I find the biggest reward is when someone passes by and says, “ahhhhhh” and knows a painting has touched a chord in the heart.” 

Jennifer Stottle Taylor

Hometown: Taft, Tn

Medium: Oil and Acrylic

     Jennifer Stottle Taylor is an award-winning professional oil and acrylic painter.  She combines impasto with realism, creating a thickly textured impressionistic result, that is embraced by collectors. She is an accomplished and sought after pet portrait artist, as well as figure painter and portrait artist. 

     Jennifer actively teaches and conducts painting and drawing workshops in Tennessee and Alabama. Because many private collectors admire her work, her work hangs in homes across America and Europe.  Jennifer’s work was recently seen hanging at the Booth Western Art Museum of Cartersville, GA.

 ARTIST STATEMENT:

 “I come from a realist background, but being an outdoor enthusiast, I have recently discovered a love for Plein Air painting.”