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| Beth plein air sketching in Istria 2018 |
Beginning:
Painting has always a huge part of my life since an early
age. I learned to paint en plein air when I was 8 years old from a
well-known local artist, Myra Green of Jackson, MS. (Of course, nobody in
Mississippi CALLED it “en plein air” way back then…..we were just painting
outside! ) Myra always had me paint outdoors from life, not photos.
Her wisdom in teaching was in not showing me how to paint a tree, but
instructing me to really LOOK at the tree and paint what I saw. What a gift to
me as a young child to learn to paint this way! This is truly the
heart and soul of painting en plein air.
Returning:
Over the years, I painted off and on, with long breaks due
to running a business, raising children and life in general. After
retiring in 1998, I returned to my life-long dream as a professional
artist. I have had the privilege to study from many accomplished artists
who have continued my education, stretched my knowledge and encouraged me.
Combining plein air painting with my travel wanderings is an on-going obsession
for me.
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| Beth’s 9” x 12” plein air painting in Harbor of Korcula 2018 |
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| Beth painting with her students in Croatia 2018 |
Expanding:
I recognized several years ago, while traveling with 2 young
sons in tow, that painting with oils en plein air was not always
practical. Sketching became my next-best thing. My
incredibly-gifted-sketcher/architect husband and I gave each son his own sketch
book, so it started our travel ritual to sketch at some point every
day. ( I find that most children are natural artists and it was a
great way to keep them occupied while waiting for food to
arrive!) Over the years, this ritual has added
dimension to my direct observation of real life, and has created a tangible
memory of wonderful experiences. I strongly encourage daily sketching,
and particularly Travel Sketch Journaling, to artists and to non-artists
alike. You will be surprised how much this will improve your
painting and enrich your life.
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| Travel Sketch example |
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| Beth teaching Travel Sketch Journaling 2018 |
On-going:
Painting, like life, is not a
destination, it is a journey…... And as that old adage goes:
Drawing will always make you a better painter, but painting will
never make you a better drawer. With these two thoughts in mind, I
continue to draw and paint from direct observation daily. Well, as
daily as possible!
I consider it a privilege and
obligation to share my knowledge of painting with others, since other
artists have graciously shared their knowledge with me.
I frequently receive messages from people needing advice,
encouragement, lessons or a painting buddy, and I welcome these opportunities.
I am most grateful for the experiences and friendships that life as an
artist has given me. Above all, I believe that we are to honor God in
all that we do, with the talents and abilities He has given us.
Colossians 3:17
Beth
Dean is a Mississippi native who holds a BS in Interior Design from Mississippi
State, with an elected emphasis in Renaissance Art History. She paints en
plein air, is a studio painter, and an Urban Sketcher. Her studio is
next to her home on a lake in Madison County. Beth travels frequently to
paint and to sketch en plein air. She is partial to Italy, and loves
adventure and discovering places where she gathers inspiration for her
paintings.
Beth
teaches plein air workshops, studio oil painting, and her most requested
workshop, Travel Sketch Journaling. In
September, Beth will be teaching a 1-Day Workshop in Helena, AR, where
she is the Juror of “Helena on the
Mississippi.....en Plein Air” paint-out competition.
You can see her work and contact her at:
bethdeanstudio
on
Instagram
Beth
Dean Studio on
Facebook
Beth
Dean Artist on
Twitter
A big thanks to Beth Dean for her wonderful post!
Follow this blog about Mississippi artists. In the coming weeks, this site will be publishing works by several plein air painters from around Mississippi.
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Thank you Beth for this inspiring story about your recent trip to Croatia. What a wonderful painting venue!
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