As we approach the middle of summer, we have begun to plan
the 4th Annual Paint Out for the North Mississippi Plein Air Painters. Looking back over
the last three years, I can truly say we have come a long way.
Four years ago, after attending Olmsted in Atlanta, my
passion for painting outdoors was without a doubt going to be a part of my life
that I wanted to share.
After getting a few artist friends to commit, we started a group called North Mississippi Plein Air Painters with a plan to meet once a month, and have a three-day event each fall. Most didn’t know much about outdoor air painting and I had only experienced it a few times.
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| Mississippi Sunset, 8x10, Oil on Panel, Private Collection ©2018|Linda Peters |
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| Untitled, 8x8, Oil on Panel, Wolf River Swamp in Pass Christian, MS ©Linda Peters |
After getting a few artist friends to commit, we started a group called North Mississippi Plein Air Painters with a plan to meet once a month, and have a three-day event each fall. Most didn’t know much about outdoor air painting and I had only experienced it a few times.
 |
| Pam Locke, Sony Strauss, and Katherine Adams |
To kick off the start of this group, I offered my farm on a
remote county road away from any hustle and bustle. The three-day paint out was
very organized and I was well received with my “know how”. The first day got
off to a good start with Mother Nature giving us a beautiful display of lovely
fall colors. The attendance was
surprising with most not knowing what a “Paintout” is all about. At the end of
the third day, most knew that this style of painting was truly adventurous.
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| Linda Peters with her pet donkey |
That first year we came away with a few incidents and
stories to tell: someone’s umbrella went for a float in the pond, (more than
once), my donkeys were more curious than I imagined and got paint on their
noses and then on us, and each person looked as though they had packed their
entire studio without really knowing what they needed, but the fun we had
learning from each other reinforced the idea that Mississippi needs this group
to show what our state looks like through the eyes of outdoor artist’s.
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| Susan Rose with Linda's pets |
Many lessons were learned the last three years including
numerous studies to take back to the studio. The highlight of 2017 was how each artist had
become inspired to study the outdoors, anticipating the elements, while
creating lovely paintings. As I recall, the umbrella did get in the pond again
and the donkeys are always happy to help.
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| Spring Serenity by Linda Peters, 6x16, Oil on Panel, Calhoun County, Private
Collection
I was with Susan Patton painting on the side of a county road. The wind was
blowing so hard, we both had to stand behind our vehicles!
|
So, as we plan for this year, the opportunities are limitless
for this brave group as we share this with other artist across the state. Our
goals are to mature as outdoor painters, travel around the state, and share our
creations with others who have no idea what adventures they are missing.
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L to R, Front: Vicki Ramsey, Carol Roark, Pam Locke, Janet Barnes, Linda
Peters
Back: Debbie Myers, Tammy Cook, Pat Gillenwater, and Justin
Treadaway.
|
Linda
is a self-taught artist who has painted for as long as she can remember. Her
favored medium is oil, which she uses to great effect in her bold, brightly
toned canvases.
Born
and raised in Mississippi, she currently resides in rural Oxford, Mississippi.
She is the founder of North Mississippi Plein
Air Painters and an active member of both the Oxford Artist’ Guild and
Gallery and Oil Painters of America. She
most recently illustrated the children’s book, Farzana’s Journey: A story of
the land, water, and people.
Although
she has no formal art training, Linda pursues her art education by attending
workshops, studying the “masters”, and constantly reading. She works hard under
the direction of other well-known and fellow artist to reach her full potential
as a landscape artist.
A big thanks to Linda Peters for her story!
Follow this blog about Mississippi artists. In the coming weeks, this site will be publishing works by several plein air painters from around Mississippi.
Contact Dot Courson at artist@dotcourson.com to find out how to contribute.
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