Education

New Smyrna Beach, Florida

Cathy Berse is a long time resident of Florida. Cathy attended the University of Wisconsin, University of Tennessee and Milwaukee Area Technical College. In years past she has worked as a graphic designer, teacher and muralist. Cathy’s murals ranged from small to the largest at 4, 800 sq. feet. Cathy taught art for Daytona Beach Community College, Artists’ Workshop, Inc. and Atlantic Center for the Arts. She is now an avid Plein Air Artist and her work can be found in private homes as well as public places including The White House, New Smyrna Beach’s City Hall, the Historical Museum and AdventHealth.

Ninety-nine percent of my oil paintings are done on site, “alla Prima”. I feel that allows me to capture the light that caught my eye as well as the true colors of nature. I love what I do and it is my goal to pass that love along in my work. If a viewer can step into the scene I have just painted and get as much pleasure from it as I did painting it, I consider it a successful painting.

cathyberse.com
cathyberse@gmail.com

Big Pine Key, Florida

Priscilla Coote is known for painting water, especially the water’s edge. A lifelong artist, she paints primarily in oils and gouache. She has built an amphibious easel and taken it to several locations to develop a series of "from the water" studies.

Her style can range from nearly photo-realistic to moody impressionism. “It all depends on the locale and how the light reads. I am fascinated by the variety of light effects which can be found at different times of the day. It is the artist’s perogative to identify and utilize these effects as tools in creating their best work.”

Priscilla uses her plein air paintings as a basis for her large studio oils. She has recently been juried into national exhibitions at Channel Islands Museum, CA; Visual Arts Center's Biennial; Coos Bay, WA Museum; Mystic Maritime Museum and others. She is represented by galleries in Key West, Naples, West Palm Beach, Nantucket, Maine and Williamsburg, VA. Priscilla has recently been featured in Southwest Art, Fine Art Connoisseur and Sail magazines, and has had paintings shown on Netflix' Bloodline and HGTV's Island Hunters. She is a Signature Member and VP of the American Society of Marine Artists, and has lived full time in the Keys for twenty-plus years.

pcoote.com
admin@pcoote.com

Big Pine Key, Florida

Priscilla Coote is known for painting water, especially the water’s edge. A lifelong artist, she paints primarily in oils and gouache. She has built an amphibious easel and taken it to several locations to develop a series of "from the water" studies.

Her style can range from nearly photo-realistic to moody impressionism. “It all depends on the locale and how the light reads. I am fascinated by the variety of light effects which can be found at different times of the day. It is the artist’s perogative to identify and utilize these effects as tools in creating their best work.”

Priscilla uses her plein air paintings as a basis for her large studio oils. She has recently been juried into national exhibitions at Channel Islands Museum, CA; Visual Arts Center's Biennial; Coos Bay, WA Museum; Mystic Maritime Museum and others. She is represented by galleries in Key West, Naples, West Palm Beach, Nantucket, Maine and Williamsburg, VA. Priscilla has recently been featured in Southwest Art, Fine Art Connoisseur and Sail magazines, and has had paintings shown on Netflix' Bloodline and HGTV's Island Hunters. She is a Signature Member and VP of the American Society of Marine Artists, and has lived full time in the Keys for twenty-plus years.

pcoote.com
admin@pcoote.com

Palm Beach Shores, Florida

​Kathleen Denis, a native South Floridian, began painting lessons at age 4, and has earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree from the University of Miami. Painting professionally since 1994, her artwork appears on numerous home décor and gift products found in gift stores, movies, hospitals, hotels, and private collections, both nationally and internationally, including wallpaper, kitchenware, fabrics and rugs.

Using oils in an impressionistic style, Kathleen’s paintings are show in galleries, exhibits and juried plein air events, also held in both public and private collections, including Hawaii 5-0, Magnum P.I. and Bloodline T.V. Series. She is member of several art societies and the recipient of many honors and awards, including featured artist in national art magazines. Kathleen paints in her studio and “en plein air”, and has a passion for educating others teaching online and in person, known as “a generous teacher”.

My goal in my paintings is to capture the scene in a way that causes the viewer to imagine being there. Inspiration for my work is usually found from scenes with intriguing light, depicting island life and charming old towns, using oils in an impressionistic. My preliminary works are the bones for my paintings, a process which includes sketches, notans and color studies. Applying these to my paintings, I create, rather than copy, with expressive color and lively brushstrokes. Since 1995, many of my images are applied on home decor products from manufacturers worldwide. My original oil paintings can be seen in exhibits, galleries and juried plein air events. 

kathleendenis.com
artwithamessage@gmail.com

St. Augustine, Florida

Charles Dickinson is a graduate of Paier School of Art with an additional two years of study at the Lyme Academy of Fine Art in Connecticut. Charles has always felt most comfortable in nature and began to paint on location early in his education. He has continued to study nature first hand throughout his career. He has worked as a professional plein air artist for more than forty years.

Charles is collected by private collectors internationally and often participates in invitational and juried paint outs year round. Dickinson is an award-winning artist whose most recent award was Best in Show in St. Augustine, FL in 2019. His favorite subjects are varied and range from pure landscape, to marine, to architectural scenes, and to the unexpected compositions found in a plein air landscape.

Dickinson says he is challenged and inspired to create quality and lasting beauty in his work that reflects his love of nature and his love of exploring the pictorial possibilities nature provides.

I have been an artist my entire life. My earliest memories of childhood were drawing with my father and I have never stopped. I get excited about the process of coming upon a scene or an idea and then getting to work creating my interpretation of that inspiration.

I have intently concentrated on plein air painting for the past forty years because it gives me endless subject matter and allows me to work surrounded in nature. I enjoy the personal challenge to capture the fleeting moments of light in a constantly changing environment. Recording the history of our landscape is an important component and making contributions to preserving the landscape and culture of this world brings me great satisfaction. My plan is to continue to grow, study, and work.

charlesdickinson.net
artist@charlesdickinson.net

Mt. Dora, Florida

Elisabeth Ferber was born in Belleville, Illinois but spent most of her adult life in Central Florida. Born of artistic parents and having spent much of her childhood in Europe, Elisabeth was exposed to a very classical art background which in turn influenced her current style.

My artwork can best be described as “classical representational”. I do not seek to change what is, but to paint it and present it as I perceived it at the time. I strive to create a painting that shows the beauty and character of wildlife and/or landscapes.

Although I do paint a little of everything, wildlife and their landscapes are my favorite. My landscapes are painted from life whenever possible and the wildlife is studied and photographed by myself. My goal is to capture scenes in the hope that others will see and appreciate the land that we have today.

Elisabeth is a member of Oil Painters of America, Plein Air Florida and Central Florida Plein Air Artists.

elisabethsfineart.com
eferber@hotmail.com

St. Augustine, Florida

Martha is an award-winning artist and enjoys painting in plein air ever since moving from the Jersey Shore to sunny Florida. She received a BA in Art from Flagler College, studied at the Art Student League in NYC and continues to learn by attending various workshops from master painters. Martha’s style is impressionistic, painting primarily in oil and watercolor. Many of her studio pieces are from small plein air studies.

My inspiration comes from the familiar subjects that surround me. I love to paint the scenes of old gritty towns, capturing the feel of the area and the locals that walk the quaint streets. I am often drawn to architecture and the way the light comes through the subject. I want my paintings to be more than a likeness but an experience or a nostalgic feel. I can walk by the same scene many times and then all of a sudden there is a moment that tells a story. That’s what I seek to capture. That’s when the painting is successful!

mgfergusonfineart.com
martha@mgfergusonfineart.com

Ormond Beach, Florida

Scott, a resident of Ormond Beach, Florida, is an avid plein air painter and creator of various bird and fish sculptures made from wire and various finishes.

Upon obtaining his art degree in Philadelphia, Scott was recruited by Hallmark Cards. He later worked for some 35 years as a graphic artist for various newspapers, including 15 years at the St. Petersburg Times, where he illustrated the outdoors pages.

Scott’s work has been recognized throughout the United States. He is a State of Indiana upland game bird stamp contest winner; was selected for the Paint America National Gallery Tour; and designed the Florida Bass Fish automobile license plate. Scott’s works are in many private and corporate collections.

scotthiestand.com
scotthiestand@aol.com

Orlando, Florida

The work that I do is in the traditional realm of subject matter. I am working for a consistent style, while experiencing various subjects. I like to show work habits and a commitment to a long-term career. My goal is to see how you react personally to the paint, to the composition and to your inner relationship to the painting.

The way I find my subject is to reach into my soul and pull out the ideas behind things I’ve seen and experiences I’ve had. When looking for a painting idea, I search with a hungry mind knowing that God has given me things to see, and the re-creation of these things in art is up to me.

I want the viewer to move into the painting, both physically and emotionally. If your personal vision is strong enough, light and texture captured on paper in watercolor can speak through any image.

There are so many ways to portray art with watercolor. When I paint recognizable subjects, I feel that they should resemble the real thing, but they do not need to be an exact reproduction.

Painting my subject in watercolor should enhance its beauty and show the endless variations of watercolor techniques I have applied. The most important thing I have learned is to have my own uniqueness of vision.

Born in Panama City, Florida, I moved at an early age to the Midwest with my family. In Ohio, I grew up on a farm amidst the open unspoiled terrain of rural farm country. It was here where my appreciation for vast open landscapes began. This affinity for the landscape continues as a driving force which resonates throughout my life as a mature artist.

I enjoyed drawing in both art and mechanical drawing classes in high school. I graduated from Ferris State University in Michigan, where I studied commercial art. After twenty years in the Midwest, I welcomed the chance to return to Florida. I lost no time creating a passion for the abundant Florida landscapes that had captured my imagination.

Today, I love to travel to new areas to refill my artistic soul with the natural beauty that pours creative energy back into my art. When traveling away from my studio, I spend my time painting Plein Air.

My work is currently in the private collections of patrons and companies around the world. My art studio is at Gallery on First in Sanford, Florida. I also exhibit my paintings at The Artistic Hand in Oviedo, Florida, and Ocean Art Gallery in Ormond Beach, Florida.

I enjoy receiving feedback from my audience about how an individual piece has touched your life. Please sign up at StewartJonesArt.com to receive periodic updates about my journeys and to be one of the first to see my latest work.

stewartjonesart.com
stewartjonesart@cfl.rr.com

Stuart, FL

Chris states, Being an artist is not just my career. It is an integral part of who I am and is something that I am compelled to do. I work in oil primarily in a traditional manner but with a contemporary flair through color, composition, value, and application of paint. Color sings to me and I try to use its harmony to evoke an emotional connection with others. I love to paint plein air which helps my studio work retain an authenticity that only comes from observation from life. Painting, to me, is reaching out to find the common emotional connection between all of us.

Ms. Kling has received numerous awards from shows for her landscapes and portraiture throughout the southeastern region of the United States and with the Portrait Society of America, from which she recently received another award from them for her portrait of “Jakiya”. She has been honored with back to back “Best of Shows” for landscapes and several awards for her work in festivals and competitions. She has received hundreds of commissions for oil portraits and landscapes and her work is in numerous private and corporate collections in the United States as well as in international collections. Those collections include the paintings of John Peyton, Mayor of Jacksonville, FL and Dr. John Trainer, President of Bolles School. She served as one of the “Florida’s Finest Ambassadors” for the Forgotten Coast en Plein Air 2018 in Apalachicola, and was an Invited Artist the last three years in the New Smyrna Paint Out, Delray Plein Fun Fest 2019, and won Best Seascape in the Lighthouse Plein Air Festival 2019. For several years she has participated in the Lighthouse Plein Air Festival and in March she was again an invited artist in 2021. She currently teaches Oil Portraiture, Figurative, and Plein Air Workshops through the Artist’s Nook in Stuart and the Lighthouse ArtCenter in Tequesta.

Chris is a member of the Portrait Society of America, American Impressionist Society, Oil Painters of America, NOAPS, Martin Artisans Guild, and Plein Air Palm Beach. Chris has work in several galleries in Florida and you may see her work on Facebook at Chris Kling Studio and at her website. She is represented by Palm City Art and Frame and is owner, along with her family, of Kling Gallery, Wine & Decor of Stuart, FL.

chrisklingartist.com
cbkling@bellsouth.net

New Smyrna Beach, Florida

Capturing a moment that resonates with her by sharing that moment through the use of light and shadow, textures and edges in her representational oil paintings and pastel paintings is the reason she paints.

She enjoys the challenge of working in Plein Air due to the ever-changing light. Holding onto that original visual image and incorporating a sense of time, weather, and place takes observation and study. There is an intimacy with nature. Barbara says, “ This is my happy place.”

barbaraortiz.com
barbaraortizart@gmail.com

Sarasota, Florida

Mr. Palmerio was born Aug. 12, 1949 in Philadelphia, Pa. He has been a resident of Sarasota for the past twenty eight years. He is a graduate of the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, Philadelphia, Pa. 1979, studied landscape painting with Lou Sloan, and the Barnes Foundation, Lower Merion, Pa. Studied Sculpture at the Frudakis Academy, and metal sculpture at Tyler School of Art, Temple University. A roofer by trade, he also worked for 23 yrs. as a recreation leader for the City of Philadelphia, and he was the Director of Recreation for the Ute Mountain Ute Indian tribe in Colorado. He has a private pilot’s license and maintains a Master Captains boating license, having captained boats for 12 years. He also starred in the short Art film “A Lot In Common”, which played in the Sarasota Film Festival, 2011. He taught painting in community arts centers in Philadelphia, and Colorado, and spent seven years teaching physically challenged adults, in Philadelphia. He presented a highly acclaimed seminar at the St. Bridget Arts Council on Venetian Painting Techniques in Philadelphia. He was the Artist In Residence for the Everglades National Park, Florida and the Great Sand Dune National Park, Colorado. He has been jurying shows since the mid 80’s. He has had numerous TV appearances and interview on NPR Arts Edition, by Amy Tardiff. Recently won a Merit award for NOAPS small works show at McBride gallery, Annapolis Md. And exhibiting in their Narional show at Cutter and Cutter Gallery, Nov. ’20, and once again in the OPA National Show in Escondido Ca. in 2021.

He is in numerous private collections, throughout the country. He is represented by Dabbert Gallery in Sarasota, Arts on Douglas in New Smyrna, Waterfront Gallery, and Cortille Gallery, Provincetown, Ma. He has won numerous awards for his plein air paintings.

Commissions include six large landscapes for the Acme Market Corporation in Great Valley Pa., 10 X 30 foot wall mural for the City of Philadelphia, Murphy Recreation Center, and two 12 x 42 foot murals for Motivation Inc. (Atocha Treasure Ship) in the Orlando Airport, and a 10 x 40 foot mural for Duval House B & B in Key West.

Joe’s paintings emphasize a soft brushwork that captures the fleeting moments of nature.

As a representational painter, I am grabbed initially by the abstract shapes, which allows for a strong composition, on which to present the subtle colors of nature, which I feel speak the loudest.

palmerioart.com
jwpalmerio@gmail.com

Trenton, Florida

Born in south Florida, Robin has always had a love for sunshine and palm trees. Encouraged by a creative family, her love of art started as soon as she could hold a brush. She spent a short time at Ringling School of Art and Design in Sarasota, FL, and earned a certificate as a cabinetmaker from Pinellas Technical College in Clearwater, FL.

Combining her love for painting and for woodworking has been a challenge until recently when she began to cradle her paintings in wooden boxes. Now Robin has a painting studio and a woodworking studio on the thirteen hidden acres near Gainesville, FL. Primarily working in oils, she enjoys painting on location “en plein air” as much as possible. She loves being surrounded by the sights and sounds of the natural world and strives to add this essence to her paintings for the collector.

I choose nature as my subject because of its rhythms. The slow, steady movement of living things inspires me to patiently pay attention. Plein air painting gives me the opportunity to observe nature while immersed in it. I use oil paint for its luminosity as well as for the enduring, earthly elements that compose the paint itself. As humans, we are made of earth and I love exploring this connection. My art explores the contrast of the fleeting human element against the timelessness of nature and her Creator.

robinpopp.com
robinpopp@yahoo.com

Orlando, Florida

I tell my stories with the ephemeral moods of the light. My goal is to excite my viewers through an atmospheric mood, and authenticity that evokes emotion and connection. I am always looking for the subtle poetry of each subject, trying to paint “adjective” not the “noun” of the scene.

Originally from rural Wisconsin, Antwan Ramar has always been inspired by nature’s beauty. Growing up in a small town with a culturally rich community, Antwan always found himself
surrounded and inspired by creative types. Antwan started his career as a Caricaturist, drawing people face-to-face, attempting to capture more than just the physical traits of the individual. As he deepened his knowledge of caricature and its history, he began to understand the qualities of hyperbole and see that this art form is, in fact, what all great artists strive for; to reveal and exaggerate the universal truths of your subject through your own perceptual lens. He takes those lessons with him into all of his artistic ventures, listening to his first impressions, and working to emphasize the aesthetic poetry in nature.

While Antwan remains a life long student of art, early on he spent much of his academic years in southern California studying in some of the finest ateliers under teachers with extensive experience in their fields. In that time his curricular focus was on concept art and illustration while learning the fundamentals in drawing and painting, giving him the tools to take his art in any direction. Today Antwan is a full-time painter, splitting his time between the studio and plein air works. He loves to travel and paint but spends most of his time in sunny Orlando, Florida.

antwanramar.com
antwan.ramar@gmail.com

New Smyrna Beach, Florida

Born in West Palm Beach, Florida, Patrick grew up with tropical and ocean surroundings. Numerous visits since childhood to the Florida Keys and years of diving and sailing along with having a home in the Ocala National Forest for a number of years has had a strong and lasting influence on the subjects Patrick chooses to paint.

From beautiful cloud formations at sunset, to a quaint cottage in the Keys, to tranquil back country landscapes, to soothing seascapes, he finds and captures a feeling that relates to the beauty around us.

Patrick has been sharing and teaching others to paint for over 10 years and currently teaches classes at The Artists’ Workshop in New Smyrna Beach.

I have been painting and drawing most of my life and continue to get a thrill every time I paint. In addition, I get a great deal of satisfaction sharing with others what others have shared with me. Painting and drawing are very teachable and in time, creativity will follow and flow.

Facebook.com/pg/PatrickRauschFineArt/photos
oilpainter111@gmail.com

Orlando, Florida

Award-winning artist Orit Reuben, is an impressionist landscape and figurative pastel painter. Orit likes sunny day painting and is inspired by light effects. She is based in Florida and is inspired by nature, and loves painting outdoors. Her favorite locations include a combination of architecture and nature. Her innate instinct for color results in playful and colorful interpretations of nature.

Born in Israel to a family of artists, Orit is greatly influenced by her grandfather, who was an impressionist painter. As a child, she painted at the side of her mother, who is also an artist. Orit immigrated to the United States as a teen with her family and settled in Minneapolis. There she attended the University of Minnesota and embarked on a full-time career as a licensed interior designer.

Orit’s medium of choice is pastels. A resident of Orlando, Orit finds beautiful scenes throughout the region and regularly displays her work in galleries and shows.

Orit is represented by Passport Fine Art Gallery and Be On Park in Winter Park, Florida. She is a signature member of The Florida Painters. a member of Pastel Society of America, Pastel Society of Central Florida, American Impressionist Society, and a Member of Excellence of the Southeastern Pastel Society.

oritreuben.com
oritreuben@yahoo.com

Gulf Shores, Alabama

Coming from a family of artists, I have been associated with painting and the art business for many years. My dad was a well-known water colorist in our area and taught me how to draw and paint at an early age. As years went by and his health declined I would take him on long countryside drives where we would stop and paint or take
photos of the old barns and landscapes that he loved so
much.

I majored in art at our local junior college and throughout my career studied under some of the artist that I admired, such as Donny Finley, Dmitry Proshkin, Roger Dale Brown, Greg LaRock and Jason Saunders.

I became very active in my art business in 1984 while also working in the steel industry. I participated in many juried shows and art events. In 2006 I opened Craig Reynolds’ Studio and Gallery at which time I became a full time professional artist. I believe that being an artist is a never-ending learning process and I continuously experiment with new techniques and design principles.

craigreynoldsstudio.com
craig.reynolds.3615@gmail.com

Port Orange, Florida

Ruth Squitieri was born and raised in a small town in Germany, before settling in Florida in her early 20s. She always had art in her life. While her family was very musical, she was the only one who always had a pencil or brush in her hand. After painting in watercolor and acrylics, she discovered oils about 20 years ago. In 2008 she took her first plein air workshop and has been hooked to on-site painting ever since. Ruth currently includes quick pen and ink sketches in her repertoire, especially when traveling.

Ruth loves to share her talent and knowledge and has been doing demos at artists’ groups as well as during paintout/plein air festivals in the Central Florida area for years. She currently teaches on-going classes in Composition and Perspective, Pen and Ink Sketching, and Oil Painting. She is also active as a volunteer instructor during the summer camp for kids and teens held at the Artist Workshop. Ruth has participated regularly at the NSB Paintout, was an invited artist at the Epcot “Art in the Garden Festival” by Disney for 6 years, and was juried into the Winter Park Paintout 2017.

I believe that working from life allows me to put the most truthful statement onto the canvas, and also the most interesting. The camera doesn’t capture all the light and details in the shadows, but does put everything in focus. That is not how we see the world. To this point I study the scene that’s in front of me and put down what nature presents me with, carefully repositioning certain elements, eliminating others, but always focusing on the quality of light. I want to have the viewer say: “Yes, I can feel the atmosphere and the warmth of that summer afternoon.” Or: “I have been to this location and this is exactly what it feels like being there.”

paintingsbyruth.com
krautgraphics@gmail.com

Tallahassee, Florida

Sherry has had a lifelong interest in art. For some time, she enjoyed working in watercolor and had works in several local galleries. In recent years she has gotten back into oil colors for the first time since college. Sherry likes to paint in Alla Prima style, and has really enjoyed doing Plein Air, participating in a number of workshops and paint-outs. Landscapes and portraits are her favorite subjects in somewhat impressionist style.

I graduated from FSU in 1974 with a bachelors degree in art. That same month I married Rick Whitney, originally from Amityville, Long Island NY. We had dated through most of college. Basically we have lived in Tallahassee since then. We have 2 children, Jonathan & Tara…NO grandkids yet, but not giving up hope!

I worked with the school system part time as the kids were growing up, getting somewhat serious about watercolor as the kids got older (landscapes, still lifes and portraits). Then on to full time job in late 90’s, working the next 18 years at the Florida Retail Federation (a trade association, of which there are many in Tallahassee) in a number of administrative capacities (including some meeting planning), mainly as the lobby team administrator, which I must say was fascinating at times. …Interesting to be working right across from the Capitol during the “hanging chads” episode, and then following 9/11. Definite memories.

I retired about 4 years ago and got busy with oil painting for the first time since college. Must say I’m having a ball. Rick and I have also done some traveling with plans to do more once this virus has been solved….maybe 🙂

swhitney.faso.com
sherrywhitney1@gmail.com