Meet OOPS Artist... Stephen Greer

photo by Thomas Brock

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Artist ~ Stephen Greer

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Artist's Statement...

I express myself drawing and painting. Depicting the North Carolina coast and doing candid sketches of people in public places provide the visual references used in creating abstract and realistic work. Patterns, colors, rhythms and their astounding abundance in the world fascinate me. Carrying a sketch book makes it possible to take advantage of these fleeting elements. Life and art engage me fully in the evolution of growing and learning.

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More Info...

Ever since I can remember I have been making marks on something. Crayon drawings on walls, house paint on garage walls, chalk drawings on the street, ball point pen drawings on note book paper in history class- you name it. Encouraged by teachers, friends and family, I moved on to using a variety of art mediums and eventually settled into using acrylics exclusively. I participated in OOPS first outdoor painting event and I'm hooked. It was great to be involved with people pursuing a common interest! I have work at Art Escapes and Frames in Morehead City and Nicole's Studio and Gallery in Raleigh.

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Meet OOPS Artist... Mitchell Morton

photo by Thomas Brock

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Artist ~ Mitchell Morton

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Born and bred in Onslow County! One of those rare people-finds! I began working in an artistic way as a young boy by carving my mother’s Ivory soap (recall the LARGE bars we used to get!). I continued to experiment over the years to develop my talent. I truly do not think we ever fully evolve to that final “place” to which we all aspire… I see it as a continuous journey in which we continue to quest with each passing day. My work is done in a variety of mediums – oils, acrylic, pastels, and mixed media. My first “en plein air” experience was in October ’07 – and it taught me to work very quickly due to the constantly changing light. Out of this comes the fact that you, most times, compete a painting in one, short sitting.

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Visit my art blog at... River's Edge Studio

Meet OOPS Artist... Karen Crenshaw

photo by Thomas Brock

Artist ~ Karen Lee Crenshaw

Karen Lee Crenshaw has been drawing “since she used to scribble on the walls as a child.” As the wife of LtCol Bill Crenshaw, USMCR Ret, she has been a part of the military life for 18 years. She has fourteen-year-old twins, Tom and Kristen, who share her creativity and have also done their share of wall scribbling. The family has lived in Jacksonville for the last eight years where Karen maintains Crenshaw Art Studio in their home at 708 Ireland Court.

Karen has been accepting portrait commissions for a number of years and specializes in portraits of women and children. Her work is traditional and lifelike, yet it maintains a painterly quality. She enjoys providing her clients with an heirloom that will last for many generations. “ I especially love working with children and capturing that innocence that seems to pass so quickly,” the artist says.

When she is not working on portraits, you can find her painting landscapes. “Coastal Images,” her recent one-person show at UNCW, featured scenes from Topsail Island painted from photographs and studies done before the devastation of recent hurricanes. “I am particularly intrigued by the pinkish-blue tones of the early morning light and the amber light of late afternoon. When the sun is low on the horizon, it creates wonderful contrasts of forms and oblique angles and shapes. I’m always looking for a dynamic abstract pattern on which to base the composition,” she explains.

Karen was born in South Dakota and grew up in West Virginia where she obtained a B.S. in Art Education from Concord College. After teaching in Rockbridge County, VA, she returned to her studies at George Washington University in Washington, DC, receiving a Master of Fine Arts in Painting. Her paintings have been exhibited and have won awards in New York City, West Virginia, Virginia, North Carolina and DC.

Karen has a working studio and exhibits her work at ArtExposure in Hampstead, NC. She also has available a number of small watercolors and landscape paintings in her studio. In addition, she has self-published two limited edition lithograph reproductions. “World War II Memorial, Virginia Tech” has been published in a limited edition of 1000 prints and is available for $65.00. “Potomac Sunset,” a water scene near Washington, DC, was published as a limited edition of 400 prints and is available for $50.00.

To commission a portrait, purchase a print, or schedule a studio visit, call her at home, (910) 353-8684, or contact her by email at kcrenshaw@ec.rr.com.

Vist Karen's webpage at http://karenleecrenshaw.com/

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KAREN LEE CRENSHAW
708 Ireland Court

Jacksonville, NC 28546

(910)-353-8684
kcrenshaw@ec.rr.com

Meet OOPS Artist... Bernie Rosage Jr.

my photo by Thomas Brock

Artist ~ Bernie Rosage Jr.

I appreciate the simple things in life. Many artists thrive with creativity in times of turmoil... I'm just the opposite... give me peace and harmony and the creative juices flow much easier... That is why I love working from life and enjoying nature. One of my favorite ways to paint is on location en plein aire... the French term literally translates in open air.

I love Plein Air painting because of the full EXPERIENCE... It fills all the senses for me. I also enjoy the challenges it presents due to changing conditions in my surroundings... it pushes me as an artist and forces me to capture the essence of the scene. I also like meeting people while I'm out painting in public... adding a more personal experience to the sitting. One of my favorite plein air experiences was painting at an old stone church in the Blue Ridge Mountains while a lone Scottish bagpiper played. My least favorite outing was when I was preoccupied by two alligators while painting at Greenfield Lake in Wilmington. I often paint with my artist buddy Olivia, my six year old daughter, who definitely steals the show when we are on a plein air outing together. The camaraderie I have found in this group of artists, OOPS!, will be a source of inspiration and admiration for me for years to come.


Olivia and Daddy plein air painting at Cedar Point. Check out the story of Olivia's first plein air outing here.

I'm a self-representing artist and have joined the ranks of the latest art movement... "A Painting a Day"... well... almost every day! I am completely self taught... except for "a little help from my friends"... my fellow artist friends that is.... who so generously share their thoughts and knowledge with me. We hang out much like the Impressionistic artists of old did in the cafés of Paris... only in a cyberspace kind of way. I mainly work in oils and and have been painting seriously since January 2004.

I have attended many workshops with many great artists but would be amiss here not to mention my mentor, artist Larry Seiler. Larry has been an encouraging and educational force in my work not to mention a GREAT friend. He taught me the "art of seeing". I also glean from and study the masters... old and new. Some of my greatest influences are Claude Monet, Paul Cezanne, John Singer Sargent, William Bouguereau, Nicholai Fechin, Amedeo Modgliani, Richard Schmid, Morgan Weistling, Mike Rooney, and Marc Hansen.

My wife, Tami, and I had the privilege of seeing the "Monet in Normandy" exhibit at the North Carolina Museum of Art in November 2006... seeing those 50 works by one of my favorite artists has been a major inspiration and motivating factor in my work ethic as I usually paint everyday.

I hope you enjoy my work as much as I enjoy creating it. As a self-representing artist, most of my paintings are for sale... be sure to visit my art links below...

My Paintings for Sale
My Art Journal
My Art Gallery
My Art Demos
My Web Page
My eBay

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My quote below sums up what plein air painting means to me...

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Meet OOPS Artist... Donna Graham

photo by Thomas Brock

Artist ~ Donna Graham

In Fall 2006, I was encouraged by an artist-friend to "pick up a brush and see what happens." I have become an artist (of sorts) …self-taught, wonderfully mentored, and on a journey…

My inner adventures:
I was instantly “taken” with this wonderful form of self-expression!!! While I am a “newbie,” I find that each day that I paint, I learn something new – about myself, about how paint “moves,” about the many techniques, and, especially, about my emotions (and how they become intertwined in the piece I am doing). In the few months that I have been painting, I have dabbled in oils, acrylics, watercolor, and mixed media -– and have not quite found my niche for the medium I most prefer. Living on the North Carolina coast, I am naturally drawn to the serene, coastal images – but, BEST OF ALL, I enjoy putting what I see, feel, and know onto a canvas.

My outward adventures:
I recently entered a juried art show as part of my artistic learning. While not accepted into this first show, I learned so much – and am inspired to forge ahead. THEN, I joined a group of artist friends and experienced (for the first time) painting "en plein aire" -- translated as "in open air.” I was so exited about what I had experienced this day that I was on my phone before I reached my front door telling a friend all about the wonderful-ness of the day.

Vist my art blog here... River's Edge Studio