Blowing Rock Artist in Residence; Earl Davis
Earl Davis standing at the view of Mt. Washburn.
Earl Davis is a minister, and during his years of Christian ministry he has found time while fulfilling his calling as a physician of souls to enjoy lamp working (glassblowing), learning to pilot aircraft, write books (Raccoon Theology and other books at Amazon), and for the last couple of decades, he has delighted in serious oil painting.
Such a background shows that challenges have always appealed to Earl. Some of the most colorful of these challenges are related in his book Raccoon Theology. While on an outing with church members years ago he watched a glassblower at work, and when told the art was too difficult for a novice, he promptly accepted the challenge. He soon found that books on glassblowing--or lamp work--are illustrated for right-handed folks! A decade or so passed, and Earl realized glasswork was always in danger from housekeeping (have you ever tried to dust glass works?) And that is when he began to study art history and try his hand at oil painting. From a child he has enjoyed sketching and drawing.
Earl has developed an appealing "realistic impressionism" style of painting that explores the effect of light on scenes in nature. He and his wife, Pegeen, live in Blowing Rock, NC, and hike the beautiful trails of the Blue Ridge Parkway and other national parks as Earl seeks to capture on canvas the glories of God’s creation. All of us have had experiences in nature that leave us silent before a great sense of peace, perhaps of longing; a promise that there is much more in and beyond what we are experiencing.
Earl’s paintings are mostly landscapes. His paintings often seek the playfulness of sunlight as he features scenes from hiking in national parks, roaming the trails of the Blue Ridge in North Carolina, and fishing the magic streams of the High Country. Among his paintings are iconic scenes of the Blue Ridge Parkway. His art web site earldavisfineart.com displays his work.
Educated in liberal arts at Stetson University and theology in two seminaries, he holds a Ph.D. in theology, and has taught at colleges and seminaries. He is a self-taught painter, and among his mentors are Richard Schmid, Morgan Weistling, Mark Boedges, Bill Inman and other artists.
Learn more about Earl Davis and view his website Here.
Such a background shows that challenges have always appealed to Earl. Some of the most colorful of these challenges are related in his book Raccoon Theology. While on an outing with church members years ago he watched a glassblower at work, and when told the art was too difficult for a novice, he promptly accepted the challenge. He soon found that books on glassblowing--or lamp work--are illustrated for right-handed folks! A decade or so passed, and Earl realized glasswork was always in danger from housekeeping (have you ever tried to dust glass works?) And that is when he began to study art history and try his hand at oil painting. From a child he has enjoyed sketching and drawing.
Earl has developed an appealing "realistic impressionism" style of painting that explores the effect of light on scenes in nature. He and his wife, Pegeen, live in Blowing Rock, NC, and hike the beautiful trails of the Blue Ridge Parkway and other national parks as Earl seeks to capture on canvas the glories of God’s creation. All of us have had experiences in nature that leave us silent before a great sense of peace, perhaps of longing; a promise that there is much more in and beyond what we are experiencing.
Earl’s paintings are mostly landscapes. His paintings often seek the playfulness of sunlight as he features scenes from hiking in national parks, roaming the trails of the Blue Ridge in North Carolina, and fishing the magic streams of the High Country. Among his paintings are iconic scenes of the Blue Ridge Parkway. His art web site earldavisfineart.com displays his work.
Educated in liberal arts at Stetson University and theology in two seminaries, he holds a Ph.D. in theology, and has taught at colleges and seminaries. He is a self-taught painter, and among his mentors are Richard Schmid, Morgan Weistling, Mark Boedges, Bill Inman and other artists.
Learn more about Earl Davis and view his website Here.
Palette Knife Artist: Karin Neuvirth
Visual artist, Karin Neuvirth is best known for her textural acrylic paintings of wooded landscapes which she refers to as treescapes. Her current style of painting involves many layers of paint which she applies with a palette knife utilizing the technique of using broken color to create a sense of movement within her work. Color is the most prominent element in her work. In order to form a more thorough understanding of color, she chooses to mix all of the colors that she uses from only the primary colors and white.
Karin grew up on a farm in southern Minnesota where the winters were always difficult for her. The cold grey days took a toll on her mood, but as she developed her style of painting, she found that the vibrant colors helped her to combat the melancholy that the weather caused her. Color has always been the focus of Karin’s work, but when she moved to Durham, North Carolina in 2011, she began to work with a palette knife and developed her current style of textural acrylic paintings.
Artist Statement:
"Sometimes it may feel as though we have to travel to some exotic location in order to truly see the beauty in the world, but when I take the time to look around and notice my surroundings, I often find the most beautiful scenes are in the most common of places. There is so much that we miss as we scurry through our too full lives, and I can be as guilty as the next person, but I feel that if we make an honest effort to pay attention, our lives can be greatly altered for the better.
Color has always possessed the ability to drastically affect my emotional state, and it is by far the most dominant element in my compositions. Growing up on a farm in Minnesota, and spending a good chunk of my life in that cold, grey climate caused me to find solace in creating an oasis of bright colors inside of my home to help block on the dismal silence of winter. Because as a painter, I am only limited to appealing to only the sense of sight, I use color in my compositions in an attempt to synthesize emotions that you might experience from your other senses. As I grow as an artist, one of my primary goals has been to develop a continuously growing relationship and understanding of color.
I work primarily with a palette knife to create textural, impressionist paintings. Painting with the knife allows me to create unique and random shapes of color that seem spontaneous, yet are strategically placed to create a cohesive composition.
Learn more about Karin Neuvirth and view her website here.
Karin grew up on a farm in southern Minnesota where the winters were always difficult for her. The cold grey days took a toll on her mood, but as she developed her style of painting, she found that the vibrant colors helped her to combat the melancholy that the weather caused her. Color has always been the focus of Karin’s work, but when she moved to Durham, North Carolina in 2011, she began to work with a palette knife and developed her current style of textural acrylic paintings.
Artist Statement:
"Sometimes it may feel as though we have to travel to some exotic location in order to truly see the beauty in the world, but when I take the time to look around and notice my surroundings, I often find the most beautiful scenes are in the most common of places. There is so much that we miss as we scurry through our too full lives, and I can be as guilty as the next person, but I feel that if we make an honest effort to pay attention, our lives can be greatly altered for the better.
Color has always possessed the ability to drastically affect my emotional state, and it is by far the most dominant element in my compositions. Growing up on a farm in Minnesota, and spending a good chunk of my life in that cold, grey climate caused me to find solace in creating an oasis of bright colors inside of my home to help block on the dismal silence of winter. Because as a painter, I am only limited to appealing to only the sense of sight, I use color in my compositions in an attempt to synthesize emotions that you might experience from your other senses. As I grow as an artist, one of my primary goals has been to develop a continuously growing relationship and understanding of color.
I work primarily with a palette knife to create textural, impressionist paintings. Painting with the knife allows me to create unique and random shapes of color that seem spontaneous, yet are strategically placed to create a cohesive composition.
Learn more about Karin Neuvirth and view her website here.