I first began seriously painting outdoors when I lived on Oldfield Prairie in Micanopy, Florida in the early 1980s. This was followed by a couple of years in the Philippines. There I learned to ignore watching eyes as I painted while a small crowd of 10-20 people stood all around. They were probably more fascinated by the fact that I was alone, and American, but it put the pressure on nonetheless, and I was able to overcome the audience factor. But the best treat for me comes when I am alone and totally able to lose myself in the experience of focused/unfocused being in nature and being in paint.
I especially love plein air studies when it involves painting intimate spaces - in the woods where space is not manicured, painting nature as it disintegrates, sheds, as plants embrace and entangle. The chance to peer over the edge of a boat and see grasses as the light whips their blades into purples and oranges, the lily pads as they get pounded by the rains and turned by the sun encourages me to experiment with light and color in my painting. All of these forms are on the brink of renewal, their energy taking new shape. These are the places in nature that people have left alone, places that are self nourished and unattended. These are of most interest to me.
Galleries: Ice House Gallery, McIntosh FL / Melrose Bay Gallery, Melrose FL
Exhibits: Solo show at Great Outdoors Trading Co in High Springs FL / Group Exhibit at Melrose Bay Gallery, Melrose FL / "Florida on My Mind", SunTrust Bank, Gainesville FL / "Elements & Facades" at Marion County Cultural Alliance, Ocala FL / "Into the Blue", Paddiwhack Gallery, Gainesville FL / "Evinston to Cross Creek" Invitational, Thomas Center, Gainesville FL / "Artists in the Garden", EPCOT Center, Lake Buena Vista FL / "The Nature of Art in High Springs" Invitational Paintout & Exhibit, High Springs Gallery, High Springs FL / "Big Paint-Big Wood", Ice House Gallery, McIntosh FL / "Evinston Invitational" Paintout, Orange Lake to Evinston FL / "Gasparilla Art Festival", Tampa FL / "Spring in the Garden", Kanapaha Botanical Gardens, Gainesville FL / "Transformations", Turner Center for the Arts, Valdosta GA / "Transformation & Collaboration", Melrose Bay Gallery, Melrose FL
Associations: Plein Air Florida / Artists Alliance of North Florida / Group of Eight /
Hogtown Plein Air Painters / Landscape Artists International
Workshops: "Oil Painting Explorations in Plein Air", John C Campbell Folk School,Brasstown NC / "The Big Three", near Micanopy FL / "Plein Air Painting", Silver Springs State Park, Ocala FL / May 17-18 "5 Ways to Approach Painting", McIntosh FL
Contact: Kathie Wobie
Website: www.KathleenWobie.com
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