KATIE DOBSON CUNDIFF

Recognized for her bold and confident brushwork, Katie Dobson Cundiff is one of Florida's best-known impressionist painters. Born in Chicago in 1950 to artist parents, Katie began painting at an early age and was awared a National Scholastic Scholarship in 1986 to attend Ringling College of Art and Design. Upon graduation, she and her husband founded a decorative accessory business and later expanded to include a chain of retail art galleries featuring their exclusive work. A later venture was a business centered around wildlife art apparel printing with clients including Ducks Unlimmited, the Wildlife Federation of Florida, and the Gulf Coast Conservation Association. Through the sale of Katie's designs, hundreds of thousands of dollars were contributed to these organizations.

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In 2000 Katie began to focus exclusively on her oil painting, with an emphasis on plein air, or outdoor, landscape work. She entered her first plein air competition in 2004 and, in 2009, returned to painting and teaching full time. In addition to her own workshops, Katie is an adjunct professor at Ringling College of Art and Design.

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Katie is a member of, and has exhibited with, many respected regional and national art organizations. These include the Oil Painters of America, the American Impressionist Society, American Women Painters of the Southeast, Cumberland Society of Painters, and Plein Air Painters of the Southeast. She has won numerous awards for her work and is represented in both public and private collections.

 

https://dobsonart.com/

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JOSEPH MELANCON

Joseph is a versatile artist whose range of work includes painting ( acrylic, oil and watercolor), collage and sculpture.  "My love of painting and drawing started in elementary school. It eventually led me to a degree in Fine Arts at Louisiana State University in 1962 and through a 38 year career in designing exhibits, sets, props and special effects. Those years were a joy because of the variety of my creative experiences. My passion for painting and teaching grew stronger with continued thoughts of graduate school." After a long, creative, career Melançon’s education continued with a M.F.A. in painting and drawing from Texas Woman’s University in 2000 where he was awarded membership in the National Honor society of Phi Kappa Phi for academic excellence and now has a painting scholarship in his name at the university, The Joseph Melançon Excellence in the Visual Arts Scholarship.  Major influences include Homer, the Wyeths, deKooning, Sargent, Deibenkorn, Thiebaud, Van Gogh, Matisse and Rauschenberg.

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He’s included in Who’s Who Among Students in American Universities and Colleges, Who’s Who in the World, and the 1998 edition of the Guinness Book of World Records.  He is a Signature Member of the National Watercolor Society,  Southwest Watercolor Society, Western Federation of Watercolor Societies, Florida WC Society, Oil Painters of America and Acrylic painters of America.

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He has taught painting, drawing and design at Texas Woman’s University in Denton, TX, Eastfield College in Dallas, TX, State College of Florida in Bradenton, Renaissance School of Art, and Art Center Sarasota. He is represented in Sarasota by the State of the Arts Gallery.  "I’ve sometimes described my painting process as pulling order out of chaos and having fun doing it. Discussions and demos will touch on some design principles, color and other topics including using your imagination to add or leave out parts to make a better painting. "

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https://josephmelancon.com

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JOSEPH PALMERIO

Joe Palmerio graduated from the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, Philadelphia, PA in 1979, and the Barnes Foundation, Lower Merion, PA.  He 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 years 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 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.

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He is in numerous private collections, throughout the country and is represented by Arts on Douglas in New Smyrna, FL; The Waterfront Gallery, Apalachicola, FL; and Cortille Gallery, Provincetown, MA.  He has been the Artist in Residence for the Great Sand Dunes National Park, in Colorado, and the Everglades National Park in Florida.   He has produced a DVD on plein air painting from start to finish covering all the basics of painting the landscape in plein air.  Joe has painted commissioned murals for various corporate entities including Acme Markets, the City of Philadelphia, the Orlando Airport and the Duval House B&B in Key West.

 

Joe has participated in many juried and invitational paint-outs throughout the country and has won numerous awards including the People's Choice Award in the quick draw competition in 2014 in Bennington VT; the People’s Choice Award in the Frederick Festival of Arts quick draw competition in 2013, first place in Tarpon Springs Quick Draw competition in 2014.  He also won the quick draw competitions in the Sarasota Paint Out in 2015 and 2016.  Joe has exhibited nationally in the Oil Painters of America Shows and the National Oil and Acrylic Painter Best in America show in Bolivar, MO.  
 

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.”  Joe is renowned in our area for his teaching style and insightful critiques. 

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www.palmerioart.com

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HEATHER ARENAS

Heather's paintings have dramatic lighting and mood drawing the viewer in from across the room. At closer inspection the play of paint and brushwork come to life, revealing Arenas' passion for even the smallest surprises." - a happy collector

Heather, like most artists, began her love of art very early in life. Her grandmothers and her parents were influential and endlessly provided her with books, crafts, supplies and encouragement. She, of course was advised to follow a different path as she began her post high school education. Her ever present interest of the human form led her to briefly attend med school. Her studies of anatomy, art history and ceramics were a clue that art was her calling and should be followed through. Heather’s path has taken time with many twists and turns only to bring to light that oil painting excited her as much as the figure, and so she began her career as a professional oil painter.

If you are one of those people lucky enough to see Heather paint you will witness her joy and enthusiasm,  singing and dancing with her brushes in hand. Her music choices run the gamut from hard rock to classical. “I listen to music and the music helps my brush seamingly move without assistance. Depending on the tune I can feel the beat ignite fire into my paintings.” Heather enjoys painting any subject but her first love is the figure. “The perfection of the human body, the curves, the movement, how a being sees and looks back at me, how it walks across a room, it’s all perfect. Figures are a vehicle for me to show my appreciation of the grace and mechanics of lifes’ ultimate creation.”

As a professional oil painter Heather has honed her technical skills with some classes, even more self-education and a lot of practice. Like all artists on their own personal journey, her focus has changed over the course of the years. At this point, light, mood and brushwork are the subjects that move her to put paint to canvas. “It doesn’t matter what the subject is, I am attracted to the way the light dances along the object, and in my eyes it sparkles and I get taken in.” Equally, she is excited to convey the mood of the scene before her. “Light and mood, they go hand in hand.” She stresses that she only paints what she sees beauty in and reinforces it by repeating words like sunshine, warmth, joy and sending positive vibes into her work. Drawing on her art education, she confidently dips into the mystery of painting, and the paint moves her into unexpected places. Her zeal guides her and she often finds that her brushwork leaves her surprises and instead of wiping it off she follows it through. “At this juncture of the painting it is about the paint, the big strokes, the broken color and the abstract spaces that appear. That combination allows me to let happy accidents happen and in turn play with the canvas in front of me.” Heathers unique and enthusiastic impressionist style gives the heart of the viewer a chance to use his imagination and participate in the telling of the story.

Heather has had many collectors say wonderful things about her work but one of her favorite quotes was from a gentleman who said “When I look at your work it almost makes me want to cry.” Arenas says “To touch someone at that level is the ultimate complement for me as an artist”. Heathers success lies within her insatiable desire to learn, her friendly outgoing personality and her giddiness for trying new things. “For me, painting is a never ending marvelous journey. There is no end to the avenues I can explore.

Recent Awards

Gateway Intl, 2017-2018 Grand Finale, "Red In The Sun"  3rd Place

Women Artists of the West, Spring Online 2018 for “Modern Day Venus”  Honorable Mention

Gateway Intl Painting Contest, December 2017 for “Passion”  Finalist

Gateway Intl Painting Contest, November 2017 for “Red in the Sun”  Finalist

Sedona Art Prize, August 2017 for "It Takes All Kinds"  Finalist

Sedona Art Prize, June 2017 for "Red in the Sun"   Finalist

Bold Brush, May 2017 For "Oscar and Sharon's Big Day Out"  Best of Show

Sedona Art Prize, May 2017 for "Colorful Subject"   Finalist

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https://heatherarenas.com