Join instructor Renee Pitts in this 3-session class at V.O. Dobbins! Students in grades 9-12 will learn and grow their confidence in plein air painting. Students will practice simple gesture drawing and painting to lay out their composition, learn about plein air painting, and get practice painting the world around them.

Lesson 1: Gesture drawing and painting, roughing out your layout

Lesson 2: Plein air demonstration, students paint along with the instructor

Lesson 3: Open work day with instructor guidance

Class Dates: September 8, 15, and 22, 4:30-6:30 pm

Location: V.O. Dobbins Picnic Pavilion

What is Plein Air Painting? This methodology which became popular in the mid-1800s literally means “outdoor painting.” Painting this way allows artists to capture colors and shadows that cannot be fully represented in photographs.

About this series: Mobile Art Studio classes are a grant funded initiative organized by the Kingsport Cultural Arts office, City of Kingsport. This program is funded under a grant contract with the State of Tennessee, Tennessee Arts Commission.

About Renee Pitts: “I am on a journey with my art. From childhood exploration to formal education and teaching art as a high school art teacher I have traveled through different philosophies, techniques and methods learning ways to express and to capture an essence of a moment or place. I’ve found that looking inward to what my heart holds significant always leads me to the inspiration and answers I need to create that essence of moment and place. In this process I’ve found that the dilemma becomes choices that must be made in applying the elements of art in such a way that they speak truth of my vision, my thoughts. It is in this process, this search for freedom of listening and expressing that joy is found, and I hope recognized, experienced snd celebrated in some way by the viewer.”