Artist Statement
"I love, love, love to be outside. Since I was little, growing up in Winter Park, FL, I have spent as much time as possible out of doors. I was the lanky girl with pigtails who, at the end of the day, would empty her pockets to reveal all the treaure she had found in the grass: smooth stones, deep blue downy feathers, sticks loaded with personality and beautifully colored leaves. I would study them with my touch and line them up, in a special order that made sense to my young eye, to marvel at their impeccable, natural design.
"I was a daydreamer, staring up to the tops of trees, watching the sunlight filtering through and dappling everything below. I am still that way, I love the one hundred thousand shades of color in the sky, and the way the breeze seamlessly sails across your face. I listen in to the singing of each bird in conversation with its family. Sometimes, I sit still and take notice of how many living creatures reside in my own back yard, all types of birds, insects, fish, butterflies, large orange dogs, even the occasional otter. I am astounded by how much beauty we are surrounded by each minute.
"That is why I feel such pleasure when plein air painting. It allows me to soak in nature, while at the same time stay engaged in the joy and challenge of making art. This 'forever game' of mixing color and attempting to capture something so lovely, layered and fleeting is exhilarating to me. I love how hard it is, how fun it is, how crazy-fast the weather can shift, and how much I enjoy the camaraderie of my fellow artists. I have spent the last twenty years making my living as a mixed media artist. I show my work in juried shows, galleries, and museums across the country. I feel fortunate that my artwork has been awarded as well as published in several books and magazines. In the past few years, I have turned my focus more and more towards painting outside. Plein air painting is an artistic path I plan to walk down for years to come, simply for the sheer, childlike joy of it." -Lynn Whipple