Carlene Dingman Atwater has been a fixture in the countryside around the area in all seasons and all kinds of weather for almost 40 years now, setting up her easel outside in “plein air” to capture local imagery in watercolors, oils, pastels, or acrylics.
The FMAAA Art Center is pleased to host this long-time member and dedicated friend in the main gallery for the month of February for an exhibition of her recent works.
Everyone is invited to the opening reception to meet this remarkable artist 5-7 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 6, at the FMAAA Art Center located at 825 Avenue G in Fort Madison.
Later in the month there will be Lunch a la Art, a luncheon followed by a Gallery Talk by the artist to describe her work and her artistic processes at noon on Friday, Feb. 28. Reservations are required for lunch, the cost per person is $10, but you do not need to eat lunch to attend the gallery talk. Viewing of the exhibit is available Feb. 6-28, Tuesdays and Thursdays 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., or online at fortmadisonart.com after Feb. 6 on the Galleries tab. This exhibition is made possible through a generous sponsorship by Climax Molybdenum.
Carlene Dingman Atwater was raised on a farm outside of West Point. She drew pictures of animals and people from the time she was old enough to hold a pencil. Watercolor became her first medium of choice after she saw a Wendell Mohr watercolor. The richness of colors and the transparency of the medium really made an impression and inspired Carlene to pursue watercolor further, later evolving to include pastel, acrylic and oil painting.
She found her inspiration to pursue plein air painting from a happenstance occasion. With the encouragement of one of the FMAAA Art Center founders, Ruth Newberry, Carlene painted plein air during the FMAAA’s first garden tour back in the early 1990s, sparking her interest in painting landscapes and atmosphere. Plein air is a way to capture an object or landscape in situ, quickly composing a composition and then using authentic light for color choices and other artistic decisions. Carlene quickly became a fan of the process and became well known in the region for her plein air artwork. She continues to participate in plein air competitions in Wisconsin, Illinois, Missouri and Iowa, enjoying the camaraderie of the artists and the challenge of painting the changing light.
In 2011, Carlene started a blog to connect more closely with the daily painters’ movement. Her goal was to post a new, small, oil painting every day for a year. The blog ended up with over 200 (mostly 6 inch by 6 inch) paintings produced within the first year. Carlene discovered that the discipline of painting (mostly) every day improved technique and pushed herself to try new subjects.
Carlene previously exhibited at the FMAAA Art Center during March of 2016 with 52 Faces of Volunteerism which centered on the goal of painting oil portraits from life, once a week, for a year. Her process began in April of 2015 and involved a two-hour session each week starting from life where she would capture the subject in photos and then begin laying in the overall composition using quick brush strokes. Because of the volunteers’ busy lives, she finished the paintings using the reference photographs she had taken. The art exhibit was a tribute to local non-profits and the volunteers that keep them going.
Her dedication as an artist is fueled by her love of learning. Carlene states, “I believe that a passion for learning is critical. With every painting you discover something new about color, composition and design. The challenge to create the original and unexpected art fuels the imagination. I never tire of the creative process and am always excited to start working on a new project. This process of learning and always evolving as an artist is empowering.”
Carlene is still painting plein air and also accepts commission work. She can be found most Tuesday afternoons and all day on Saturdays at the FMAAA Art Center, when she isn’t travelling to regional plein air events.