Continental Divide Land Trust

Kim Barrick www.kimbarrick.com
Sandi Bruns www.womenofwatercolor.com
Adele Earnshaw www.adeleearnshaw.com
Barrett Edwards www.barrettedwards.com
Amy Evans www.amyevansart.com
Joe Garcia www.joegarcia.com
Joanne Hanson www.joannehansonart.com
Connie Johnson www.breckenridge-gallery.com
Mark Johnson www.markjohnsonart.com
Kate Kiesler www.breckenridge-gallery.com
Marty Rohde www.breckenridge-gallery.com
Virginia Vaughan www.v-vaughan.com
Ann Weaver www.anntweaver.com
Deborah McAllister www.deborahmcallister.com
Ginger Whellock www.gingerwhellock.com

Featured Artists

Kim Barrick: "I often wonder about the great peace and calm that fills me when I travel and the view before me is open and without intrusive development. If I am on a road it is often a cure for frustration and busy-ness. If I am on a hiking trail, it is the magic of a quiet mind. The forest absorbs distress. The unceasing dialogue filled with mundane details of life evaporates. It is no wonder that each time a favorite ranch, pristine stream or bluff is altered to suit the desires of one or a few, I am saddened. Unfortunately, only when the place is gone does irritation and the pain of loss surface. Artists, who work outside, have a vested interest to keep these vanishing landscapes noted and preserved. We have an intriguing power to influence others with our keen eye for beauty. When an artist stops to paint, others stop to look and attempt to see what the artist deemed worthy of attention. We can create value by celebrating even the most modest spots. Picasso said, "Art is not an aesthetic operation, but a form of Magic." I hope we can magically create some attention that will result in the further protection of the valley of The Blue River."

Sandi Bruns: was born in 1942 in Elmhurst, Illinois. She holds a BA in Design and Fashion and Textiles from University of Iowa and did graduate work at University of Iowa, University of Wisconsin and University of Hawaii earning a BFA equivalent and an MFA in Printmaking from University of Hawaii. Her prints have won her awards in state art exhibitions and one was selected for the Smithsonian Institute Young Printmakers show where it won a purchase award. Summit County Women of Watercolor (W.O.W!) led her to her recent exploration of plein air painting. She is a Summit County Arts Council "Arts Alive!" Gallery artist, shows at the Breckenridge Theater Gallery for the Breckenridge Arts Council, and was honored as "Woman of the Year in Arts and Humanities" in Omaha in 2008. "I believe that artists learn through looking and teach by creating; when things are going well, they "channel" the energy of the Universe into their creative flow, with their resulting interpretations helping others (and themselves) to see the world in new and exciting ways. I want my watercolors to spontaneously reflect what I feel about our glorious Colorado environment and to inspire others to treasure it as I do. My goal is to discover something new each time I paint. My finished picture should energize the soul as well as entertain the eye."

Adele Earnshaw: A sixth generation New Zealander, Adele Earnshaw immigrated with her family to the U.S. Her childhood in New Zealand has had a major influence on her work and choice of subject matter today. She is a member of the Society of Animal Artists and her artwork has been exhibited worldwide. Adele was selected by her native New Zealand to design the first three stamps for the Game Bird Habitat Stamp Programme, based on the U.S. Federal Duck Stamp Program. In recent years, Adele has also been painting landscapes plein air, in both oil and watercolor. Adele’s paintings hang in galleries across the U.S and the Art et Vie Sauvage Gallery in Paris. Her watercolor, "The Roost," is in the permanent collection of the Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum. Adele’s book, "Painting The Things You Love" in watercolor, a North Light publication, was released in July of 2002. She has been featured on the PBS series The Artist’s Workshop. Adele was selected as one of five judges for the prestigious 2003 Federal Duck Stamp Contest held by the Department of Interior’s Fish & Wildlife Service.

Barrett Edwards: Born in Chicago, Barrett is a third generation artist whose award-winning work first drew attention in France. She has exhibited at Galerie Jean Lammelin (Paris), Atelier Melusine (Switzerland), and her work has been published in a German calendar. She is represented by Columbine Gallery (Frisco, CO) and other nationwide galleries. Barrett began sharing her passion for painting with her own students in 1993, and now teaches popular oil painting workshops in Provence, Tuscany, the Bahamas, and in Acadia National Park, along the beautiful coast of Maine. Whether painting her favorite landscapes of France, Italy or closer to home in Naples or Colorado, Barrett relies upon three guiding elements: color, light, and emotion. Of those three, she considers emotion the most important because she believes art should create a connection that transcends the visual. Barrett is the founder of the Woman's Art Group, and is a member of Oil Painters of America, Plein Air Artists of Colorado, the Portrait Society of America, the United Arts Council, and various other arts organizations. The natural beauty one finds in Colorado is a national treasure. "I paint here because it pulls at me so strongly, but also because I want to help safeguard and promote these areas where nature and beauty intersect so perfectly. When I'm painting these spectacular vistas, I'm simply transported by what I see and feel. I can only hope that those who view my paintings are moved to do their part in protecting these very special places."

Beth Erlund: Born in the hill country of Texas, Beth Erlund graduated with a B.A. in Zoology from Louisiana State University. For two and a half years, in Japan, she explored many of the oriental art forms and fell in love with the art of batik. In this medium, she finds the challenges of design and color to be never ending. Her love of nature has influenced her choice of subject matter, and she enjoys researching her subjects in their natural environments.

Amy Evans: Amy Evans is an oil painter who creates colorful and expressive paintings. She began painting the landscape and found that plein air painting was her passion. Now residing in Breckenridge, Colorado, she continues to paint outdoors as much as possible. Amy’s paintings have been in group as well as solo exhibitions and galleries nationwide. Her paintings are in private and corporate collections throughout the United States. She is a signature member of Plein Air Artists of Colorado, a juried associate member of Women Artists of the West, a member of the American Impressionist Society, and a juried associate member of the Oil Painters of America. She is also the Western Regional Editor of Fine Art Connoisseur Magazine, formerly Plein Air Magazine.

Joe Garcia: Native Californian Joe Garcia lives and works near Julian, California, where the forest of oaks and pines shelter an abundance of birds, deer and other wildlife. It is a perfect setting for an artist who specializes in painting those subjects. Joe earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree with an advertising/illustration emphasis from the Art Center College of Design in Los Angeles in 1970. In addition to his watercolors of wildlife he enjoys painting oils on location and in the studio. Joe’s original paintings and prints may be found in galleries and private collections throughout the United States and Canada. "I always feel fortunate to be an artist. I try to translate what I see into a piece of art that will bring an emotional response to the viewer. I want people to respond to color, composition and technique. The painting does not have to be perfect, but catch the essence of the subject to be successful. Sharing what I do is one of the reasons I paint. I am always complimented when one of my paintings finds a home. It's the icing on the cake when the painting benefits a worthy cause."

Joanne Hanson: Even though she was from an artistic family, except for high school art classes, Joanne Hanson did not paint. Her sister, Adele Earnshaw, an artist for 30 years, finally convinced her to come and be her helper at a workshop she was teaching in Tuscon. As it was April, which can be muddy and cold in Colorado, and as it was warm in Arizona, Joanne consented. Adele didn't get much help in that class, because as soon as Joanne picked up the paintbrush, she was hooked. Since then, she has taken classes at the Art Student's League of Denver. She has studied in Taos, and of course, is learning constantly from her first and best mentor, Adele. When not painting, Joanne is a Realtor in Summit County. The rapid pace of development led her to become active in the preservation of land. "With the help of the Land Trust, we will still have something left of what we all came to Summit County to enjoy."

Connie Johnson: a resident of Breckenridge since 1984. "We all find a unique and successful avenue for communication; mine is painting. Watercolor has been my medium of choice for the past 16 years. I continue to learn about the use, control and non-control of this medium. Expanding on expression through contrast, color and shape continues to refine my technique and statement. I am drawn to the effect of light on objects and scapes: how it bounces off leaves or a garden field, strikes linns across a blank wall creating drama or produces a beautiful pattern of shapes on a snow field. I am thrilled to be a part of the Parade of No Homes for several reasons; open space offers me inspiration, often is my subject matter, and peace amongst the busyness of life."

Mark Johnson: was born in Atlanta, Georgia in 1971. He attended the University of Georgia in Athens and received a B.F.A. in drawing and painting in 1995, before moving to Colorado. He works primarily in oil and acrylic and has recently begun to paint plein air landscapes using soft pastel. His work is available for purchase at both the Blue River Bistro and Arts Alive Gallery in Breckenridge, as well as Vita, located in Denver, Colorado.

Kate Kiesler: graduated from the Rhode Island School of Design with a degree in Illustration and has subsequently illustrated over twenty books for children before pursuing painting full time. Inspired largely by the landscape, Kate spends most days painting in the mountainous environment of central Colorado. She has studied with many artists including Barry Moser, Michael Dudash, and Michael Vigil. She is a faculty member at Colorado Mountain College in their Fine Art department. Kate currently exhibits her work at Breckenridge Gallery. "I wanted to participate in this event because I paint the surroundings of the Lower Blue on a weekly basis. It is the one place that I am most familiar with here in Summit County and it is pretty dear to my heart. Open spaces are critical for me as a landscape painter--untainted vistas far from the hustle and bustle of crowded roadways and suburban planning speak to me, and it is important that we protect these areas from overbuilding. The land here is what keeps us human."

Deborah McAllister: "I see the beauty around me and strive to paint it. I interpret the landscape in colors that go beyond nature and work in a loose, impressionistic style of realism. I enjoy painting on location and also take photos and make sketches for reference when painting in my studio. I am inspired by the Colorado mountains and have been concentrating my efforts lately on paintings of things I see while hiking, and snowshoeing. I was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and attended high school in Arizona. After graduating from the Colorado Institute of Art, I worked in the advertising industry before devoting myself to painting and raising a family. I have studied with instructors, Zoltan Szabo and Tony Couch and others. I live in Denver with my husband and two dogs. I would like to support the land trust because I have seen too many beautiful places developed and spoiled. People miss the chance to see them as they once were and wildlife habitat is destroyed. The only way to avoid this is by someone having the foresight to save these places."

Marty Rohdes: Marty (Martha) Rohde was a high school art teacher on the Oregon coast before moving to Breckenridge in 1970. There she was drawn to the rivers, mountains, wildflower meadows, diagonal lines, and distant vistas of the Colorado high country. She exhibits her work at Breckenridge Gallery and has had her paintings selected for three Breckenridge Music Festival posters. "Landscape painting is all about open space. The arts can play an important role in focusing attention on open space preservation just as artists in the 1800's acquainted millions of Americans with the great natural beauty of their vast adopted country."

Virginia Vaughan: lives with her husband and three children on the family ranch in Manor, Texas. The youngest of seven children, she began drawing very early, balancing her creativity with a great love of sports and the outdoors and attended Texas Women's University on scholarships for tennis and art. At age 19 she began her professional career, working for the next five years as art director or creative director at several Austin agencies. Since 1989 Virginia has been the art instructor at Round Rock Christian Academy where her students have won numerous awards. She hosts FUN art workshops all over the country and is featured in five nation-wide galleries. Virginia remains a very busy artist, developing new T-shirt lines, teaching, and devoting time to her three active (and creative!) children. She paints primarily in oils, and mostly "en plein air" on location. "I like the idea of having places that are set aside for land conservation, especially when they are beautiful places NEAR where we live, so that we can see them as we drive by, and appreciate the space...I used to enjoy people who would take their evening walk by our farm. They would stop and gaze across the pasture, and I know it filled their hearts and stirred their souls... "

Ann Weaver: Since relocating to Colorado fifteen years ago, fine art, particularly watercolor, has been her occupation. Intrigued by the beauty of mountain landscape, Ann developed a style that was effective in depicting architectural details of mining towns, dramatic ridge lines, and meadows of wildflowers. Hours in the backcountry gave her an intimate knowledge of the mountain scenery to draw from in her painting. Running her own gallery, The Snow Goose, for four years, she became well established as a Colorado landscape artist. Presently Ann is represented by four galleries. Her original paintings and prints are owned by collectors in North America and Europe. "I am participating in this event because the open space in Summit County is disappearing at an alarming rate. How to preserve what remains needs to be a consideration for every landowner and municipality."

Ginger Whellock - visit www.gingerwhellock.com for more information.