"It is beauty I seek, not beautiful things." These
words of Plato, written over two thousand years
ago, should strike a chord in every aspiring artist.
words of Plato, written over two thousand years
ago, should strike a chord in every aspiring artist.
It is beauty I seek.......The God-given created world we live in
is undeniably saturated with beauty and we haven't far to search
for it; indeed we are literally surrounded on all sides and can
scarcely escape it: "Earth is crammed with Heaven and every bush
afire with God....." Christina Rossetti . Thanks to the microscope,
we know that even the tiniest snowflake is in fact an exquisite
lacework of beauty. We have only to observe closely. The
vocation of the artist is similar to the function of the microscope:
to present or magnify beauty that might otherwise go unnoticed.
In this way the painter also participates in the divine act of
creation-or re-creation. An ordinary onion, through the skilled
hands of the artist, becomes the irresistable pearlized focal point
in a still-life, which possesses the power to delight viewers for
generations. And so the artist lives to take in and give back the
beautiful to the world.
I am constantly inspired and impressed as I look over the
shoulders of my students, many of whom are newcomers to art, and
"scared rabbits". Never in my twenty-five year's experience of
teaching have I encountered any two souls who painted a simple
pear or lemon in the same fashion. Each person is seeing some
aspect of the thing in a new and individual way. This is why the
humblest of subjects can bring fresh new surprises daily. Those
who search for beauty will find it, and all such seekers are welcome
at The Brown Rabbit!
is undeniably saturated with beauty and we haven't far to search
for it; indeed we are literally surrounded on all sides and can
scarcely escape it: "Earth is crammed with Heaven and every bush
afire with God....." Christina Rossetti . Thanks to the microscope,
we know that even the tiniest snowflake is in fact an exquisite
lacework of beauty. We have only to observe closely. The
vocation of the artist is similar to the function of the microscope:
to present or magnify beauty that might otherwise go unnoticed.
In this way the painter also participates in the divine act of
creation-or re-creation. An ordinary onion, through the skilled
hands of the artist, becomes the irresistable pearlized focal point
in a still-life, which possesses the power to delight viewers for
generations. And so the artist lives to take in and give back the
beautiful to the world.
I am constantly inspired and impressed as I look over the
shoulders of my students, many of whom are newcomers to art, and
"scared rabbits". Never in my twenty-five year's experience of
teaching have I encountered any two souls who painted a simple
pear or lemon in the same fashion. Each person is seeing some
aspect of the thing in a new and individual way. This is why the
humblest of subjects can bring fresh new surprises daily. Those
who search for beauty will find it, and all such seekers are welcome
at The Brown Rabbit!
Susan Poitevin
BACKGROUND
I studied art at The University of Southern Mississippi , later changing
my degree major to history , but found myself always returning to artistic
pursuits. While in the Deep South, I taught painting and calligraphy
classes for twenty years at Millsaps College in Jackson, Mississippi , I
guided prisoners in art therapy painting at the Madison County jail
facility, and maintained The Paper Garden, a home-owned business, on the
grounds of our antebellum farmhouse in Camden. There, on the flower-filled
grounds, town weary souls could find creative refreshment in painting nature.
The Paper Garden was featured as a cover story in the Mississippi
Magazine, and thereafter, a steady stream of aspiring artists came to relax
and paint in Camden. My work was also featured in Victoria Magazine,
which provided a catalyst for a mail order watercolor bookmark business.
More recently, The Brown Rabbit in Paxico was featured in the spring '07
issue of The Kansas Magazine as a "Favorite Place" to visit in Kansas.
In addition to offering regularly scheduled classes in beginning
watercolor and oil painting for the public, I am also available for private small
group bookings. Sessions include a painting demonstration followed by
easy exercises in color mixing and painting by participants. Cost for group
bookings is $25 per person, minimum, four participants. See home page for
regular class schedule and prices.
Hope to see you soon at The Rabbit !
Susan
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