"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.
These 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 through the Adult Enrichment Program in
Jackson, 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. 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, I was assured a steady
stream of aspiring art clients. 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 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 $20 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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