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 EVENTS and SHOWS - 2008

Painting in England, May-June 2008

Workshop with Camille Przewodek, Easton, MD, July 2008

Idyllwild, CA, 7th annual Plein Air Art Festival and Paint-Out Sponsored by the Idyllwild Art Alliance, September 6-7, 2008

Workshop with Ann Templeton, Ghost Ranch, New Mexico, October 2008

Painting with High Desert Painters in Taos, NM, fall 2008

HIGH DESERT PAINTERS GROUP SHOW, November 1 - December 31, 2008

 

 

 

 

 

 

www.highdesertpainters.com

L to R (rear) Judy Howells (CA), Nita Harper(CA), Coni Grant(CO)

L to R (seated) Ann Templeton (TX), Janis Loverin (NM), Jana VanWyk (NC)

not pictured: Nelson Hubley, Nova Scotia

 

Wild Heart Gallerie 2008 Juried Show, "Labor, the Land, and the Love of Country" opening November 15 in Carmel Valley, CA

 

 RECENT AWARDS

The painting "Rice Pickers" has been accepted into the

2008 Juried Exhibition, Wild Heart Gallerie, Carmel Valley, CA 

 

The Painting "Four Corners" Won

           Judge's "Honorable Mention"   and 

           Second Place "People's Choice Award"

           at the 2008 Idyllwild Plein Air Festival

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Artist Statement

For me, any subject can be a painting, no matter how simple. Light and color hold the interest for me, far more than the subject itself. Each painting is a new challenge to portray the essence of the emotion that motivated me to put paint on canvas. Painting en plein air adds the additional challenge of rapidly changing light, forcing me to paint quickly, focus on contrasting shapes, spaces, and light patterns and to not get stuck in unnecessary detail. Less really is more!

Biography

Nita grew up on the North Shore of Chicago. Her grandfather was a professional artist who inspired her by illustrating stories as he told them to her.  She went through countless boxes of crayons and watercolor paint sets in her childhood. At age 13, she received her first set of oil paints, and loved the smooth texture and ease with which the  paint could be manipulated. In high school she took as many studio art classes as were allowed in the four years. At both Stephens College and the University of Arizona, she majored in studio art, focusing primarily on painting in oils.

After marrying, Nita and her husband Mike raised four children while moving across the country from Chicago, to Miami, to Houston, and finally to Los Angeles. With young children and various part-time careers,  it was difficult to maintain a studio. She completed only a few oil paintings a year. She began to experiment with acrylics for the easy clean-up and quick drying. She also enjoyed needlepoint and began painting her own needlepoint canvases. As the children grew older, she went back to oils and began doing small commissioned house portraits. In 2003 the Harpers moved from Houston to Los Angeles. The outdoor lifestyle, so different from living cooped up in air conditioning for fifteen years in Texas, eventually compelled Nita to try painting en plein air. The light outdoors has given her new passion for painting. If you ask her, she will tell you there simply are not enough daylight hours to fulfill her desire for painting!

Art Education

Stephens College, Columbia MO

University of Arizona

Glassell School of Art, Museum of Fine Arts, Houston (MFAH)

 MFAH (Docent)

LACMA (Los Angeles County Museum of Art Docent Training)

Plein Air Instruction:

Camille Przewodek 2008

        http://www.przewodek.com/

Ann Templeton 2008, 2007, 2006

         http://www.anntempleton.com/

Sunny Apinchapong-Yang 2007 

        http://www.apinchapong-yang.com/

Judith Howells, 2007, 2006

         http://www.judyhowells.com/

Memberships

Oil Painters of America www.oilpaintersofamerica.com

High Desert Painters www.highdesertpainters.com

California Art Club http://www.californiaartclub.org/ 

Galleries

Nita Harper Studio and Gallery, Pacific Palisades, CA

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