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Chastain Arts Center Instructor Bios

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Alan Bremer - Jewelry & Metalsmithing
Alan Bremer gained his knowledge of machinery, hand tools, and metal in his father's medical orthopedic/prosthetic business as a child. Mr. Bremer worked in New York City in photography and video production until 1993. He now sells his jewelry and metal- work through galleries and art festivals throughout the region.
 

Philip Carpenter - Oil Painting
Philip Carpenter was educated in Alabama (BFA Auburn University; MFA University of Alabama) and  has worked and exhibited in Atlanta since 1978 while teaching painting at Chastain Arts Center. He received a Southern Arts Federation/National Endowment for the Arts grant in1989 and was a Hambidge Fellow in 2001. Notable exhibitions include: The 1994 Atlanta Biennial at Nexus Contemporary Art Center; “Revival of the Figure” at City Gallery East in 1995; “Personal Circumstances” at Spruill Gallery in 2000; “Transitions” at MOCA GA in 2002; “Work and Play” at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport in 2005; “Primary Color” at Marcia Wood Gallery in 2005; “Manipulating the Commonplace” at Swan Coach House Gallery in 2007; 17th Color Pencil Society of America Exhibition at the Jacquelyn Hudgens Center in 2009; “Play” at Spruill in 2009. His work was exhibited recently in “The Painted Photograph” at Southwest Arts Center. He was also included in the 2004 edition of “New American Paintings”. His work is in private and public collections including MOCA GA, The Lagrange Museum, The Lamar Dodd Art Center at Lagrange College and Hartsfield Jackson International Airport. He is represented in Atlanta by Marcia Wood Gallery.

Maureen Engle- Palette Knife Painting
Maureen Engle is known for her loose, contemporary style whether painting in oil, acrylic or watercolor. Her specialties are palette knife painting and watercolor portraiture. A graduate of the University of Virginia and native New Englander, Ms. Engle went to school in France for a year and studied in Cezanne's beloved Aix en Provence. She teaches painting at several local art centers, conducts workshops and offers private lessons. Her classes incorporate loosen up exercises and friendly critique. Please click on her photo gallery to see examples of her varied subject matter including images of New England, portraits, nature, and abstract art. Maureen's work can be found at dk gallery in Marietta and The Art House gallery in Buckhead.  Please visit her website at www.maureenengle-art.com.

Kathy Rennell Forbes - Watercolor Painting
Kathy Rennell Forbes earned her BFA in Art and Art Education at the University of Georgia. She is a Signature Member of the Georgia Watercolor Society and past President. The artist has exhibited in many solo art shows and has won awards in local, regional and national shows. She teaches art classes in the Atlanta area and workshops across the country. Her paintings are in private and corporate collections throughout the United States, Australia and Europe, to include the French Olympic Committee in Paris.
Rennell Forbes lives in Midtown Atlanta and works out of her Westside Arts District studio. The artist is making her mark along Atlanta’s famous Peachtree Street, as Kathy’s distinctive artwork is on display at Southern Art restaurant in Buckhead, Piola restaurant in Midtown and the Basilica of the Sacred Heart in downtown.
Learn more about her creations at www.artbykrf.com.

Marise Fransolino - Pottery
Marise has taught ceramics classes for adults as well as youth. She received a Master's degree in Industrial Design prior to becoming a ceramics instructor and award-winning ceramics artist. As an instructor, Marise hopes to inspire others to love ceramics as much as she does.

Kathy Garrou - Printmaking
Kathy teaches printmaking at CAC, bringing with her 25 years of graphic design and art direction experience. She received both communication arts and printmaking degrees from North Carolina's East Carolina University in 1984. Kathy has been very active in the Atlanta printmaking community for the past 7 years.

Debra Lynn Gold - Jewelry & Metalsmithing
Debra Lynn Gold joined the Chastain faculty in 1986. She holds an MFA in jewelry design and silversmithing from Indiana University. She’s been a Professor of Art at Illinois State University and East Tennessee State University. Debra’s work has been shown as far away as Russia and Australia.  Closer to home, it has been seen at the Renwick Gallery of the Smithsonian Institute, the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art and the Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago.  Debra has received the prestigious Niche Award for excellence in design, and twice received the Hoover and Strong Award for Design in Precious Metal.  Other honors include an Illinois Arts Council Grant to Individual Artists and inclusion in the permanent collections of The State of Georgia and the Atlanta Office of Cultural Affairs.  Debra was elected to Distinguished membership in the Society of North American Goldsmiths.  She curates and produces the Atlanta Contemporary Jewelry Show every fall.

Dolores Kennedy - Drawing, Painting
Dolores Kennedy, a native Atlantan, has taught at Chastain for more than twenty years. She has also taught at the Atlanta College of Art, Abernathy Art Center, and Spruill Center for the Arts. She earned her BFA from the former High Museum School of Art. She has received several regional and national painting awards, including the 1997 "Georgia Women of the Year in Arts" honor.

Marie Matthews - Drawing, Painting
Marie Matthews has a passion for painting and drawing the human figure. From urban street scenes to single figures, Marie captures moments in time, often from an unusual perspective.  She applies solid draftsmanship and design fundamentals to expand her expressive possibilities. Marie's work has met with critical acclaim from jurors with a wide range of styles, from the contemporary and abstract to the traditional and realist. Since she began exhibiting her work in 2005, Marie has rapidly emerged as one of the premier watercolorists in Georgia.  She is a Signature Member of the Southern Watercolor Society and the Georgia Watercolor Society, and she has won awards, including the Gold Medal from the Southern Watercolor Society, in the majority of juried shows she has entered. Her work is featured in numerous collections, including the McKenna Museum of African American Art in New Orleans. View Marie's website at mmatthews.com.

Randall Moody - Pottery
Mr. Moody received his BFA in ceramics from Southern Illinois University. He is skilled in ceramics, sculpture, and glass techniques.

Catherine Moore - Youth Art
Catherine Moore is a freelance illustrator originally from Wisconsin who now lives in Atlanta, Georgia. Catherine holds an MFA in Illustration from the Savannah College of Art and Design and works primarily in watercolor and graphite. She currently accepts illustration and design assignments on a freelance basis as well as portrait commissions. Catherine has interned for Wild Apple Graphics in Woodstock, Vermont and has taught and written curriculum through the Savannah College of Art and Design Continuing Education program, the University of North Carolina - Greensboro’s Division of Continual Learning, the Art School in Sandy Springs, the Atlanta Country Day School, and the City of Atlanta’s Chastain Arts Center. Her work has been featured twice in the Creative Quarterly online gallery.

Debra Nadelhoffer - Pastel / Oil Painting
Debra Nadelhoffer’s paintings feature atmospheric landscapes and usually evoke a memory.  She paints plein air and in the studio to create paintings that are reflective of the landscape she sees and conveys to her audience.  Her paintings are recognizable through her painterly approach and palette.  Debra paints in the North Georgia area where one might find her painting by streams and waterfalls.  In her travels, she frequently includes her painting gear.  Finding the essence of a place through plein air painting is where her inspiration comes from.  
Debra’s work has been featured in national and international publications.  She has been awarded an Artist in Residence in Acadia National Park for 2012.  Her paintings have been accepted into prestigious exhibitions including American Society of Marine Artists 15th National Exhibition currently on view at 8 prestigious museums around the country, Oil Painters of America Eastern 2009 Exhibition,  American Society of Marine Artists 30th Anniversary Exhibition, various Pastel Society of America and Southeastern Pastel Society exhibits.  Debra participates in plein air paintouts, most recently Callaway Gardens 2011 Plein Air Paint Out and Painting the Regions Plein Air Paint Out.  She is past-president of Plein Air Painters of Georgia,  past-president and member of excellence of Southeastern Pastel Society, a member of American Society of Marine Artists, American Impressionist Society, Women Painters of the Southeast and an Associate Member of Oil Painters of America.  She teaches in Atlanta at Chastain Arts Center and conducts workshops throughout the year.  View Debra's website at www.debranadelhoffer.com.

 Marcia O'Brien - Pottery
Marcia O'Brien has a BFA degree from Syracuse University specializing in Ceramics. She has worked as an Assistant Studio Potter at the Callanwolde Fine Arts Center, director of Arts and Crafts for farm and wilderness camps, and a camp counselor while working in local art galleries in Atlanta.

Terry Powers- Pastel/Oil PaintingTerry E. Powers had a diverse childhood being a military brat. While growing up in the Philippines he had the advantage of studying under world renowned artist Mr. David (pronounced Da’-vid). He was on a five year program, getting his Bachelor of Fine Arts from The Dayton Art Institute in Dayton Ohio. After that he studied significantly with national and international known Artist; while working full time as a Graphic Artist. He is a Juried Member of The Portrait Society of Atlanta and a Member of Excellence with the Southeastern Pastel Society. He has won numerous awards in both National and International shows; for which he is still out there competing. Like all good artist, he is known to cross over and try other mediums; mainly concentrated on his oil’s for a life time, but feel in love with pastels for the last twenty years. 

Gail Racy - Chinese Brush Painting
Gail Racy studied Sumi-e in Tokyo and Chinese painting under Master Wong Sau Sing in Hong Kong.  After living in Asia for ten years, she returned to Atlanta in 1997 where she has had her art on continuous exhibition in various venues.  These have included two years at the South Eastern Flower  Show, Atlanta Botanical Gardens, Olglethorpe University,  Perimeter College, The High Museum, the Aquarium, Abernathy Art Center and  Chastain Art Center.
She has given a number of workshops and given demonstrations throughout the area and North Carolina and has been teaching classes at Chastain Art Center since 2000.  View Gail's website at http://gailracyschinesepainting.com, and Youtube demonstrations at http://www.youtube.com/racy65.

 

Ralph Ricketts - Painting
Ralph Ricketts earned a BFA from Rhode Island School of Design. He has worked as a commercial art director, free lance illustrator and graphic designer. His personal work includes mixed media paintings, sculpture, collages and computer generated art.

John Roberts (Ceramics Manager) - Pottery and Handbuilding
John Roberts began ceramics in 1995. After finishing a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Fort Hays State University in Hays, Kansas, he was accepted to the graduate program at Georgia State University in Atlanta, Georgia. John completed a Master of Fine Arts degree in ceramics in 2001. He has worked as the Ceramics Manager for Chastain Arts Center since 1999. His duties include firing and maintaining all the electric and gas kilns in the studio, mixing glazes, and instructing a pottery on the wheel and a sculpture (handbuilding) class.  John has exhibited his work in many shows, regionally and nationally including Perspectives in Watkinsville, Georgia. This show exhibits work from 50 of Georgia’s top contemporary potters. His work is currently represented at Chastain Arts Center in Atlanta, Georgia, and Mudfire Gallery in Decatur, Georgia, and may be viewed at www.mudpyro.com.

Louella Simpson - Enameling
Louella Simpson has been teaching at Chastain Arts Center for 20 years. Her experience with jewelry includes casting, wax molds, stone cutting, and enameling including cloisonne. In addition, Ms. Simpson is a painter, stained glass artist, and floral arranger.

Ben Smith - Drawing
Ben Smith is perhaps best known for creating enormous woodblock prints of shamans, wizards, and ceremonial figures. The prints, which sometimes reach dimensions of up to 15 feet, feature bold, black designs on white backgrounds, with occasional splashes of bright color. His drawings, noted for their exquisite line and composition, combine the imagination of his woodblock prints with precise observation honed over forty years of teaching and demonstrating figure drawing. Smith, often regarded by his peers as the finest figure drawing instructor in Atlanta, stresses structure, volume, and gesture in his classes. Smith's work appears in numerous collections throughout the U.S., including the High Museum of Art, the Brooklyn Museum, the New Orleans Museum of Art, the Ogden Museum in New Orleans, the Historic New Orleans Collection, and The Bascom in Highlands, NC. You may visit his website at www.bensmithart.com.

Hellenne Vermillion - Silk Dye Painting
Hellenne Vermillion was born in Tokyo, Japan and is bi-cultural. She came to Atlanta in 1972 and received a BFA in Ceramics from Georgia State University. Later she studied oil painting, fiber arts, and silk dye painting. Hellenne has been a graphic artist, Japanese television coordinator, travel agent and mother among many things and is now a full time artist. Hellenne has been silk dye painting for over six years and won First Place in the Silk Painter’s International (SPIN) Member Show in 2009, and in 2010 had a piece accepted in the Silk Painter’s International Conference Gallery Show along with two garments in the Fashion Show at the conference. She has also received numerous fiber arts awards and was featured in Australian Stitches Magazine. www.vermillionart.blogspot.com.

Susie Winton - Handbuilding
Susan (Susie) Winton is an Atlanta artist who works with mixed media. She has a BFA from Emory University and an MFA from Georgia State University. She has shown her work nationally and been granted Artist Residencies at the Watershed Center in New Castle, Maine and the Hambidge Center in North Georgia.