Art At the castle
Ralph Velasco
Ralph Velasco is Founder and CEO (Chief Experience Officer) of PhotoEnrichment Programs, Inc. d.b.a. PhotoEnrichment Adventures, as well as a travel photography instructor and international guide who has photographed in over 70 countries on 6 continents.
Drawing on over 14 years of experience planning, organizing, administering, scouting and leading more than 100 international trips around the world, and over 100 domestic trips in the United States, Ralph has created Tour Organizer Training, a free webinar and online course series that trains everyday people, step-by-step, how to organize and lead their own tours, whether around the world, or around the corner.
Ralph was a finalist for the prestigious 2016 and 2015 Travel Photographer of the Year awards and was selected to a group of the Top 100 Travel Photographers in the World for 2014 by a site in the U.K., as well as one of the Top 10 Travel Photography Bloggers by USA Today’s 10best.com. And two years in a row he was chosen “Open Photographer of the Year” by the Professional Photographers of Orange County, California.
You can see a variety of Ralph's work at www.photoenrichment.com
Beth Ruggiero York
Beth Ruggiero-York is a landscape and travel photographer. She spends summers on Cape Cod and winters in Arizona, where she teaches photo workshops for Arizona Highways Photoscapes as well as her own workshops in the US, Asia, and Europe.
Beth has led groups for National Geographic, Smithsonian, American Museum of Natural History, and other organizations, so we are very excited to be hosting this special workshop at Marouatte Castle.
You can see a collection of Beth's work at www.BethRuggiero.com
Wyatt Waters
A prolific painter, renowned watercolorist Wyatt Waters has painted about as long as he has been alive — starting with lessons before he was school-aged until earning a master’s degree in art at Mississippi College, where he received the Belleman award for art and creative writing. In his unrelenting quest of becoming a better painter, Wyatt draws on the influences of masters such as John Singer-Sargent, Edward Hopper, and William Hollingsworth.
Waters works solely on location – preferring the challenges that both plein air and watercolor present. His philosophy is “if it is interesting to see, it can be a painting.” This approach has led to the recent release of The Watercolor Road | Painting and Writing through the American South, as well as the publication of seven very successful books including Another Coat of Paint, Painting Home, An Oxford Sketchbook, and in collaboration with Mississippi restauranteur, Robert St. John, A Southern Palate, Southern Seasons, An Italian Palate, and A Mississippi Palate.
Ever the teacher, Wyatt conducts workshops throughout the Southeast, as well as in Italy and the Caribbean. He served two years as a faculty member for Plein Air South — an annual gathering of regional plein air organizations and painting groups.
Wyatt has had numerous solo exhibitions at museums such as MS Museum of Art, Lauren Rogers Museum of Art, Meridian Museum of Art, and Jackson Municipal Gallery. His work can be found in both corporate and private collections, including those of two former presidents and several U.S. senators. He also is a past president and founding member of the Mississippi Watercolor Society and has had paintings in the national exhibitions of the National Watercolor Society and the National Society of Painters in Casein and Acrylic.
Chris Brandley
Award winning artist, Chris Brandley specializes in oils, but also has many years experience in acrylics and watercolors. She is known for her vivid use of color, and works in the “Alla Prima” method of painting, which allows her to achieve a spontaneous, fresh result.
Being the daughter of an Air Force pilot, Chris grew up in Europe, Asia, and the United States. The diverse cultural experiences she encountered play an instrumental role in her art. She is especially inspired by the contrast of colorful flowers against ancient architecture. Chris received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Art Education from Baylor University, and has taught and worked in the Visual Arts field for 30 years. She has a deep passion to connect with other artists and share what she has learned through the years.
Her work has been featured on television backdrops, documentaries, International magazines and other products. Her most recent feature is of her painting “First Snow”, found on popcorn tins at “Big Lots” stores throughout the Unites States and Canada.
You can see a collection of Chris's work at www.ChrisBrandley.com
Thomas Kitts
Thomas Jefferson Kitts is a world-renowned plein air painter noted for his deep knowledge of art and practical teaching methods.
He has been painting en plein air for 39 years, beginning in 1984. He has been teaching in private colleges and workshops over the past 25 years.
Thomas is inspired by how light plays across the landscape and has devoted his life to traveling and capturing it in oil. He prefers to work from direct observation for its honesty and immediacy, incorporating alla prima techniques developed by master artists such as Sargent, Sorolla, and Zorn.
Thomas is a signature artist member of the Oil Painters of America, American Impressionist Society, and the Laguna Plein Air Painters Association. He is also an artist member of the California Art Club and California Plein Air Painters. He exhibits regularly with all of these associations and his work is collected world-wide. His paintings can be found in the permanent collection of several museums.
Thomas has published many feature articles in PleinAir Magazine & FineArt Connoisseur. He has also produced two 15+ hour demos focusing on the methods & techniques of Sargent and Sorolla – information which he generously shares with student in his workshops.
To view Thomas’ work, or learn more about him, visit: www.thomaskitts.com
V.... Vaughan
An impressionist oil painter, V.... paints on location all across America. “My favorite subjects are wild places and around the countryside near America's small farms."
V's work focuses on special projects that are heartfelt and comprehensive; treating her subjects to documentary style study. She completed 365 daily small works depicting her family's "Last Year on the Farm"' before they moved from the land in 2008. The paintings were featured at various museums and venues, and received great revues.
In October of 2011, V.... presented a follow-up exhibit entitled "Passing America" in which she explored America's disappearing family farms. Both shows debuted at the Great Plains Art Museum at the University of Nebraska.
V….Vaughan spent many years as a graphic designer/art director/illustrator, working in advertising and winning Addy Awards. Her clients included Samsung, The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, and Harcourt Publishing. V....Vaughan Arts grew through RockSports Inc. which still features V’s colorful designs in national catalogs and websites. For over 20 years V.... has been a part-time high school art instructor. She also teaches painting workshops all across America.
Her paintings are part of the permanent collection of the Gadsen Museum of Art, the Bone Creek Museum of Agrarian Art and the Great Plains Art Museum as well as in countless private collections.
You can see a collection of Virginia's work at www.virginiavaughan.com