For a  plein air painter, everything is a relevant subject and diversity of experience is a decided asset. Truer words could not be found to describe this artist, who enjoys nothing more than packing up his paints and easel for a day working locally or in nearby Colonial Williamsburg.

Boyhood spent in South Carolina paddling an Old Town canoe he restored or hiking the Smokies with a biologist father. Philosophy and French were undergraduate majors; an advanced degree from UNC-Chapel Hill in Classics (Greek and Latin). Certificates from the universities of Dijon and Montpellier, France. A career teaching allowed summers in Maine as a Whitewater and Rock-climbing Specialist for the Hurricane Island Outward Bound School. Other work included running the canoe-rig for Chesapeake Bay Foundation. A USCG 100 Ton/Ocean Master's license made possible a stint as sailboat delivery captain worldwide. Activities have ranged from hiking the Appalachian and Long Trails end-to-end, biking the Oregon Trail and across France, to living aboard a sailboat for twelve years while sailing and painting all over the world. The violin and viola continue to be an interest, as is a recent fascination with classical guitar. James City County, Virginia is home, now, with wife Isabelle,  Fauvette, a young cat, and Rau and Minerva, feral cats, who just last winter decided to come inside rather than brave the elements - ad effeminandos animos.

Art has been a lifelong pursuit. The inspiration of a three year stay in Villefranche S/M in the early 60's where Cocteau and Matisse did so much fine work, the study in Dijon and Montpellier with their wonderful museums and university offerings, the frequent trips over the years to Paris, the Loire Valley and the Midi, and to Italy and Greece - the Mediterranean periploi, and not least, the core Studio Art Program at Virginia Commonwealth University, all have fueled this passion for so long.  Serious brush to canvas painting revived long ago in Sri Lanka on a sailing trip from Bali to Cyprus. It has continued without interruption to the present. Sailing has always offered the means for visiting interesting places to paint and for gleaning new ideas. Until recently cruising the coast of Maine in our 36' Cheoy Lee cutter rigged sloop, Arke, provided a respite from southern summers. Now day-sailing on the Chesapeake Bay is a pleasant enough diversion to quell any serious wanderlust.  To escape harsh winter weather Key West and Charleston, SC offer familiar places where watercolors mostly do not freeze (see Charleston Prints for a sample). The preservation of Hunterstown, PA, both for its quaintness and the role it played in the Gettysburg campaign, has become an important cause for me. Some awfully good people are working hard to save it from the clutches of unprincipled development. To that end I have done a series of watercolors of the Civil War era buildings in the town. The local historical society sells prints and note cards of these to support their preservation effort (see Hunterstown Prints). A summer trip to the Mt. Rogers area of SW Virginia resulted in several small oils. These may be of interest (see Mt. Rogers paintings). Trips to Provence (see Provence Paintings) September 2009 and to the coast of Maine September 2010(see Maine Paintings) produced a number of paintings, as well.

This past September I drove from Williamsburg out west and spent ten days painting in the Wind River Range, the Tetons, and Yellowstone Park (see Wyoming Trip). It seemed strange not to be backpacking in or climbing, but I satisfied myself with pickup truck camping and painting on site. On the way home I passed through the Big Horn Mountains - spectacular for the incredible canyons and vivid colors. These were a treat; I had never seen them before. And Iowa; a PBS station was never out of range and there was free Wi-Fi in every Rest Area!

Whether working in Williamsburg or France or Charleston - wherever, painting en plein air has a way of capturing one's soul; every effort is made to work outside each day. The tidewater area offers a true opportunity for any artist: the wealth of subject matter endless, the beauty ever changing. No lifetime could  capture it all.

Painting in the Cour Godeau -Vence, France

September 2009

The column is Roman 2nd Century AD - one of two given by the city of

Marseille to Vence. It is dedicated to the god Mars Vintium. Vintium

becomes Vincium in French before the Latin ending is dropped. In French

the mute -e often indicates the loss of a Latin ending - hence Vence).

Look closely at the painting I am working on. It is of a XIII century

fenetre jumelee. Doesn't it remind you of Romeo and Juliet?

Edwin L. Green, Artist

P. O. Box 744    Toano, Virginia  23168

Phone (757) 566-1582

email:  elgreenart@gmail.com

Copyright 2012  Edwin L. Green   All rights reserved  Digital Watermark protection