FIRST FRIDAY: Fall Opening Show and Reception featuring "Three Guys doing Water Color" Scott Stoltman, James Nelson and Ian Cooke

Come and meet the artists at our first artist reception of the Desert Art Center's 67th season and "Three Guys doing Water Color"  featuring artists Scott Stoltman, James Nelson and Ian Cooke  showing their watercolors in our small gallery. 

Scott Stoltman

Scott  was born on the northwest side of Chicago and began to show aninterest in art at a very young age. As early as elementary school, his teachers began to recognize his abilities and encouraged him to develop his talents. After taking art classes throughout high school, he attended the American Academy of Art in Chicago to pursue a formal art education. Upon completing his time at the academy, life took hiin a different direction and he set his paint brushes down for nearly 25 years. In 2007,facing a mid-life crisis and needing to reinvent himself, Scott began to paint again in the chosen medium of transparent watercolor. Why watercolor? For no other reason thanthat is where he left off 25 years prior. At first, Scott found the medium very frustrating as watercolor at times has a mind of it’s own. Now, he enjoys the challenge to the pointthat other mediums feel totally foreign to him. For the most part self-taught, Scott feels he still has a lot to learn and looks forward to the journey ahead.

James (Jim) Nelson

Jim has always loved watercolor as a medium and enjoy studying the works of John Singer Sargent, Winslow Homer, Andrew Wyeth, Charles Reid, and paintings of the impressionist and post impressionist periods.

Having retired as a biochemist from cancer research seven years ago he can now devote his love of painting fulltime.

He always had an interest in art even as child and was always drawing. He is fortunate to be able to devote his time to painting and traveling to study art and artists from around the world. 

Ian Cooke

After a career in horticulture and landscape design, Ian took up watercolor painting five years ago, after his retirement.  He was originally inspired by Rita Mitchell, a UK artist who painted in one of the gardens he had designed many years ago. Ian was transfixed, watching as the pigment and water flowed on the paper and was determined to paint. Inevitably he tends to paint flowers and plants but also enjoys the challenge of other subject matter. He paints precisely with his flower paintings in an almost botanical style but also enjoys experimenting with a looser technique. He feels he is still trying to find his own unique style.  Ian admires the work of John Singer Sargent, Winslow Homer and Andrew Wyeth, and has attended several workshops led by Charles Reid.