…perhaps inspired by her recent visit to the Wyeth Exhibit, Carole‘s asked us to share our favorite American artists. I love this topic! art is near and dear to my heart; I learned it growing up. And my parents (especially my mom) learned it from their parents (who learned it from theirs…at least on my mom’s side 🙂

I had a hard time limiting my list to just ten. I’m a huge fan of American art. pretty much all of it. But these ten have a special place in my heart.

1. Dale Chihuly. I first saw his work in Seattle, years and years ago. Then I saw an installation he did at the Atlanta Botanical Gardens (2004?). Glass, color, movement. It’s amazing.

2. Ansel Adams. Marc had a print in his college dorm room when I met him. Fate?! Family rumor has it that my grandparents were friends with him in the 1930’s and 40’s. Sadly, none of his work has made its way to my generation.

3. Norman Rockwell. My first artist crush.

4. Georgia O’Keeffe. My first female artist crush.

5. Jonathan Green. Bold bright colors…I can feel the hot humid nights of the Low Country.

6. Brian Andreas. An artist and a story teller (and a rather brilliant marketer – I have four of his greeting cards framed and hung to the left of my desk).

And these last few are ones whose work I have in “important” frames and places in both my home and my heart.

7. R.C. Gorman. This print was a housewarming gift from my dear friend Francie … when Marc and I moved into our first home in 1985.

8. Harold Altman. Francie shared her love of this artist with me early on. I bought this print with my very first bonus from work (she was my boss at the time). He loved parks… I wish I had one of his Central Park prints, too.

9. Peter Johnson. He was a “local artist” when my parents lived in El Dorado, Kansas in the 1990’s. They amassed quite a collection while they lived there and gifted me this one – a favorite of mine – for my 50th birthday. I love the story(ies?!) it tells…and the colors. And 1/3 🙂

10. Nancy Ricker Rhett. She’s a “local artist” in Beaufort, South Carolina, where we’ve been visiting since 2007. The Rhetts are a well-known artist family in town and their gallery is a must-see on every visit. This watercolor was my special memento from our 2009 trip. It evokes the calm stillness of the Low Country – such a contrast with Green’s work! I was beyond delighted when my sister snapped this photo after Nancy penned a special note to me on the back of the painting. and yep, she’s a knitter – check out her cardigan!

Maybe someday this guy will be there, too! Instead of tacked up on the refrigerator 🙂  I shared this collage on Instagram today with the caption “more Jackson Pollock than Picasso” (but obviously much cuter than both!)

I took his shirt off before we opened the markers… Katie tells me these “super washable” colors get everywhere!

Obviously ten (eleven?!) was just too few – I had to leave so many wonderful artists (Audubon, Benton, Hopper, Wyeth to name a few) off this list. Hopefully you captured them on yours! If you’re not playing along with Ten on Tuesday, click here to join the fun!