Margaret
Baylock Dean's art education began at the College of New Rochelle.
Although she was an art major at the time and received art instruction
under department head, Ernest Thome Thompson, she also pursued
an additional interest in the field of art education. She completed
a course of study that prepared her as an instructor of art
on both the elementary and secondary levels. Upon graduation
she was employed by the Farmington Board of Education and taught
for a number of years in their school system. The presentation
of her first one-man show also occurred during these years as
part of the masters in art education program at Central Connecticut
State University.
The time between her early education and the present has been
a consistently busy one. Raising three children and moving six
times in ten years prior to settling in Branford, Connecticut
left her little time to pursue her artistic endeavors except
for an occasional course or workshop. With these family obligations
now behind her, Margaret has found an entirely new segment of
time available for her artwork. She is determined to use this
opportunity wisely and has made the mental commitment to concentrate
more fully on one aspect of painting, the plein air genre.
Over the years, Margaret has studied locally, in workshops given
at the Scottsdale Artist School, and at the Lyme Academy of
Art. The focus there on strong academic principles has augmented
the foundation she received earlier. Both Jerry Caron and Dan
Gheno were very helpful in guiding her development at this point
in her training. Most recently, however, she has discovered
the Plein Air Painters of America. The founder of this prestigious
group of artists, Kevin Macpherson, has been extremely influential
in her progress and she has found his critiques and encouragement
extremely helpful. She has been fortunate enough to have studied
with him on two occasions in the past few years and has participated
in one of the European workshops that he mentored in the spring
of 2002.
The Connecticut Plein Air Painting Society, an extension of
this group, is now the perfect venue on the local level. Their
statewide paint-outs provide much inspiration and opportunity
to experience wonderful rural locations.
Most of her recent works depict quite clearly her love of painting
only on site. As the Impressionists many years ago, she constantly
strives to capture a particular moment in time and is consistently
fascinated with the play of light on her subjects. Since she
prefers to work from real life, the still life arrangements
she sets up in her studio become her inspiration on inclement
days or during the cold winter months. It is very seldom that
she will work from photographs. Her only concession to the actual
experience is the occasional use of slides when she cannot possibly
return to the original site.
Display of her work has taken place in countless shoreline exhibits
and can be viewed at her studio and gallery in Branford, Connecticut
where she now works and teaches. She has been awarded prizes
for her accomplishments and hopes that through her innate determination
and ceaseless efforts that she will continue to grow as an artist.
Click
here for Margaret's resume.
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