2025 February // Recent Works by Carlene Dingman Atwater

An artist inspired by plein air is sharing her current collection of works created in all seasons, featuring both landscapes and figuratives.

Carlene Dingman Atwater was raised on a farm outside of West Point, Iowa. She drew pictures of animals and people from the time she was old enough to hold a pencil. Watercolor became her first medium of choice after she saw a Wendell Mohr watercolor. The richness of colors and the transparency of the medium really made an impression and inspired Carlene to pursue watercolor further, later evolving to include pastel, acrylic and oil painting.
She found her inspiration to pursue plein air painting from a happenstance occasion. With the encouragement of one of the FMAAA Art Center founders, Ruth Newberry, Carlene painted plein air during the FMAAA's first Garden tour back in the early 1990’s, sparking her interest in painting landscapes and atmosphere. Plein air is a way to capture an object or landscape in situ, quickly composing a composition and then using authentic light for color choices and other artistic decisions. Carlene quickly became a fan of the process and became well known in the region for her plein air artwork. She continues to participate in plein air competitions in Wisconsin, Illinois, Missouri and Iowa, enjoying the camaraderie of the artists and the challenge of painting the changing light.
In 2011, Carlene started a blog to connect more closely with the daily painters’ movement. Her goal was to post a new, small, oil painting every day for a year. The blog ended up with over 200 (mostly 6inch x 6inch) paintings produced within the first year. Carlene discovered that the discipline of painting (mostly) every day improved technique and pushed herself to try new subjects.
Carlene previously exhibited at the FMAAA Art Center during March of 2016 with 52 Faces of Volunteerism which centered on the goal of painting oil portraits from life, once a week, for a year. Her process began in April of 2015 and involved a two-hour session each week starting from life where she would capture the subject in photos and then begin laying in the overall composition using quick brush strokes. Because of the volunteers’ busy lives, she finished the paintings using the reference photographs she had taken. The art exhibit was a tribute to local non-profits and the volunteers that keep them going.
Her dedication as an artist is fueled by her love of learning. Carlene states, “I believe that a passion for learning is critical. With every painting you discover something new about color, composition and design. The challenge to create the original and unexpected art fuels the imagination. I never tire of the creative process and am always excited to start working on a new project. This process of learning and always evolving as an artist is empowering.”