Coraly Hanson, California Painter

At the "En Plein Air Masters Chateau des Arts Mentoring Program" in Lake Louise, Canada, we met some very fine artists. One of our favorites was Coraly Hanson. She is not only an excellent painter but also a very genuine human being. Coraly sells paintings on the spot on many occasions and we can see why--she has a special touch with a paint brush. Her creations are spectacular to behold. To see more of her work check out her web site at Coraly Fine Art.

Emerald Lake

Tommy Thompson painted "Emerald Lake" in British Columbia, while attending the "En Plein Air Masters Chateau des Arts Mentoring Seminar" in Lake Louise, near Calgary, Alberta, Canada. This one-week seminar took the six artists in Kevin Macpherson's session to several locations in the Canadian Rockies to paint onsite in the open air. The artists had to work quickly to get their images on the canvas before the light changed.

Meeting Mississippi in Canada

On the first day of "En Plein Air Masters Chateau des Arts Mentoring Program" with Kevin Macpherson, we met a former Mississippi couple, who now live in the Washington, DC area. They watched Tommy Thompson while he painted a scene overlooking Lake Louise. Ruth's family is originally from Jackson, Mississippi (also our birth state). Her father was a well-known physician from Jackson.

Fellow Artists at "En Plein Air Masters Chateau des Arts Mentoring Program"

Tommy Thompson recently participated in the "En Plein Air Masters Chateau des Arts Mentoring Program," with Kevin Macpherson in the Canadian Rockies. During this program we had the pleasure of working with five other fine artists. They were: Dena Kirk of Loveland, Colorado; Sandra Delong of Colfax, California; Coraly Hanson of Santa Cruz, California; Silva Segrist of LaQuinta, California; and Millie Tsai of San Marino, California. Dena's work is featured in the September/October 2007 issue of Art of the West magazine. Sandy Delong works four months of the year as a tax professional and the remainder of the year as an oil painter. Not only is she a good artist, Sandy is also a storehouse of information on the business side of painting. Coraly Hanson is a veritable storehouse of ideas on marketing art. We enjoyed seeing her paint her breathtakingly beautiful colorful landscapes. Not only is Coraly a great artist but such a personable, pleasant person. We all enjoyed the company of Coraly and Lee Hanson. Silva Segrist is getting back into the groove of painting after moving to the California desert, and her love of painting showed in her work. Millie Tsai is a fine impressionistic landscape painter with a flair for the abstract. We enjoyed getting to know Millie and David Tsai.

Lake Louise, Canada

Tommy Thompson has literally "been to the mountaintop" in more ways than one. The artist just completed a one-week mentoring session in the Canadian Rockies painting alongside one of America's premier plein air painters, Kevin Macpherson. When Macpherson critiqued Thompson's work at the conclusion of the session, he deemed Thompson's paintings, "spectacular" and worthy of a toast to the artist during the concluding dinner party.

Some of the most beautiful natural gems of the Canadian Rockies were destinations for the painting excursion in which Thompson participated. "Because I approached this experience with a willingness to depart from my comfort zone as far as painting is concerned, I learned from almost every artist that I met, especially Kevin," Thompson says. "This was one of the best learning experiences of my life, and it all occurred in one of the most beautiful places on earth. Another of the pluses of this trip was that I became more familiar with the work of the most beloved Canadian artist, Tom Thomson, although I cannot claim kin with him."

Beginning with the breathtaking vistas on the grounds of Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise and guided by Macpherson, the group of six artists strived to capture the region's beauty on canvas. Next, the oil artists ventured to Whitehorn Mountain via the Lake Louise Gondola. Other focal points for the week-long intensive painting experience included: Moraine Lake, Emerald Lake, Lake O'Hara, Canmore--Three Sisters, and Vermillion Lakes. At Lake O'Hara, Thompson painted the same scene that was painted by the renowned American painter, John Singer Sargent, in 1916. Each night the artists were treated to not only gourmet dinners but also discussions on painting techniques and marketing, led by some of the best known U.S. artists. Individual and group critiques helped to guide the artists in advancing and promoting their careers.