Lita Gatlin, a native of Georgia, now living in Charlotte, North Carolina, began drawing in pencil and ink at an early age and transitioned into the oil medium after college. In 2002, after a career in banking, the excitement of painting took over as she pursued art as a full-time career. “The beauty and colors of the natural world around us provide the most inspiration for my painting,” says Lita. “I am always amazed at the colors in nature and how they constantly change with daylight and atmosphere.” She strives to show the effect of these changes on the mood and temperature of each painting.
“Living in Charlotte I am surrounded by a wealth of inspiration for my paintings…two hours to the Blue Ridge mountains and three hours to the low country and coast. Trips to the mountains usually involve a hike or run on the many wonderful trails offered by the National Park service or a drive on the Blue Ridge Parkway. Some of my favorite paintings have come from the unbelievably quiet vistas when you reach the summit of a trail or the lush sounds when you start out by a mountain stream.”
“Taking off in the other direction, the atmosphere and sounds of the low country provide a comfort that I try to reflect in my paintings. I want the viewer to feel like they are there…hear the cicadas and tree frogs singing. For an artist, the beauty of the low country is its ever changing palette. Depending on the time of day and season, the marsh grasses may change from pink to green to ochre to purple.”
“In addition to landscape painting, I love to paint life being lived. It is great to capture the essence of a child by their curiosity or emotions as they experience life…leading their sibling on a walk, exploring sealife at the shore, picking berries, etc. I have also enjoyed painting wildlife over the past several years. Growing up the daughter of a wildlife manager, this subject matter has always fascinated me was the first of my early artwork.”
Lita received a B.B.A. from the University of Georgia and has taken various classes from Andy Braitman of Charlotte over the years. Each year she chooses one or two artists whom she admires to attend their workshop, including Ken Auster, Roger Dale Brown, Perry Austin, Greg LaRock and Larry Moore. She attends annual “paint outs” facilitated by the Oil Painters of America each fall.