Carmel Arts & Design District Artist Lauded with State Award
July 1, 2008 Resident artist and gallery owner Denise Frazier Pettee’s painting, Lotus Pond, was awarded top prize at the 30th annual Indiana Heritage Arts Annual Exhibition held at the Brown County Art Gallery. Each of the 150 artists entering the competition had a personal connection to the Hoosier state, either currently residing in Indiana or having lived here in the past, explained Frazier Pettee. “The talent represented was humbling – it is always an honor to be grouped with peers I respect,” she said. “I’ve received awards and had sales at this show in the past, but a Best in Show win was a thrill to me. I respect the people who run the show a great deal, and think it is one of the best exhibitions in the Midwest.” Frazier Pettee was born in Chicago and spent her young adulthood in Indianapolis. Through her childhood and adolescence, Frazier Pettee received scholastic art awards and scholarships, attending Eastern Illinois University and Ball State University and earning a degree in art education from John Herron Art Institute/Indiana University. She taught high school painting and drawing before taking a job as a sports figure illustrator at a silk screen design firm. As a fashion illustrator, Frazier Pettee developed a solid foundation in figure drawing, refined her skills in line illustration and created original illustrations featured in numerous magazine and newspaper publications. Much of Frazier Pettee’s inspiration comes from her travels, but other times, her muse can be stirred by even everyday observations. “I am so flooded with visualizations – I almost never stop,” she explained. “I might see a street light and think it could make a great painting, and then toy around with the idea of painting it for two or three weeks before I actually reach for a canvas. Painting is intellectual and it is problem-solving. My inspirations come from everything.” In addition to her Best in Show from the Indiana Heritage Arts Annual Exhibition, Frazier Pettee’s work has been juried in past years into the Hoosier Salon and earned various awards. The artist’s paintings have been also featured in galleries from Denver to Naples. However, the culmination of her life’s work occurred just this year, when Frazier Pettee’s Arts & Design District gallery debuted on March 21, 2008. Frazier Pettee Fine Art will spotlight a collection of harbor scenes from New England, Nova Scotia and Normandy in the Carmel Arts & Design District Gallery Walk on July 12. But as a rule, the artist does not pack the summer months with gallery events. “For me, the summer is painting time,” she explained. Denise Frazier Pettee is a nationally known contemporary impressionist. A versatile, creative painter, she offers original works in oil; there is no print market for Frazier Pettee’s art. As a “plein air” artist, Denise travels to Europe, New England, and the Southwest for on location painting. Indiana is a rich resource for her landscape inspiration. The artist’s passion for the figure is evidenced in her ballroom, ballet, and bistro canvases. As one who studies the foundational genre of still life subjects, she offers studio pieces in the gallery collections. For the past twelve years, Pettee has been juried into Indiana Heritage Arts Exhibitions, the Hoosier Salon, and Oil Painters of America, winning merit awards, purchase awards and best in show. The artist’s work is widely collected – and the Frazier Pettee Fine Art Gallery is a must-see destination in the Carmel Arts & Design District. Frazier Pettee Fine Art The Carmel Arts & Design District is the Midwest’s newest, premier setting for the arts and design industry. Already it has attracted well over 100 businesses, including art galleries, antique dealers, furniture and interior design showrooms, even a race track design company! There are restaurants, boutiques, creative service providers, and an eclectic variety of specialty retail stores. And the list of merchants continues to grow. |
