Dottie Turner Leatherwood is a contemporary impressionist painter with a passion for the coastal landscape. Growing up on the Georgia coast, she spent her childhood sketching and writing, her imagination fueled by the landscape that surrounded her. Dottie still draws her inspiration from nature and feels a sense of responsibility to record that beauty in hopes that others will see the value in preserving the coastal landscape for generations to come. Because of that, she prefers to paint on location or ‘en plein air’ to get a feel for the energy of her subject and bring that emotion back to her larger studio paintings.
“I grew up on the coast and am inspired by water and the wide open spaces of marshes and beaches. The light and feel of the coast is just different somehow to me. Whether it is capturing that feeling of contentment and peace that I feel when I look out over the marsh or the power and movement of waves, the coast continues to be my muse. As a landscape painter, I am indebted to the landscape that I paint. It is important to keep it as pristine as possible. The dangers to our coast come from all directions. The opportunity to actually be able to not only record the beauty of the area in a painting but to also do a small part to help maintain the landscape in its natural state is a privilege that I take to heart.”
Dottie has studied painting both formally in college and informally in workshops with some of today’s best landscape painters. She participates in both national and international shows, and is a signature member of The American Impressionist Society, a member of Oil Painters of America and the American Society of Marine Artists. Dottie’s work can be found in wonderful galleries on the east coast and in private and public collections nationally and internationally. She currently lives and paints in Tybee Island, GA.
