The Artist
PO Box 1234
AnyCity, ST 12345-5678
USA
Phone: (123) 456-7890
Fax: (123) 456-7890
Email Artist
Copyright Ownership:
PO Box 1234
AnyCity, ST 12345-5678
USA
Phone: (123) 456-7890
Fax: (123) 456-7890
Email Artist
Copyright Ownership:
The copyright of written material on this site, unless credit is given within the body of the text to be the property of another, is owned by WorldsBestART.com and any reproduction for the purpose of profit or gain without written permission is a violation of United States and International laws.
"I've never experienced 'artist block' on what to paint, only the dilemma of 'what to paint next', or 'how will I ever find the time to paint all the visions going through my head.'
"When I sit at my easel and begin to paint I feel the brush take over and the painting runs on its own... creating itself. The color just happens as it's needed... just mixed with the right combination... and put in just the right place."
"When I sit at my easel and begin to paint I feel the brush take over and the painting runs on its own... creating itself. The color just happens as it's needed... just mixed with the right combination... and put in just the right place."
_______________________________
B.J. Collister, then known as B. J. Scott, had her first solo show almost 50 years ago; just a handful of years after receiving her B.S. degree from Florida State University in Tallahassee, marrying a fellow artist and completing her brief tour of 'active duty' in the U.S. Army. "My major was Health and Physical Education and I was well on my way to becoming a dancer with Martha Graham's dance company. She had chosen me from a large group of dancers at one of Florida State University's extravaganzas put on by the FSU dance troop. But that career came to a screeching halt one month later due to an injury to my knee in a FSU soccer game."
Since the knee injury changed her career direction B.J. joined the U.S. Army within a month or two after her graduation from FSU. She was then sent to graduate school by the Army to become a physical therapist and during her total of 17 years spent in the U.S. Army, both on active and reserve duty, she was promoted to the rank of Captain in the Women's Medical Specialty Corps.
B.J. tells us she spent most of her childhood filling sketchbooks with drawings and creating other forms of art. "I really can't remember when I wasn't sketching. I sketched on notebook paper and even drew sketches on sidewalks with broken stones. I've always been able to draw anything I can see. My elementary school teachers asked me to draw maps for other children in class and costumes for special days during the school year. One year, I recall while in elementary school, a teacher asked me to draw a bright red Santa Claus on the chalkboard and a nativity scene. But I don't remember ever having anyone teach me 'how to' draw during those early years!"
Her father, an avid inventor with several patents to his credit, would vie for art pad space. "He would even sketch his inventions on the backs of the art pads; which I had filled with drawings of angelic baby faces."
B.J.'s mother, also creative, was a seamstress and made clothes for her from B.J.'s own designs. "I began designing my own clothes at age ten, but I never thought once about beginning an art career at that age."
After her tour of active duty in the Army, B.J. decided she needed some formal art training. "Upon my release from active duty, living in Texas, I took every course I could find at San Antonio's well-known school of art and soon learned painting nudes was easy for me since physical therapy school had taught me anatomy first hand; knowing form and mass of the human muscular structure proved extremely helpful and naturally it made portrait painting easier too."
After her experience in Texas, B.J. came to the conclusion that she should go to art school full-time and, not yet married, she used her G.I. benefits and entered the famous Ringling School of Art in Florida. "Ringling School of Art taught me the discipline of traditional art, the love of the Old Masters, and the history of art over past centuries. It also brought into my life a fellow artist (Scott) and we married looking forward to sharing our lives as artists."
But life brings with it many obstacles and trials to test the strength of human endurance and character. "My husband won a fellowship to study art in France and I was to follow him after he had become established. However, I learned I was expecting a new addition to the family... not a painting this time... but a baby. We decided I should stay in America for the delivery of our child, and in several months, the baby and I would join him. But, before our dreams were fulfilled, a sudden tragic flood in France took some three thousand lives, including my husband and several of his artist friends."
At this point, being a single parent, she returned to the medical field to support herself and her new son. But she did not give up her dream of being an artist. "Though I loved the medical field and its financial support, painting was my first love and made me feel much more alive - more fulfilled. Painting became my passion... my 'other life', while physical therapy was my stability."
During this period B.J. became a prolific painter, was asked to display her work in several shows, won many awards, and got an agent who began selling her paintings. "It was an exciting time for me. I designed and built a home complete with a large studio... on stilts, on the edge of a quaint lake on the edge of Orlando and found several extraordinary artists living and working in the area who were excellent teachers."
Years later, at a time when the medical field in Florida was booming and B.J.'s personal field of rehabilitation was very much in demand, B.J.'s business training led her into an extremely successful business involving several rehabilitation centers. And, since she no longer depended financially on selling her artwork, she created paintings for several local charities to raise funds from the sale of her work.
B.J. had married again, this time to a dentist (Collister), and they adopted each others children and suddenly they were a family of eight. Together, they became active in doing things to help other children. "We learned that children had been left behind in Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand and ended up in orphanages in their homelands where they were considered 'outcasts'. We began an organization called 'The Lifeline for Children' (TLC) and my new lifestyle allowed me to return more seriously to art. I began selling my work to help support this organization and others like it."
Through her efforts, hundreds of children from these war-torn lands were brought to America to begin new and freer lives. She and her husband also adopted some of these children. However, soon she would be challenged again when she learned her husband had developed multiple sclerosis, and suddenly, she had ten children and an ailing husband to support.
"My oriental children became wonderful models for me to paint! But, I could not spend my time painting. I had a business to run and I was appointed 'Academic Coordinator of Clinical Education' at what is now South University in West Palm Beach, Florida."
B.J.'s husband has now passed away and she has retired to a parcel of acreage east of Orlando, Florida with a very large art studio and sharing her life "with a wonderful orthopedic surgeon, my soul mate, and a very good friend for forty years!" Her children, now grown and sent to college, have gone into different fields. "We have one policeman, a physician, a physical therapist, a respiratory therapist, and two will soon graduate as a teacher and an attorney."
Her sketchbooks are filled with thumbnails of sketches from many trips she has taken over the years. "Someday," she says, "they'll all be paintings." Her sketches are from her travels to Mexico, China, Tibet, Spain, Cambodia, Thailand, Romania, Russia, Austria, Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands, Philippines, Hawaii, and throughout the United States.
Since her first one-person show in the mid 1950s, B.J. Collister has had numerous exhibitions, both group and solo shows, won many awards and has an extensive list of collectors throughout the world. "And," she says, "more paintings keep pouring out. Some good... some maybe better... hopefully, something for everyone. But, mostly, I want to create for ME!"
Since the knee injury changed her career direction B.J. joined the U.S. Army within a month or two after her graduation from FSU. She was then sent to graduate school by the Army to become a physical therapist and during her total of 17 years spent in the U.S. Army, both on active and reserve duty, she was promoted to the rank of Captain in the Women's Medical Specialty Corps.
B.J. tells us she spent most of her childhood filling sketchbooks with drawings and creating other forms of art. "I really can't remember when I wasn't sketching. I sketched on notebook paper and even drew sketches on sidewalks with broken stones. I've always been able to draw anything I can see. My elementary school teachers asked me to draw maps for other children in class and costumes for special days during the school year. One year, I recall while in elementary school, a teacher asked me to draw a bright red Santa Claus on the chalkboard and a nativity scene. But I don't remember ever having anyone teach me 'how to' draw during those early years!"
Her father, an avid inventor with several patents to his credit, would vie for art pad space. "He would even sketch his inventions on the backs of the art pads; which I had filled with drawings of angelic baby faces."
B.J.'s mother, also creative, was a seamstress and made clothes for her from B.J.'s own designs. "I began designing my own clothes at age ten, but I never thought once about beginning an art career at that age."
After her tour of active duty in the Army, B.J. decided she needed some formal art training. "Upon my release from active duty, living in Texas, I took every course I could find at San Antonio's well-known school of art and soon learned painting nudes was easy for me since physical therapy school had taught me anatomy first hand; knowing form and mass of the human muscular structure proved extremely helpful and naturally it made portrait painting easier too."
After her experience in Texas, B.J. came to the conclusion that she should go to art school full-time and, not yet married, she used her G.I. benefits and entered the famous Ringling School of Art in Florida. "Ringling School of Art taught me the discipline of traditional art, the love of the Old Masters, and the history of art over past centuries. It also brought into my life a fellow artist (Scott) and we married looking forward to sharing our lives as artists."
But life brings with it many obstacles and trials to test the strength of human endurance and character. "My husband won a fellowship to study art in France and I was to follow him after he had become established. However, I learned I was expecting a new addition to the family... not a painting this time... but a baby. We decided I should stay in America for the delivery of our child, and in several months, the baby and I would join him. But, before our dreams were fulfilled, a sudden tragic flood in France took some three thousand lives, including my husband and several of his artist friends."
At this point, being a single parent, she returned to the medical field to support herself and her new son. But she did not give up her dream of being an artist. "Though I loved the medical field and its financial support, painting was my first love and made me feel much more alive - more fulfilled. Painting became my passion... my 'other life', while physical therapy was my stability."
During this period B.J. became a prolific painter, was asked to display her work in several shows, won many awards, and got an agent who began selling her paintings. "It was an exciting time for me. I designed and built a home complete with a large studio... on stilts, on the edge of a quaint lake on the edge of Orlando and found several extraordinary artists living and working in the area who were excellent teachers."
Years later, at a time when the medical field in Florida was booming and B.J.'s personal field of rehabilitation was very much in demand, B.J.'s business training led her into an extremely successful business involving several rehabilitation centers. And, since she no longer depended financially on selling her artwork, she created paintings for several local charities to raise funds from the sale of her work.
B.J. had married again, this time to a dentist (Collister), and they adopted each others children and suddenly they were a family of eight. Together, they became active in doing things to help other children. "We learned that children had been left behind in Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand and ended up in orphanages in their homelands where they were considered 'outcasts'. We began an organization called 'The Lifeline for Children' (TLC) and my new lifestyle allowed me to return more seriously to art. I began selling my work to help support this organization and others like it."
Through her efforts, hundreds of children from these war-torn lands were brought to America to begin new and freer lives. She and her husband also adopted some of these children. However, soon she would be challenged again when she learned her husband had developed multiple sclerosis, and suddenly, she had ten children and an ailing husband to support.
"My oriental children became wonderful models for me to paint! But, I could not spend my time painting. I had a business to run and I was appointed 'Academic Coordinator of Clinical Education' at what is now South University in West Palm Beach, Florida."
B.J.'s husband has now passed away and she has retired to a parcel of acreage east of Orlando, Florida with a very large art studio and sharing her life "with a wonderful orthopedic surgeon, my soul mate, and a very good friend for forty years!" Her children, now grown and sent to college, have gone into different fields. "We have one policeman, a physician, a physical therapist, a respiratory therapist, and two will soon graduate as a teacher and an attorney."
Her sketchbooks are filled with thumbnails of sketches from many trips she has taken over the years. "Someday," she says, "they'll all be paintings." Her sketches are from her travels to Mexico, China, Tibet, Spain, Cambodia, Thailand, Romania, Russia, Austria, Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands, Philippines, Hawaii, and throughout the United States.
Since her first one-person show in the mid 1950s, B.J. Collister has had numerous exhibitions, both group and solo shows, won many awards and has an extensive list of collectors throughout the world. "And," she says, "more paintings keep pouring out. Some good... some maybe better... hopefully, something for everyone. But, mostly, I want to create for ME!"
CURRENT & UPCOMING EVENTS:Temporarily On Display - BJ has been asked to hang her new historical
paintings at the Brevard Historical Museum in Titusville. One is the
Prichard House, a Queen Anne Archtitectual Style built in 1891 and still
sits in downtown Titusville. The other is called Judge Robbins house, a
Dutch Colonial with turret to watch the waterway. The Brevard Historical
Museum is at 100 Washington Avenue, Titusville FL
EMAIL BJ for more information Ongoing One-Woman Show - Enjoy fine cuisine and fine art by BJ Collister at
Bill's Elbow South (restaraunt) at Oviedo Marketplace in Oviedo, Florida.
For details call: (407) 365-2435
GALLERY AFFILIATIONS:9 Main Street Gallery - 9 Main St., Titusville, FL The Artistic Hand, 353 N. Central Ave., State Road 434, Oviedo, FL Gallery Art Vue, 225B Highway 520 Cocoa Village, FL
ON PERMANENT DISPLAY:See BJ's U.S. astronaut memorial painting, "Columbia's Last Lift Off" on
permanent display in the Astronaut Memorial at the Space Museum,
Titusville, FL
SELECTED EXHIBITIONS:2004 - Indian River Festival, Titusville, FL 2004 - 40th Annual Spring Show, Titusville, FL 2003 - Everything Nautical Show, Kennedy Yatch Club, Titusville, FL 2003 - Space Coast Birding and Wildlife Show, Titusville, FL 2003 - 39th Annual Spring Show, Titusville, FL 2003 - "Parade of Homes", annual Fox Lake Arts and Crafts Fair, Titusville, FL 2003 - "Nebula in Space", Miracle Town Mall, Titusville, FL 2002 - Kennedy Point Yacht Club, Titusville, FL 2002 - The Boeing Corporation Invitational, Titusville, FL 2002 - "The Day In The Country", Oviedo, FL 2002 - Main Street Hotel, Titusville, FL 2002 - TAL Gallery, Titusville, FL
RECOGNITION & HONORS:2004 - Merit Award, Indian River Festival, Titusville, FL 2004 - Second Place in painting, 40th Annual Spring Show, Titusville, FL 2004 - "Artist of the Month", TAL Gallery for BJs porcelain dolls - a group of
children depicting "Mother's Love" 2003 - Merit Award, "Water Lily Lagoon", Everything Nautical Show,
Kennedy Yacht Club, Titusville, FL 2003 - 2nd Prize, "Wind Beneath My Wings", Space Coast Birding and
Wildlife Show, Titusville, FL 2003 - Besides becoming the first Vice President of the Titusville Art League, B.J.'s
newest painting "City on the Cliffs" won "Artist of the Month" for both
June and July. It is a 24x30 on canvas, mixed media. She incorporated using her
exciting colored Thai rice papers with the lighter lace ones. It is the 6th one
in the series of Rocks studies she has done. 2003 - Merit Award, "Seven New Stars in Heaven", 39th Annual Spring Show,
Titusville, FL 2003 - 3rd Place Mixed Media, "Good Morning Oviedo", 39th Annual Spring
Show, Titusville, FL 2003 - "Columbia's Last Lift off", BJ's newest painting of the Columbia lift
off was finished the day before the Tragedy. It now hangs in a Memorial at
the TAL Gallery, Titusville, FL 2002 - The theme for June's "Artist of the Month", sponsored by Titusville Art
League, was Historic Places and BJ's "The Wall of China"
was the big winner!
TEACHING TECHNIQUES:2002 - Weekend Workshop in Titusville, FL 2002 - Orlando Art League, Place Beardall Center for the Arts, Orlando, FL 2002 - Workshop at the Titusville Art League, Titusville FL
ART AFFILIATIONS:Brevard Watercolor Society Florida Watercolor Society Titusville Art League, Titusville, FL
SELECTED COLLECTORS:Barbara Hoelscher, Titusville, FL Basil Symonette, North Palm Beach, FL Dr. & Mrs. Ken Amsler, West Palm Beach, FL Francheska Bertrum, Stuart, FL Fred Corrie, Coral Springs, FL Herbert Hardee, Homassa, FL Jim Amsler, Boston, MA Marcia Merritt, West Palm Beach, FL Marla Kosec, West Palm Beach, FL Mary Ann Theis, Titusville, FL Mick Finn, Delray Beach, FL Mr. & Mrs Robert Ronicles, Delray Beach, FL Mr. & Mrs. Douglas Farrar, Orlando, FL Mr. & Mrs. Hal & Carolyn Traughber, Chuloata, FL Mr. & Mrs. Jack Bimiller, Oviedo, FL Mr. & Mrs. John Miller, Oviedo, FL Mr. & Mrs. Scott Schrader, Frankfort, KY Mr. & Mrs. Stanley Bateman, Sanford, FL Mr. & Mrs. Tony Barriga, Agusta, SC Mr. & Mrs. Walter Mayton, Hernando, FL Mr. & Mrs. Wayne Best, Micanopy, FL Mr. & Mrs. Zell Davis, Singer Island, FL Mr. Gene Moore, Boynton Beach FL Mrs. Jodi Farrar, Marina Del Rey, CA Mrs. Sue Vaughn, Titusville, FL Ms. Doris Curington, Titusville, FL Victor Mitea, Detroit, MI
paintings at the Brevard Historical Museum in Titusville. One is the
Prichard House, a Queen Anne Archtitectual Style built in 1891 and still
sits in downtown Titusville. The other is called Judge Robbins house, a
Dutch Colonial with turret to watch the waterway. The Brevard Historical
Museum is at 100 Washington Avenue, Titusville FL
EMAIL BJ for more information
Bill's Elbow South (restaraunt) at Oviedo Marketplace in Oviedo, Florida.
For details call: (407) 365-2435
GALLERY AFFILIATIONS:
ON PERMANENT DISPLAY:
permanent display in the Astronaut Memorial at the Space Museum,
Titusville, FL
SELECTED EXHIBITIONS:
RECOGNITION & HONORS:
children depicting "Mother's Love"
Kennedy Yacht Club, Titusville, FL
Wildlife Show, Titusville, FL
newest painting "City on the Cliffs" won "Artist of the Month" for both
June and July. It is a 24x30 on canvas, mixed media. She incorporated using her
exciting colored Thai rice papers with the lighter lace ones. It is the 6th one
in the series of Rocks studies she has done.
Titusville, FL
Show, Titusville, FL
off was finished the day before the Tragedy. It now hangs in a Memorial at
the TAL Gallery, Titusville, FL
League, was Historic Places and BJ's "The Wall of China"
was the big winner!
TEACHING TECHNIQUES:
ART AFFILIATIONS:
SELECTED COLLECTORS: