Plein Air South is a group of plein air artist's groups, organizations, individual artists, plein air event organizers, and related businesses who have joined together to highlight the plein air talent and resources of America's Southeast and beyond!
Mark Branigan
PAS Technical Director
This year we also have a dedicated Audio/Visual Technician in the form of Mark Branigan; he will be assisting all our faculty members and volunteers with projectors, microphones, lighting and other technical queries throughout the conference. Mark can normally be found plugged into WiFi somewhere running “More Creative Time”, which is his own company offering Internet and IT services to small businesses, creatives and professionals. Outside of his business Mark continues to use his previous stage/lighting/sound technician experience to run free music and outdoor cinema events in his home town of Bridgnorth in the United Kingdom and now he’s using those skills here. Working from anywhere with an internet connection allows him to travel with his partner and Faculty member Vicki Norman and be at PAS this year to assist with the technical aspects of the conference.
Leslie Brasher
Website Development
Originally from Huntsville, Alabama, and now residing in the Auburn area,
Leslie Brasher earned a degree in graphic design at Auburn University. She
finds great enjoyment in painting with watercolors, and loves to paint
just about anything, but especially the beauty she sees around her.
She enjoys painting nature from life – using fresh flowers as inspiration or sitting in a shady spot and painting the view before her. She loves to travel
and paint, and her style is representational. Leslie’s greatest desire is to
glorify God with her artwork, and she prays that by painting the beauty
of His creation she is pointing viewers toward the Creator.
Stephen Dunn
Meal Coordinator
Stephen currently resides in Jacksonville, Florida. Originally from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, raised on a country farm. Farm life encourage his art interests in the outdoors. Being self-taught gave the passion to recreate the realism of nature.
He is the President of the First Coast Plein Air Painters of Jacksonville, FL. Also, a member of several art organizations, such as Jacksonville Art Guild, St. Augustine Art Association. He was a coordinator and facilitator of Brush with Nature at Jacksonville Arboretum and Botanical Gardens. Currently he has a studio located in the CoRK Art District in Jacksonville, Fl. Where he does studio art for several years, but now his new love is plein air painting. He mainly paints in oils although he also uses other mediums. He teaches oil, acrylic, watercolor and drawing classes in the studio and has done commissions for several clients as well. His love for the outdoors helps him to visualize the beauty of the subject for which will be recreated onto canvas.
Laurie Meyer
PAS Emcee
Laurie Meyer has lived and painted in Charleston, SC for 37 years. Following careers in education and corporate sales, Laurie devoted her life to her first love – painting – in 1997. Life in Charleston has provided Laurie with countless subjects and rich inspiration for her award-winning paintings. Her frequent travels have also given Laurie varied and interesting ideas for many of her works. She paints with rich color and broad “brushy” strokes and palette knife to express the unique and recognizable softness in her work. Art has also played a role in community involvement for Laurie. She is the past president of the Mt. Pleasant Artists Guild, serving two terms. Laurie also served eight years on the Board of Directors of the Alzheimer’s Association and originated the Art of Alzheimer’s exhibit, now under the auspices of the Charleston Artist Guild. Laurie is past Program Director and past Director of Artistic Growth for the Charleston Artist Guild. She is a member of the Oil Painters of America, the SC Watercolor Association, and the Portrait Society of America. Painting has been part of Laurie's life since she was a child, and she still lives for the artistic journey. She loves rich color and textural strokes painted with gesture and spontaneity. She seeks interesting designs with playful shadow structures in her street scenes and rich natural colors in her landscapes. Laurie is co-owner of the Meyer Vogl Gallery in Charleston, SC.
Debbie Myers
Event Coordinator
When asked how long she has been an artist, Debbie always answers “all of my life”. Raised by an artist, Debbie’s mother provided the tools to be creative.
During her study in Graphic Design at Arkansas State University, she developed a love for watercolor. Being an owner of a personalized gift store and raising a family gave her little time to paint until retiring to Oxford, Mississippi in 2009 where she now enjoys being a full time watercolor artist.
She shares her love through teaching Adult Watercolor through the Yoknapatawpha Arts Council. While painting all subject matters, she is most recognized for her pet and children portraits. Her paintings have been selected to hang in many juried competitions and shows with a long list of awards received.
Debbie is a member of the Mississippi Plein Air Painters, Oxford Artists’ Guild, Mississippi Artists’ Guild and an active volunteer at Plein Air South.
Linda Peters
Volunteer Coordinator
Linda is a self-taught artist born and raised in Mississippi. She currently lives in Oxford where she founded Mississippi Plein Air Painters and is an active member of the Oxford Artists Guild. Linda often paints rural wooded and agricultural scenes with bold, brightly-colored oils. She credits her success to workshops, studying the plein air masters, and constantly reading books on color theory. Linda loves the Plein Air South community and is looking forward to working with event volunteers.
Joe Taylor, Executive Director of Franklin's Promise Coalition
Marissa Vogl
PAS Emcee
Marissa was born and raised in Montana where a love for the outdoors instilled an emotional connection to the landscape. She currently lives in Charleston, painting the marsh, children at the beach, or tractors on a constructionsite. Her use of thick paint and bold brushstrokes brings an emotional vitality into her work. Marissa studied graphic design and fine art at Montana State University. She has studied under artists such as Bill Davidson and Karen Hewitt Hagan. She has been recognized by Charleston Magazine as Artist of the month, July 2013, and Art Galleries and Artists of the South as Emerging Artist for October 2014. Marissa is co-owner of the Meyer Vogl Gallery in Charleston, SC.