About the artist
Joel Knapp (1939-2020) was a devoted plein air painter based in Gallatin, Tennessee, who worked in oils with a vibrant, impressionistic hand, chasing light, atmosphere, and the honest feeling of being present in a place. He could be found at any given time traveling in his camper, easel planted before mountains, rivers, city streets, or sidewalk cafés, painting by daylight and streetlight alike. For Joel, painting on location was not just a technique. It was a philosophy.
"It is such an honest approach to see the light as it hits the scene. The wind in your face, flies in your paint and a few hours to create a painting: one must paint fast and loose, go in with your feelings, but using your brain and experience to balance colors, to vibrate and sing, Hallelujah."
Joel competed extensively in plein air contests around the world and was as passionate about teaching the craft as he was about practicing it, instructing students at his studio in Gallatin, Tennessee and across the country. He believed that if a painting could make its viewer simply feel good, it had delivered something sacred, a blessing freely given.
"It is a blessing for me to paint, and I feel that blessings reside in my art. When one of my paintings hangs in a home or business, I hope it will bless all who view it.” - Joel Knapp