"Just Missed"

"Gentle Ride"

Murfreesboro artist Bill Brison will have eight wildlife paintings featured in an upcoming exhibition at the Leu Art Gallery at Belmont University in Nashville.

The exhibit features plein air painters from The Chestnut Group, an alliance of landscape artists dedicated to the conservation of wild and open spaces in Middle Tennessee. The artists paint in plein air, meaning their works are painted mostly outdoors.

Brison, who owns Appletons Creative Framers, was one of 12 artists selected to be in the juried show, titled “Saving Paradise.”

“The field of artists in this show are quite well known,” he said. “I was surprised I was selected. I entered not expecting to get in.”

Former Leu Art Gallery Director Victoria Boone, who selected the artists for the exhibit, said the mission of The Chestnut Group coincided with Belmont’s yearlong theme of “Is Paradise Lost?” Belmont University went green and wanted every department to incorporate environmental awareness into the classroom, Boone said.

The “Saving Paradise” exhibit showcases the beauty of the Middle Tennessee landscape from paintings of wildlife to old buildings to flowers.

Boone said she was “very excited” about Brison’s work because it featured wildlife, which is hard to capture. His paintings featured hunters, fly fishermen, deer and sheep.

“I was especially moved by his pieces because of the light and shadow,” she said.

Brison’s pieces focused on the light of the sunrise and sunset.

“I hoped to convey the really special moments that occur right after dawn or just before dark,” he said. “Capturing the light in that fleeting period of time is just so much joy to paint.

“I want to relate to those who view my art what a special opportunity it is to have these scenes here in Middle Tennessee.”

The exhibition runs June 1-Aug. 5. The artists’ reception is slated for June 9 from 4-6 p.m. Leu Art Gallery is located at 1900 Belmont Blvd., Nashville. For more information on the exhibit, call 460-5476.