TSU Libraries' Artist-in-Residence: Mitchell Chamberlain

Mitchell Chamberlain

For over thirty-five years, I have actively pursued the goal of making visual art an integral part of my life. Since 1995, for example, I have completed over 300 paintings and quite a few pen and ink drawings. Likewise, during this time I have had 40 solo exhibits, two paired exhibits, and have been accepted in 45 national and regional juried shows in various locations of Alabama, Indiana, Kentucky, and Tennessee. I have exhibited my paintings in galleries in Nashville and Chattanooga, as well as in Kentucky and Indiana. In addition, I participated in various group exhibits with the Nashville Artist Guild and the Tennessee Art League. From 2000 to 2004, I had the honor of serving as the president of the Nashville Artist Guild. I have also participated in a number of charitable events, such as Saddle Up and the Bethlehem Center.

My paintings explore the abstract qualities that can be found in an intimate study of nature. The patterns and textures found in stone, or the whimsical patterns created by leaves or gravel strewn on the ground provide an endless source of creative possibilities. I strive to portray the dramatic forces of destruction and renewal that occur constantly in our world. Although based on elements in nature, my work evolves out of imagined compositions.