T he Art of Bev Doolittle encompasses the whimsical, the mystical and the spiritual, and her own unique camouflage concepts. These themes are interwoven within the complete body of her work and each reveals a different aspect of the artist herself. Her style is characterized by meticulous realism, unsparing attention to detail and an extraordinary talent for drawing. Many of her works are narrative, telling a story or capturing a moment in the world of dreams or the realm of the spirit. Her storytelling captures the imagination, compelling the viewer to bring his own understanding to the work. "Bev literally could draw as soon as she picked up a pencil," says her mother. "Even before she went to school, she had started drawing horses and people." Bev won her first award at age twelve in an art contest sponsored by the San Gabrial Historical Society and her first one-artist show was held when she was fourteen. Her high school art teacher suggested that she apply for the Saturday Scholarship at the Los Angeles Art Center College of Design; she won the scholarship and began serious art study even before graduating from high school. Later, she was accepted as a student at the Art Center.

Much of Bev's subject matter is provided by the out-of-doors. "I love nature," she says, "I try to look beyond the obvious and create unique, meaningful paintings depicting our Western wilderness and it's inhabitants."

Bev Doolittle's art, especially her camouflage work, demands months of development, research of terrain and animal sketching. After developing the concept, she creates "thumbnail" sketches, up to as many as fifty, where she reworks the image until she has achieved her idea.
Next, she works out all the questions of detail in a larger comprehensive pencil drawing. A color study follows, enabling her to determine the colors that add most to the composition. Finally, she decides the size for the original and begins to paint. Her technique is extremely tight and detailed and she works in a very demanding medium—transparent watercolor; it takes long weeks of intensive work to complete an original

Of her work Bev says, "I start with a concept and attempt to convey it though strong design coupled with detailed realism. I want people to think when they look at my paintings."

They do. Bev Doolittle's art compels our involvement. Through the magic of her vision, she vision, she forges an interaction between us and the art, rewarding our attention with the excitement of discovery.

2D

3D

4D

5D

6D

7D

8D

9D

10D

11D

12D