George Kountoupis
A native of Bartlesville, Oklahoma, Gorge Kountoupis grew up in the small town era of the 1930s. He first became interested in art while in high school, where he designed the posters and flyers to advertise school activities. After a stint in the U.S. Navy, Kountoupis studied art at the University of Oklahoma in Norman. Several jobs unrelated to the art field preoccupied Kountoupis until, at the age of 40, he decided to focus all his energies on becoming a serious artist.
Kountoupis spent a year studying at the Frank Reilly School of Art in New York City, a year that he says was very important to his work. He was a workshop director for ''Painting Holidays Company'' for five years, traveling with such distinguished artists as George Cherepov, Milford Zornes, Don Stone, John Pellew, and Tom Hill. His dedication and talents have paid off; Kountoupis' work has been widely acclaimed throughout the United States. An oil portrait by Kountoupis, depicting Mrs. Grace Steel, hangs in the Oklahoma Hall of Fame.
The versatile artist has painted in such diverse places as Spain, Ireland, Guatemala, and Mexico. Kountoupis seeks to capture the excitement and majesty in nature's most spontaneous moments. "Studio painting is an intellectual, analytical exercise and I love it, but it can eventually lead to repetition in the work. Paintings done outdoors involve total observation and emotion. You can see the colors and feel the life around you. You can walk over, touch the water and get your hands wet. If you are true to that vision, the viewer will feel it to."
George has been successfully conducting workshops for 20 years, traveling the world. He has also taught extensively throughout the United States. By using a variety of subject matter from landscapes and still lifes to portraits, George has established an enviable reputation in all types of media, including oil, watercolor, acrylic, pencil, scratchboard, and sculpture.