e artists mostly created watercolor paintings of
rural scenes and landscapes, including farms, barnyards,
cottonfields and old country stores, Harris said. eir
works were created outdoors and were referred to as plein
air, or open-air, paintings.
"It was very informal," Harris said. "ey would put
their finished paintings on the walls of the studio and
hang them from the raers."
ere were several instructors over the years, including
Fitzpatrick, Moon and Genevieve Southerland, an artist
from Mobile. ey worked with the artists individually,
offering feedback and suggestions for improvement.
Art was the focus. But the artists also loved to play and
pull pranks, like throwing rocks on the roof of the lodge
to rouse Fitzpatrick from sleep. Because they were not
together at Christmastime, they celebrated the holiday
with a Yuletide costume party on July 4.
e artists continued to meet at the Nobles Ferry site
until 1948 when Carmichael became ill and could no longer
serve as the colony's "hostess." Aer the demise of the
colony at Nobles Ferry, they met on the Alabama Gulf Coast
near Bayou La Batre and Coden through 1953. LeBron tried
to revive the DAC and opened her Rockford home in Coosa
County to the artists for several years during the late 1950s.
Documents show that 142 artists visited the DAC at one
time or another from 1933 to 1948, Harris said. Although
most of them were considered "Sunday painters," many
le a real legacy.
"ese artists really became movers and shakers in
the art world, not just in Alabama but throughout the
11
www.apcshorelines.com
