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Paint realistic animals in oils with infamous Wildlife Artist Dana Jester the first two weeks of August 2011

Workshop #1        Mountain Lion       5 Day Class 
Class Fee:   $400.0

                   Dana Jester

Saturday Extra Fayetteville Observer, August 28, 2010

The spirit of Bob Ross, the artist who was famous for painting "happy little trees'' - and for his belief that everyone has the ability to become an artist - was alive in Fayetteville recently.

Well-known wildlife artist Dana Jester traveled from Indiana to teach the classes. He is a Bob Ross certified instructor and also was close a friend to Ross, who died in 1995.

Jester appeared numerous times on Ross's television show "The Joy of Painting" and in his books.

Jester taught several classes in Spring Lake at the Blue Street Senior Center.

The workshop was sponsored by local artist Kim Cowger, who teaches painting in the Continuing Education Department at Fayetteville Technical Community College .

Most of those in attendance were Cowger's students, some of whom traveled from as far away as New York and Pennsylvania.

"She wanted to give her students something different," said Dee Sparrow, who began taking Cowger's classes three years ago.

"It's a once-in-a-lifetime experience," Sparrow said. "It's exciting to know that you are able to come and paint with someone that knew Bob Ross."

Cowger became a Bob Ross certified instructor 12 years ago. She found Dana Jester through Facebook and invited him to Fayetteville to teach the classes.

"I'm very pleased. I've learned things. It's helped me clean up my technique. When I'm teaching, I don't get to paint everything I want to paint," Cowger said.

Jester showed the students photos of him with Bob Ross. The two met in 1982 at a mall in Muncie, Ind., while Ross was giving a painting demonstration, using his wet-on-wet, quick method..

"He was a real good friend of mine," Dana Jester said.

Jester said Ross's show became popular so quickly that "it was like throwing a match into a dry forest."

While he is known for his friendship with Bob Ross and mastering the his friend's painting method, Jester is well known in his own right as a traditional wildlife painter.

He also paints American Indian portraits and has been giving painting seminars since 1986.

"It gets me motivated, too," Jester said. "Sometimes, it inspires you even more to continue with your own painting."

Jester will return to Fayetteville next August to teach wildlife painting techniques.

email kim@joy2paint.com for address to send payment