TM: Sallie Middleton

Background
"Sallie Middleton's paintings have a 'magical,' animated quality that distinguishes them from the work of other wildlife artists. Sallie carefully studies each subject she paints - from mountain wildflowers to young rabbits and foxes. Each painting requires months of meticulous attention to detail, with every hair, every leaf, and every feather rendered in its natural state.	Young Red Fox, painted in 1977 Copyright FoxFire Fine Arts, Inc.
An yet her birds and animals are not presented as static objects, but are caught on the canvas in mid-action. The lifelike quality is further enhanced by her exclusive use of translucent watercolor - the most challenging medium. She says, 'I find other media too heavy for the natural world. Everything in nature is mobile and so is watercolor...'" Celestine Sibley, The Magical Realm of Sallie Middleton, 1980.

"Sallie grew up in the mountains of North Carolina - around Asheville, where her awareness of the world of nature began. Her father often took her and the other children into the forest for exploratory hikes and explained nature as a great fairyland inhabited by creatures. She says, 'By looking intently and waiting for the creatures to appear, I began to see small items I might have missed, such as seeds, mosses, and lichens. As I grew older,	Young Rabbits in Clover, painted in 1976 Copyright FoxFire Fine Arts, Inc.
I began to appreciate the tremendous detail in nature, how vast and how intricate it is.' Sallie also attributes much of her inspiration and success to her uncle, watercolorist and architect Douglas Ellington." Celestine Sibley, The Magical Realm of Sallie Middleton, 1980.

During her painting career, Sallie Middleton produced __ watercolor paintings. Her career as a wildlife artist has been documented in the book The Magical Realm of Sallie Middleton published in 1980 by Oxmoor House, Inc. (ISBN 0-8487-0503-3). You may read this book to both learn more of the intriguing details of Sallie's life and view the paintings that have helped her become the reknowned artist she is now.

Other Works by Sallie Middleton
A Cat Called Bob, painted in 1982 Swan Rabbit, painted in 1972.

Class Activities
Use the following classroom activities to prepare for the Town Meeting with Sallie Middleton. Teachers, you may wish to consult your art teacher and collaborate on an art lesson using watercolor paints before this session for students to explore the medium for painting used by Ms. Middleton.	Birdfoot Violet, painted in 1979 Copyright FoxFire Fine Arts, Inc.
Preparation Activities An art lesson on the use of watercolor painting. An art lesson on the print making process. A science lesson on animal habitats. A science lesson on wildflower classification. Conduct a descriptive writing exercise to describe a painting of Ms. Middletons. Create a story from one of Ms. Middleton's painting using them as a story starter or a scene from the story.

Biography

Sallie Ellington Middleton

Wildlife/Watercolor Artist

Sallie Ellington Middleton was born in 1926 in Washington, D.C. But most of her growing up years where spent in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina in a place called Chunn's Cove.

Although Sallie had formal training at Vesper George School in Boston, her skills spring from a childhood spent close to nature and her association with her talented uncle, the watercolorist, Douglas Ellington. She works exclusively with translucent watercolor.

Sallie currently lives in Asheville, North Carolina. She has retired from her work painting.


The Blue Jay feather is quietly placed in many of Sallie Middleton's paintings. Follow these feathers to learn more about the artist.	Background	Class Activities	Guest Biography

Background

Other Works by Sallie Middleton

Class Activities

Preparation Activities

Biography