Chris Groves' love of art grew from his early experiences with nature and the introduction of a master sculpture in his youth. Groves was born in Boulder, Colorado, but soon moved with his family to Slidell, Louisiana. Those early years in Slidell were spent outside, exploring the woods, swimming in the bayou, boating, fishing, playing with snakes and other wild animals. It was during those years that Groves learned to love the outdoors and nature. At the age of ten, Groves' family returned to Boulder where he continued his exploration of nature with countless hikes, mountain climbs and camping trips. His parents gave him a nature-drawing book and Groves latched onto it as a source of awe and inspiration. He would spend countless hours copying the drawings and enhancing them with his own interpretation. His parents, recognizing their sons' talent and appreciation of art, hired a private tutor to instruct him in basic techniques. Soon, Groves' interest turned from nature to people. Groves looked to magazines, friends and siblings as a source of inspiration and drew detailed portraits of their faces. In high school, Groves met sculptor, Glenna Goodacre, the mother of a school friend. Meeting with her and seeing some of the success she enjoyed as a artist (Vietnam Women's memorial, Sacagawea US Dollar design) helped to inspire Groves' own artistic aspirations. After graduating from the University of Colorado at Boulder with a B.F.A. in Environmental Design, Groves spent the next ten years as an art director for two large companies, all the while continuing to study and hone his fine art skills. Groves has studied at the Florence Academy of Art in Italy, the Colorado Academy of Art, the Loveland Art Academy, the Cottonwood Art Academy and the Denver Arts Students League. He also enjoyed a private, two- year mentorship with artist Jay Moore, which he considers a turning point in his artistic career. Groves paintings hang in numerous private and corporate collections and he is the recipient of multiple awards and recognitions listed below. BORN 1964, Boulder, Colorado EDUCATION Florence Academy of Art, Florence, Italy Colorado Academy of Art: Atelier - Classical Academy Studies with Richard Lack Colorado University, BFA Environmental Design/Architecture PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATONS Plein Air Painters of the Southeast Oil Painters of America American Impressionist Society TEACHING EXPERIENCE Landscape, Still Life and Cast Drawing classes, Horton Hayes Fine Art, 2008-Present Lead Landscape Instructor Colorado Academy of Art, 2004-2008 SELECTED EXHIBITIONS 2012 OPA Eastern Juried Exhibition Bennington Fine Art, Bennington, VT Solo Show Anderson Fine Art Gallery, St. Simons, GA OPA National Juried Exhibition Evergreen Fine Art, Evergreen, CO "Artists for the New Century" Invitational 2012 Bennington Fine Art, Bennington, VT Two-Person Show with Mark K Horton City Art Gallery, Greenville, NC Coutts Museum Invitational El Dorado, Kansas Four Sight Horton Hayes Fine Art, Charleston SC Two-Person Show with Mark Kelvin Horton Shain Gallery, Charlotte, NC Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts Invitational Montgomery, AL Columbus Museum of Fine Art Auction Columbus, GA 2011 The Classical Still Life, Solo Show Horton Hayes Fine Art, Charleston, SC New Works Groves Anderson Gallery, St. Simons, GA Groves, Beerman, Horton City Art Gallery, Greenville, NC 2010 Salon International Show Greenhouse Gallery, San Antonio, TX Montgomery Museum Auction Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts, Montgomery, AL Autumn Competition Bucks County Gallery, New Hope, PA 2009 Nomades del Arte – Selected Artist Southwest Gallery, Dallas, TX Charleston Fine Art Auction (Invitational Auction) Charleston, SC New Works, Solo Show Horton Hayes Fine Art, Charleston, SC The Autumn Show Anderson Fine Art Gallery, St. Simons, GA Salmagundi Club Non-Member Juried Exhibition New York, NY Summer Solstice Fountainside Gallery, Wilmington, NC The Hunt City Art Gallery, Greenville, NC Time and Place Horton Hayes Fine Art, Charleston, SC One Man Show Crescent Gallery, Spartanburg, NC Introductions Anne Irwin Gallery, Atlanta, GA Masters in Miniature CM Russell Museum, Great Falls, MT Portrait Alliance of the Rockies, Invitational Show Denver, CO 2008 Oil Painters of America Eastern Richland Fine Art, Nashville, TN PaintAmerica Paint the Parks Top 100 – National Traveling Exhibit Kansas City, MO Setting the Tone, Solo Show Horton Hayes Fine Art, Charleston, SC Hilton Head Art League National Juried Art Exhibit Hilton Head, SC New Works City Art Gallery, Greenville, NC 2007 Paint America Paint the Parks Top 100 Mini50 – National Traveling Exhibit Kansas City, MO Rocky Mountain Plein-Air, Invited Artist Winter Park, CO Mountains to Sea, Solo Show Horton Hayes Fine Art, Charleston, SC Lost and Found: Wanderings and Discoveries along the Carolina Coast City Art Gallery, Greenville, NC HONORS AND AWARDS Oil Painters of America 2012 Eastern Juried Exhibition, Bennington Fine Art, Bennington, VT Oil Painters of America 2012 National Juried Exhibition, Evergreen Fine Art, Evergreen, CO The Bennington "Artists for the New Century" 2012 Invitational, Bennington, VT CM Russell Museum STB Juried Landscape Invitational 2012, Great Falls, MT Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts 2012 Juried Invitational, Montgomery AL American Impressionist Society 12th Annual National Juried Exhibit 2011, Carmel, CA Oil Painters of America 2012 Eastern Regional Exhibition 2011, Addison Gallery, Orleans, MA International Autumn Painting Challenge and Competition - First Prize: Oil CM Russell Masters in Miniature 2009 2009 Salmagundi Club Open Exhibition Artist in Residence, Balsam Mountain Preserve, Sylva, NC, September 2009 Oil Painters of America Eastern - Winner Top 100 – 2008 Hilton Head Art League National Juried Art Exhibit 2008 Arts for the Parks – Top 100 – 2008 – Winner: Jurors' Award Selected to paint the 9th and 10th Bishops of Colorado Rocky Mountain Plein Air Painters Group - Invited Artist 2007 2007 Arts for the Parks – Top 100 Mini50 – 2007 SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY Artists on Art, Fall 2012 Issue American Art Collector, November 2010, Issue 61 American Art Collector, October 2010, Issue 60 American Artist Magazine, March 2010 American Art Collector, November 2009, Issue 49 American Art Collector, October 2009, Issue 48 Garden And Gun Magazine, August 2009 American Art Collector, March 2007, Issue 17 Carolina Arts, "Chris Groves Mountains to Sea", March 2007 Times Call, February 2007 CLIENTS AND COLLECTIONS St John's Episcopal, Denver, CO Bush Development, Denver,CO Black Fox Group Legendary Properties RW Goodacre & Co Colorado Business Bank