Through the paintings of transparent watercolor, his chosen medium, Vern Hippensteal brings his subjects to life. Closely in tuned to the subtle moods of the great Smokies, Vern's interest lies not only in the overwhelming visual splendor of the mountains but in the sense of timelessness they bring to them.

This understanding of the mountains pervades Vern's paintings. Paintings that have warmed the hearts of people who believe in the Smokies' beauty and feel they have a visual poetic memory of its glory hanging on the wall.

Vern who has mountain paintings in galleries and homes throughout the country focuses on the rich, textural quality, wood becomes rough and dry, a tribute to a life gone by.

Vern Hippensteal and his wife Lisa are proud of their son Woods, a gifted artist, who graduated with a BFA from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. They live with their dogs at their Bed and Breakfast in Gatlinburg, Tennessee.