There’s a certain kind of light that falls differently in the Northwoods, softer, humbler, and it’s that light Dale Popovich has spent a lifetime chasing. An award-winning watercolorist and teacher, Dale is known for capturing the quiet truth of the American landscape, not its postcard beauty, but its soul.

Nearly five decades ago, that vision was nearly lost. A cyst on his optic nerve took away 80% of his sight. After a nine-hour surgery, he had to relearn how to walk, climb stairs, and write his own name. But when his sight finally returned, something extraordinary happened: he saw differently. He began to filter out the noise, to distill the world into essence, value, and light. That became the foundation of his art and teaching, to teach people to truly see™.

Dale’s love of nature began as a boy in the Northwoods of Wisconsin. Long days fishing glassy lakes, watching storms roll over pines, and feeling the hush of dusk settle across the land, these early memories rooted deeply. They shaped not just his palette but his philosophy: that painting isn’t about reproducing nature, it’s about remembering how it feels to stand inside it.

A graduate of The American Academy of Art in Chicago, Dale studied under the great Irving Shapiro, AWS, a mentor who instilled both discipline and devotion to watercolor’s expressive strength. Dale would later return to that same academy, teaching for 22 years and guiding hundreds of artists to find their own way of seeing.

Today, Dale serves on the faculty of the historic Palette & Chisel Academy of Fine Arts in Chicago, one of America’s oldest artist institutions. He continues to teach through weekly online studio classes, national workshops, and demonstrations that blend technique with philosophy. Together with his wife, artist and designer Marilee, he co-founded the Towering Winds Academy of Fine Arts, an online school devoted to sharing their combined passion for art and observation with a global audience.

Over the course of his career, Dale has taught more than 6,500 students, many of whom have gone on to become professional artists. His work can be found in collections across the country, from corporate offices like Johnson & Johnson to cabins deep in the Northwoods.

Dale is a signature member of the Illinois Watercolor Society and an active member of:

• The Palette & Chisel Academy of Fine Arts, Chicago, IL

• Indiana Heritage Arts, Nashville, IN

• Watercolor Society of Indiana, Indianapolis, IN

• Plein Air Painters, Chicago, IL

Dale is currently represented by Moondeer & Friends Gallery in Bolder Junction, Wi. His work is also available at https://studios-of-dale-l-popovich.com.

From his log cabin studio in Wisconsin, where he lives with Marilee and their Pembroke Welsh Corgi, Miss Poppy, Dale continues to paint the stories of stillness, light, and place — capturing the enduring beauty of the land he loves.

Dale L Popovich IWS