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Florida artist, Larry Whitler, raised $7,501.27 for the Marion County Literacy Council in Ocala, Florida, by selling his original “plein air” landscape oil paintings for $1,000 each.

When artist Larry Whitler received a letter in the mail informing him that he had been nominated to be a candidate in something called “Kiss The Horse For Literacy” he wasn’t sure what it was, who nominated him, and whether he could live up to whatever expectations were now somehow associated with him.

The letter arrived in October of 2011 on Whitler’s desk at Ocala radio station WOCA where he hosts a morning drive program with longtime co-host Robin MacBlane. The letter made it clear that “Kiss The Horse For Literacy” was a fundraising campaign to help a local organization called the Marion County Literacy Council in their mission to teach illiterate adults how to read.

The campaign was simple: Each of twelve candidates would compete against each other to earn the privilege...

November 19, 2011 - Ocala, FL - Florida Artist, Larry Whitler, has sold four of his original "plein air" oil paintings of Florida landscapes for $1,000 each to raise money for the Marion County Literacy Council. Whitler, 56, accepted the nomination from the Literacy Council in October to be a candidate in the "Kiss The Horse For Literacy" campaign which serves as a fundraiser for the organization.
The Marion County Literacy Council, located in Ocala, Florida, is dedicated to helping illiterate adults learn to read and write. Patterning their fundraiser after a similar "Kiss The Pig" fundraiser held in Jacksonville, Florida, the Marion County Literacy Council developed their "Kiss The Horse" concept based on the fact that Marion County is known as one of the horse capitals of the world.
Whitler, in addition to being an artist, hosts a morning drive radio program on WOCA "The Source" (96.7 FM and 1370 AM) with his co-host, Robin MacBlane. MacBlane is serving as...

November 9, 2011


“A picture paints a thousand words and one in seven Americans can’t read those words.” That is the thought that inspired Florida Artist Larry Whitler to sell twelve of his original oil paintings for $1,000 each to help illiterate adults learn to read.

Florida artist Larry Whitler says he has set a goal to raise $12,000 for the Marion County Literacy Council in Ocala, Florida to provide much needed funding to teach illiterate adults how to read.

Whitler says the idea is simple. He has placed a $1,000 price tag on each of twelve of his original oil paintings and says they are all up for grabs. The paintings are part of a series of plein air originals titled “Plein Air Florida.” He says buyers will only need to make out their checks to the Marion County Literacy Council and they can have their pick of whatever is left from the one dozen pieces of artwork up for sale.

A 2012 Calendar has been published featuring the twelve Plein...

A Florida based artist is donating 100% of the highest bid on an Ebay auction of his original oil painting of the SS American Victory ship to Honor Flight, an organization that flies World War II Veterans to visit the WWII Memorial built in their honor in Washington, D.C.


Artist Larry Whitler, 56, of Ocala, Florida, visited the World War II ship, American Victory, docked in Tampa Bay, with the purpose of painting a portrait of the ship, described as one of only 4 fully-operational WWII ships in the country, as a way to help raise funds for the Honor Flight organization.


Whitler, along with his partner Robin MacBlane, 57, have been painting landscapes at various locations in Florida. When they heard that the mission of the Honor Flight organization was to send World War II Veterans to see the WWII Memorial in Washington D.C. the duo decided to use their talents to raise awareness and raise money for the organization.


“The American and Allied...