“Think Like a Bluebird”, a captivating new oil on panel painting by Craig Blietz portrays an enchanting moment between two ubiquitous creatures, a white Holstein cow and a bluebird. They communicate in an empathetic manner through eye contact. Does the larger beast respect the smaller creature’s place on the branch? Or perhaps, each is admiring the others natural strength and beauty while considering their differences. The contrast between the muscular cow and the delicate bird heightens the drama, but does not cause tension. Through serious, old master painting techniques and careful treatment of light and color, Craig Blietz is able to make the viewer believe in the possibility of such an unlikely encounter in this quixotic work. With an image size of 19.5 x 28.5 inches, “Think Like a Bluebird” gives the viewer ample space to get lost within the beautiful world depicted.
Read MoreT.L. Solien – “Norwegian Costume”
T.L. Solien’s new work “Norwegian Costume” is both monumental in scale and subject. This dramatic acrylic on canvas painting measures 96 x 68 inches, and like most of Solien’s work is psychologically intense. The woman in this painting is dressed in atraditional costume from her home country. Does she look so serious because she realizes that she left many friends and comforts back in the old country? The figure is based on a circa 1938 photograph of the artist’s mother and from T.L. Solien’s “Westward Expansion Series.” Solien says of this painting, “The image stands as a metaphor for the disruption of tradition, isolation…..imposed or self-imposed, and potential for a violent response of conclusion. Part of what appears to be a small coffin is on one side, a kitten walks nonchalantly toward the other edge, as woman clutches a pair of rakes behind her back. Silhouettes of discarded bottles, cans, cacti and a broken window and fence suggest the harsh life of a new immigrant in an unforgiving environment. The straight stance, direct gaze, and colorful costume of the Norwegian woman suggest pride, perseverance, and tenacity in spite of the difficulty adjusting to a new life.
Read MoreMark Brautigam – “Little Wolf River in New London"
Nothing says says Summer in Wisconsin like tubing down a lazy river. Our summers are short, and beautiful days sometimes seem rare, so when the perfect day occurs, everyone comes out of the woodwork to enjoy it. Mark Brautigam‘s On Wisconsin series features many images from around the state in all seasons, but this is one of my favorites. The carefree tubers on the sparkling water under the shimmering trees makes for a delightful scene. The true beauty of this view communicates naturally in large format photographs. The image size measures35×44 inches. The artist lives in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, holds a BS in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Minnesota and served as an officer in the United States Marine Corps for four years.
Read MoreCharles Munch – “Wind River”
“Wind River, ” a new painting by Charles Munch for our Summer in Wisconsin exhibition embodies many of the issues that interest Munch. As he says, “I really do want people to care about what nature is. I want people to be more in tune with nature as one of the big forces in the world, something to be reckoned with, to be respectful of, to take pleasure from. It is not just something to be ignored, exploited, or conquered.” As in many of Munch’s paintings, human and animal life interact in an enigmatic fashion surrounded by a meticulously painted landscape. Charles Munch’s penchant for color comes from his training in art conservation, where colors cannot be approximate, but must be exact. Brush strokes are purposely made as smooth as possible, lending more importance to color and the reductive composition. Wind River measures 39 inches tall by 63 inches wide, and like all of his large work, the details have been carefully worked out in a much smaller version.
Read MoreDerrick Buisch – “Errata Index 21”
Derrick Buisch has a new installation of twenty-one 10×12 inch paintings of his personal ideograms. An ideogram is a written (in this case painted) symbol of an idea or object. Derrick Buisch has been developing this graphic language over many years in his sketchbooks and paintings. Symbols, painstakingly reproduced, reoccur in various contexts on larger canvases. His intriguing use of visual clues point to ideas. Buisch condenses the symbol into a few deftly drawn lines, and with concentration, the viewer can pick up on the visual clues and break the code.
Read MoreRuss Vogt – “Red Reeds”
Inspiredby natural reeds found in marshlands, Russ Vogt’s ceramic sculpture “Red Reeds” is as graceful and engaging as it is red. Comprised of hand formed over-sized “beads”, each segment in unique. Russ Vogt fires his clay at an extremely high temperature, which makes it vitreous. Thus, even in the coldest days of winter, this artful sculpture can stay outdoors without water or ice permeating its solid surface. Elegant enough for indoors and hearty enough for outdoors, Vogt’s good design shows. Beautiful in the summer, but stunning in the winter against a white backdrop of snow, “Red Reeds” are appropriate any time of the year.
Read MoreMary Bero – “Stuffed Head, Breathing Space”
Mary Bero, a self-taught artist, is interested in combining multiple techniques to create her intricate work. “Stuffed Head, Breathing Space” made of silk, cotton, and polyfil is both painterly and sculptural. Like many of her works, this piece features an iconic face: the eyes stare out at the viewer and the face reflects her influence of masks in primitive art. A relatively large work for Bero, the image measures 8.5 x 5.25 inches. The face is covered in clouds and the “hair” looks like a rainbow of thread. Bero is constantly challenging herself to start a work in a new way, calling this her “neo-vision.” Always fresh, and never boring, close examination of the work of Mary Bero reveals her patience through countless tiny stitches in a dynamic arrangement.
Read MoreTom Uttech – “Onimik Sagaigan”
Tom Uttech’s beautifully clear photograph “Onimik Sagaigan” was taken over twenty years ago, but the artist assures us that the view is just as pristine today. The scene is located in the Quetico Provincial Park in Ontario, Canada, a protected wildlife reserve and Tom Uttech’s “spiritual home” and source of inspiration for his paintings. Photography is a reference for Tom’s oil paintings, but he never reproduces scenes in a completely realistic manner. When you view his paintings, you will find mystical elements worked into a detailed, natural setting. Certain components often appear such as rocks shaped like animals, fallen branches among shadows that seem to spell messages out in code, and animals, that at first glance are not quite visible. The photographs often contain some of these aspects, and is why it is relevant to see the photographs of the places that move him.
As the Tom says, “Since these pictures are about nature and our role in it, the knowledge gained might grow into love of nature, and thus into concern for its well being. This concern could lead to action to protect nature and, therefore, ourselves. The best response to my paintings would be for you to…go straight to the wildest piece of land you can find and sit down to let it wash over you and tell you secrets.”
While his photos are available in various sizes, this particular version’s image is 11×11 inches and enclosed within a wonderfully decorated frame crafted by the artist. It was made especially for our recent exhibition of Uttech’s work “Boreal Conversations.” To see more examples of Tom Uttech’s photographs, please click here. To see the paintings of Tom Uttech, please click here.
Read MoreRodger Bechtold - “Red, White, and Blue”
Rodger Bechtold‘s delightful oil painting “Red, White, and Blue” captures the elation of a beautiful day in a charming Midwestern location. This painting and thirteen others appear in his current exhibition Middle Ground, which refers not only to the Midwest, but also the point between realism and abstraction. “Red, White, and Blue” measures 46×66 inches. To begin a large scale painting, Bechtold paints plein air on small linen covered boards. These on-the-spot “sketches” act as a starting point in color, composition, and atmosphere for larger works. Not one to be constricted by a photograph, Bechtold prefers to use his senses to convey his memory of time and season. Click here to view Rodger Bechtold’s entire exhibition online.
Read MoreFred Stonehouse – “YRU Changing the Story”
“YRU Changing the Story”, a new acrylic on wood panel painting by Fred Stonehouse contains many iconographic elements of Stonehouse’s mythology. As Fred stated in an interview with Accidental Mystery writer John Foster, “My use of the self-portrait is a handy constant; like a ‘control’ off of whichcan bounce whatever I might be contemplating at the time: politics, personal stresses, art, etc.” In this 36×36 inch work, a military clad Fred Stonehouse struggles with bits of a “story” while black rain streams from the sky and a white light encapsulates him. Meanwhile, a rainbow breath emits from his mouth as he tries to maintain his seat on a rocky surface and balance a walnut on his helmet. Demonstrating his influence of outsider art, Renaissance painting, and expressing broad themes such as aging, living in troubled times, and environmental concerns, “YRU Changing the Story” is a stimulating work with a charismatic subject – much like the artist. See more new paintings by Fred Stonehouse here.
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