 Shining the spotlight on pastel painting, Abend Gallery is pleased to present the work of 22 artists known for their masterful and diverse handling of the medium. Participating Artists: Deborah Bays, Dan Beck, Brennie Brackett, Sandra Burshell, Lorenzo Chavez, Bill Cone, Doug Dawson, Margaret Dyer, Ernie Gallegos, Bruce A. Gómez, Albert Handell, Liz Haywood-Sullivan, Ramon Kelley, Terrie Lombardi, Ann Marshall, Janet Monafo, Cuong Nguyen, Connie Renner, John Roush, Elizabeth Sandia, Deborah Stewart, Sally Strand |
Abend Gallery presents Dan Beck and Jeff Slemons in a two-man exhibition exploring various subjects through impressionism on the verge of abstraction. Recent $25,000 Gold Medal winner at the 2011 Oil Painters of America exhibition Dan Beck continues to push the boundaries of expressionism, searching for that 'art-buzz' found in the solitude that comes from diving into the sweet spiritual space of creation, lost in the rhythm of the work. Beck has been, of late, earning much deserved recognition with articles in numerous magazines, and invitations to prestigious exhibitions such as Trailside's miniature show. He has also been a finalist in two Ray Marr competitions and won the award of excellence at Salon International. "I'm trying to use vocabulary that will express my own thoughts on life," explained Beck. "I want to express the idea of spiritualism through the subjects I paint. It's what I feel about those subjects, what they mean to me, their beauty, dignity and compassion." Complimenting Beck's ethereal, romantic, and at times moody style is that of Jeff Slemons , whose vibrantly rich color palette can reach an electric awareness through his thick, gutsy impasto layering of paint. What stirs Slemons' desire to paint certain subjects is the play of light and how it affects the world around him. Couple that with his natural artistic curiosity about people, say, sitting at a table staring out a window, a cup of coffee in hand or mowing a lawn, hat cocked at an intriguing angle, and that's all Slemons needs to dive into a painting. "It's about trying to convey that initial spark of excitement and feeling on a canvas, with a batch of oil colors," said Slemons. "I'm trying to express what I see by manipulating the interplay of colors. I want to push the connection between them." As for his love of laying on paint thick, he said, "I have tried to paint thinner but, inevitably, I start piling on the paint. I have to concede my nature is set; it's more a matter of learning how to best use it. I wish I could paint effortlessly in a whisper-thin method but it's not gonna happen." |
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