by
Elizabeth Monks Hack
Fall is in the air. If you didn’t get a chance to travel this summer, plein air artist George Kreutz has done a lot of it for you. If you did get out, Kreutz may have painted a few places you have been. In “Sharing the Art of Plein Air” at the Cypress Gallery this month, his wide-ranging subjects take us all around the country and beyond.
A plein air artist paints “en plein air,” which is French for “in the open air.” Before the 19th century, artists who portrayed landscapes were confined to their studios, due in part to the restrictions of available equipment. Landscapes of the past often have a studied, or unnatural aspect. Once paint tubes and portable canvases were invented, however, artists began to explore the advantages of painting outdoors.
Today plein air painting has a huge fan base, of both practitioners and consumers, and could even be considered an international movement. Kreutz regularly attends PACE, the annual Plein Air Convention and Expo, held in various regions of the U.S. He is active in the arts and plein air community of the central coast, and credits the workshops of John Cosby for his plein air background. Kreutz states that “as I drive/travel, I am always looking for the next painting.” Through his work, Kreutz indeed takes us on a engaging road trip.
Over time, each artist develops a particular style. Kreutz applies his paint in discrete patches of value and color, the eye mixing them together at a distance. He has an eye for pattern, and much of his work is an arrangement of the textures and surfaces of nature, enhanced by light. In “Grand Canyon Vista,” color areas in the distance become pure shape. The colors of “Road to Tuscon, Rocks” are so fresh that you can almost smell the sage along the trail and feel the sunlight in your eyes. Don’t miss this show – it ends September 29.
You’ll find an abundance of pictorial excitement in the main galleries. Chris Jeszeck’s two “action” paintings are both comical and vibrant. In “Grandma’s Birthday” an elderly woman skydives, and “Mine!” depicts a pair of zany dogs leaping into the boundless blue sky. Vicki Andersen’s large format painting of one her quintessential white fences is a piece de resistance in the genre. “White Fence with Daisies” sends a jolt through the viewer with its dynamic beauty. Valerie de Mille’s “War,” a large, painted collage of the word WAR, affects us similarly, but is a wake-up call to arms.
Subtle works of art can also generate strong emotions. Linda Gooch’s serene watercolor “On Santa Rosa Road” captures fall colors and distant mountains with intense quietude. Diane Atturio’s trio of watercolors, including “Fall Beauties,” are delicately painted. Working from life, Atturio shares with intimacy her love of native flora. Kristine Kelly works miracles of elegance in her fused glass painting, “Oregon Coast.”
Use the Cypress Gallery as your go-to gift store for cards, jewelery, glassware, small paintings, journals and more. All works are handcrafted by our artists. Come October, the Cypress Gallery will be the venue of our community-wide Fall Show, entitled “Square Perspectives.” Please review the show prospectus on our website soon, as space is limited. Explore your creativity. Take a trip with us!
PHOTO CAPTIONS
All photos by Bill Morson
George Kreutz “Grand Canyon Vista”
George Kreutz “Road to Tuscon, Rocks”
George Kreutz “Lake Hodges”
Chris Jeszeck “Grandma’s Birthday”
Chris Jeszeck “Mine!”
Vicki Andersen “White Fence with Daisies”
Valerie De Mille “War”
Linda Gooch “On Santa Rosa Road”
Diane Atturio “Fall Beauties”
Kristine Kelly “Oregon Coast”