Posts from ‘Plein Air’
The Grand Teton Association Presents the 2012 “Artists in the Environment” Plein Air Summer Series Schedule, Grand Teton National Park
Gregory I. McHuron
Date: June 9, 2012
Location: Blacktail Pond
Time: 4:00 – 7:00 pm
Gregory I. McHuron has been painting wildlife and landscapes throughout the United States and Canada for 35 years. A Syracuse native, he was raised in Colorado, Wyoming, Alaska and California.
McHuron has long painted Jackson’s surrounding area and the West, capturing a wide variety of subjects. He is active in many arts organizations, including the Wyoming Artists Association, Wind River Artist Association, Scottsdale School of the Arts and The Lodge at Palisades. His paintings are featured at the National Museum of Wildlife Art and the CM Russell Show. Grand Teton National Park, Isle Royale National Park, and Gates of the Artic National Park and Preserve include McHuron’s work in their permanent collections.
“People have said that they are immediately struck by my strong sense of design–then, the interesting color combinations, juxtapositions, and light and dark patterns,” says McHuron. “The common thread in all my work is that I was there.” McHuron often puts himself in extreme conditions in order to get the painting he wants. Standing in rivers and on the edge of cliffs, bobbing in a raft down the Grand Canyon, or accidentally finding himself in the middle of a buffalo stampede aren’t unusual circumstances.
McHuron co-founded “Artists in the Environment” with landscape artist Conrad Schwiering. He is represented by Jackson’s Trailside Galleries.
I hope Spring Break is being good to everyone here in Jackson Hole!
As noted in a previous post, this summer Grand Teton National Park (GTNP) plays host to the Rocky Mountain Plein Air Painters (RMPAP); the nationally acclaimed group arrives in the Park to paint July 1 – 12th. July 13-15, a fine art show and sale, benefitting GTNP, will be held at the Craig Thomas Discovery & Visitors Center in Moose, Wyoming. A gala opening reception takes place there on Friday, July 13, at 7:00 pm. Thursday, July 12, artists will participate in a Quick Draw, 4:00 – 6:00 pm. Please note: Quick Draw paintings will be included for sale in the show at the artist’s discretion. There will NOT be a sale or silent auction following the Quick Draw. The show concludes Sunday, July 15th, at 4:00 pm.
Jackson Hole artist Erin C. O’Connor will give a free plein air painting demonstration at String Lake, Grand Teton National Park on Saturday, September 10, 2011, 2:00-5:00 pm. O’Connor’s appearance winds up the Grand Teton Association’s 2011 “Artists in the Environment” plein air series, and coincides with the opening days of Jackson Hole’s Fall Arts Festival. (Tuesday, September 6th, the Jackson Hole Art Blog will post the first of two Fall Arts Festival calendars!)
O’Connor finds her greatest inspiration by painting directly within the environment. Noted for her participation in many prestigious plein air events, she is represented in collections and exhibits throughout the country. Since being awarded the 2009 Joshua Tree National Park “Artist-in-Residency”
post, she has taken part in numerous Rocky Mountain Plein Air Painters (RMPAP) events, most recently being awarded “Artists’ Choice, Best Body of Work” by her peers at RMPAP’s Pagosa Springs, Colorado competition. Plein Air Magazine’s Spring 2011 issue named the artist one of “Today’s Masters.”
“To gain the endorsements of your fellow artists–there’s no higher accolade,” O’Connor says.
O’Connor came to Jackson 25 years ago, and stays because it’s a place where she and so many others are free to “follow their bliss.” As an artist, you can never paint as much as you’d like, she says. O’Connor sees the world around her afresh daily. It’s a point of ecstasy or a point of madness–but for her, wanting to paint everything you see–and seeing everything as a painting–is a gift.
O’Connor drew and painted from the time she was little.
“When I first started painting en plein air I’d say I strove more to capture details and “true” colors than I do now,” she notes. “Now, I don’t get as wrapped up in those details. It’s the essence behind the details I want to capture. That was never a conscious decision–you’re not going to change the way you paint, it’s like your signature. My style is not really contemporary, not really traditional. The Taos Ten greatly influenced me, and the California Impressionists–the people in the U.S. who were painting outside. It was their clarity of light and brilliant color.”
Describing herself as essentially a “solitary individual,” O’Connor has lately been painting hay bales–”round bales, square bales, hay loaves, hay
laying on the ground, in stripes and in piles!” Painting alone allows her to stay in her “zone,” frees her to get into her signature style. Summers, O’Connor works as a landscaper. The job gets her outside, and she can think about how to access certain scenes.
“I’m not above stopping on the Wilson Bridge and placing orange cones around me so I can paint! But there’s usually an easier way,” says a smiling O’Connor.
A few years ago, while painting at String Lake, a Western Tanager flew down to perch on the artist’s easel.
“I don’t know if it was attracted to the colors of the paint or if it was a mooch! It was a great experience,” recalls O’Connor. “There’s so much going on at String Lake. There are the mountains, so dramatic. There’s the lake itself, quiet and serene. It’s shallow enough to see logs beneath the water’s surface, everything is so interesting, there’s so much to choose from. And it’s an honor to be asked back to “Artists in the Environment.”
NOTE: There are several parking areas at String Lake. To hook up with “Artists in the Environment,” proceed to the furthest parking area–String Lake’s Picnic Area lot. Walk a short distance north, up the shoreline, and find O’Connor “in plein sight,” alongside the lake.
Contact: Tammy Christel tammy@jacksonholearttours.com
Nationally acclaimed artist Scott Christensen will give a live plein air demonstration at Grand Teton National Park’s Cathedral Group Turnout, Saturday, August 13, 2-5 pm. Christensen’s demonstration is the third of four such “Artists in the Environment” events this summer. The series is a Grand Teton Association program. The public is welcome to attend, and the event is free, with entry to Grand Teton National Park.
After nearly three decades at the easel, Scott Christensen’s painting has reached the highest level. For Christensen, painting transcends passion; it is as necessary as breathing. Largely self-taught, Christensen became an artist via a circuitous route. Born in Lander, Wyoming, a place of extreme geography and wild beauty, Christensen quickly developed his aesthetic. It was not until college, however, that he would recognize nature as his muse. While attending Nebraska’s Chardon State on a football scholarship, Christensen sustained a severe neck injury that left him unable to compete. Bereft, he sought solace in fly fishing, and he visited his grandfather, a wheelchair-bound amateur oil painter. The scent of oils stirred Christensen’s imagination, and he took a leap of faith, enrolling in art classes.
Christensen’s energy courses through paintings, deeply moving us. A sophisticated world traveler, his work opens our eyes to the beauty of
places as varied as California’s twilight coasts to England’s storied countrysides. Embodying both tradition and innovation, Christensen’s paintings are a culmination of nature’s beauty and the delight Christensen takes in the journey.
“The process alone,” he says, “is worth the effort.”
Scott Christensen is an internationally recognized artist. Over the years he has pursued painting with the discipline he once brought to sports. An atypical combination of athleticism, scholarly curiosity, and an ardent desire to experience nature are the alchemy of Christensen’s success. Most recently he’s been invited to show in Russia’s Ilya Repin St. Petersburg State Academic Institute for Painting, Sculpture, and Architecture. Christensen’s work is part of Grand Teton National Park’s Craig Thomas Visitors’ Center prestigious permanent collection.
Free to all, viewers are invited to bring a chair, a snack, and those who would like to are welcome to paint alongside the artist. Look for the big, bright “Artist’s Demonstration” banner! For more information, email: tammy@jacksonholearttours.com.
UPDATE: Click here to see photos of Scott Christensen’s “Artist in the Environment” August 13th demonstration!
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Astoria Fine Art features a Showcase of New Works by artist Jimmy Dyer. Show dates are August 5-14th, and and artist’s reception will be held at the gallery on Friday, August 12, 5-7:00 pm.
“Jimmy Dyer is dedicated to communicating through his art the beauty that he sees in life,” notes the gallery. “He has a knack for finding captivating landscapes and his colorful light-filled images represent timeless subjects from around the world. He believes it is important to paint directly from life to create art with integrity and energy, a practice he lives by today.” Dyer relishes the challenge of simultaneously capturening light, form, design, the magic of nature, and “the power of the human face and form.” But, says Dyer, his favorite natural element is sunlight. For this show, Dyer paints the Tetons, Snake River and Mount Moran basking in the glow of a hot Wyoming sun.
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New works by Ashley Collins are on exhibit at Diehl Gallery, August 13 – September 7, 2011. An artist’s reception takes place Saturday, August 13,
5-8:00 pm.
“Collins has surpassed both trend and time to create works which are distinct and carry an imprint which is instantly recognizabl,” says the gallery. “It is these very traits that have caused the price points to keep rising as more and more collectors drive prices. Collins has exhibited with Robert Rauschenberg, Jim Dine, Laddie Dill, Robert Motherwell, and others as her journey has progressed…into successful acquisition by collectors, dealers and museums worldwide.” Some sales proceeds benefit the Jackson Land Trust.
The Grand Teton Association’s Artists in the Environment series continues when Idaho-based artist Greta Gretzinger paints en plein air at Mormon Row, Grand Teton National Park, on Saturday, July 9, 2-5:00 pm. The event is free, and open to the public.
Greta Gretzinger is known for her large scale murals depicting wilderness landscapes and wildlife. She has painted in Jackson Hole and Idaho for more than 18 years, and is one of the area’s most beloved artists. Gretzinger’s lively and illustrative portraits of Western life appear in public spaces and local parks
across Idaho and Teton County. Gretzinger relishes painting on non-traditional surfaces. Trailers, garage doors, automobiles, and many an exterior wall have found new life as a result of her whimsical creativity. Gretzinger’s work leaves everyone smiling; her style is unmistakable. Incorporating a gentle joke and local personalities into her paintings is a hallmark.
“I particularly like to add a twist on traditional themes and subjects,” says the artist. Gretzinger’s “twists” are sparkling threads of color woven into Jackson’s fabric. Her vivid, celebratory murals adorn a variety of landmarks; many of her fans consider Gretzinger’s alley-length landscape mural behind Jackson’s Sundance Inn her masterpiece.
“I want to do a painting of Mormon Row as being populated by wildlife pioneers and homesteaders. The location is real, but the figures will be whimsical. I can’t wait! This demonstration will be lots of fun,” says Gretzinger.
“Artists in the Environment” is funded by the Grand Teton Association, an organization whose purpose is to promote appreciation, understanding and enjoyment of the Grand Teton National Park and the Greater Yellowstone Area. Free to all, viewers are invited to bring a chair and a snack; those who would like to are welcome to paint alongside the artist. Look for the “Artist Demonstration” banner!
Upcoming “Artists in the Environment” dates:
- Scott Christensen paints at The Cathedral Group on August 13, 2011
- Erin C. O’Connor paints at String Lake on September 10, 2011.
For more information, contact me, Tammy Christel, via email: tammy@jacksonholearttours.com. http://www.grandtetonpark.org
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September Vhay’s new collection of paintings, Alacrity, opens with an artist’s reception at Trio Fine Art on July 7th, 5 – 8:00 pm. Vhay will speak about the work 6:30-7:00 pm, and the exhibition remains on display through July 23,2011. Paintings and sketches are included in this show, and subject matter includes Georgia O’Keeffe inspired paintings and studies of orchids. And might Lee Carlman Riddell’s hummingbird studies have inspired Vhay’s own sketches of those zipping, capitvating birds? Look through her on-line sketchbook and you will see Vhay’s renderings of horses, orchids, dogs, otters, hummingbirds and more.
Trio Fine Art: 307.734.4444
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Factory Studios Open House Alert: The public is invited to an evening of art and music at Factory Headquarters, down on Gregory Lane. July 8 is the date, and the time is 6-9:00 pm. Good music by the Deadlocks, good mingling–hang out and meet Factory artist residents Abbie Miller, Aaron Wallis, Tony Birkholz, Peggy Prugh, Mark and Wade Dunstan, Camille Davis, XOWYO, Alissa Davies, and David Gonzalez (TreeFight!).
Jenny Meyer and other artists will exhibit work in the main gallery. Barring major rain delays Wimbleton will be over, but the Factory says attendees have the chance to play a little Wimbleton-style ping pong. Facebook Event page here.
