Last Sunday after church at Trinity Cathedral I took a gander over to the adjacent Olney Gallery to see the latest exhibit. Usually I’m delighted with the featured artist who in most cases is someone I was not aware of before. I also prefer to peruse the gallery on a Sunday afternoon as the First Friday events are too congested and hectic for me. Anyways, Mare Czinar is currently the featured artist who has some delightful Arizona landscape paintings in oil.
My admiration for artists is considerable as I have no discernible talent for paintings in oils, watercolors, acrylics or anything else where painting is concerned. I especially look forward to the many ways artists interpret Arizona landscapes and always wonder about the process involved for each artist to create works that many of us enjoy. From reading some online profiles I learned that Czinar is also a freelance journalist and writes extensively about the many hiking trails in Arizona, whether they are the most challenging mountain trails or those within urban areas.
It’s easy to realize where much of her painting inspiration likely comes from. Hiking provides ideal opportunities to view sites up close or to get amazing overviews the higher you climb. I always enjoy any paintings or photos of the Cathedral Rock area at Sedona, as it’s a magnificent focal point of Arizona nature.
The other artist featured at Olney Gallery this month is Christin Quissell. She is a private art instructor and excels in creating a wide array of watercolors from her impressions of nature. The painting shown below is called “Eucalyptus Grove”. The soft hues have a pleasant, dream-like quality that is very appealing to gaze upon.
The darker bluish/green on the right, off center has an enticing sense of mystery. This might resemble a tunnel of overlapping Eucalyptus branches where little sunlight reaches the forest floor. It also creates a sense of a cool, well-shaded respite from the harsh afternoon sun. I would be curious to see what little creatures might be inhabiting the grove, and no doubt, it would be an ideal gathering place for birds of all types. This immediately brings to mind the word ‘oasis’ to best describe the scene. Although I’m usually not enthusiastic about most watercolors, I really enjoy this one, and would like to attend at least one of Quissell’s art classes to observe her creative process.
For more information about these artists & the Olney Gallery Exhibit check out the following site: http:yourvalley.net
