On Friday, October 15, Oil Painters of America will open its annual Western Regional Exhibition at Mary R. Koch Arts Center, known as Mark Arts, in Wichita, Kansas. The exhibition will highlight representational oil paintings by artists who live in the Western region of the United States, Mexico and Canada.
Rose Irelan, Illuminant Tide Pools, oil, 20 x 40"
This year’s jurors selected 135 works of art by Associate and Signature members of the group including from Victoria Brooks, Paul Cheng, Jane Coleman, Jan Fontecchio, Rose Irelan, Julie Gilbert Pollard and Larry C. Winborg. On view will be still lifes, figurative works, landscapes and more .
Pollard’s painting In West Fork Canyon is among the juried paintings; it is a beautifully textured work showing a stream amongst the trees. Pollard is the author and artist of Discover Oil Painting, Watercolor Unleashed and Brilliant Color, and she delights in sharing her favorite subject in numerous art instruction venues across the United States and abroad.
Victoria Brooks, Vintage, oil on linen, 24 x 18"
Julie Gilbert Pollard, In West Fork Canyon, oil, 10 x 12"
In the painting His Best Friends, Winborg depicts a cowboy on horseback with his dog walking alongside. The artist says, “Everyone thinks the cowboy is a self-portrait. The truth is, he was just an exceptionally handsome cowboy I met out on the trail.”
Jan Fontecchio, Bluebird and Dead Butterflies, oil, 16 x 20"
Irelan’s Illuminant Tide Pools is all about the light as it hits the waves. Explaining the inspiration, she says, “As the sun’s last rays beamed off the water to the music of the crashing waves, my spirit felt illuminated…it was this moment that I wanted to capture.”
Jane Coleman, Taking Inventory, oil on linen, 18 x 24"
Paul Cheng, Crystal Beach, CA, oil, 20 x 24"
Brooks is represented in the show by Vintage, which depicts a young girl sitting on the hood of an old vehicle. Brooks has participated in some 245 juried group and solo exhibitons around the world and her commitment to her artistic journey is a classic story of how to transform a dream into reality.
Larry C. Winborg, His Best Friends, oil on panel, 30 x 24"
The opening reception for the Western Regional Exhibition is October 15 from 5:30 to 8 p.m. with an awards presentation at 7 p.m. Signature member Jeremy Goodding will serve as the awarding juror. The exhibition will remain on view at Mark Arts through November 27. —
Oil Painters of America’s Western Regional Exhibition
When: October 15-November 27, 2021; October 15, 5:30-8 p.m., reception and awards presentation
Where: Mary R. Koch Arts Center (Mark Arts), 1307 N. Rock Road, Wichita, KS 67206
Information: www.oilpaintersofamerica.com
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