Lily Pad Gallery’s Milwaukee, Wisconsin, location marks a milestone this October—its fifth anniversary. To celebrate the occasion, the gallery will host an exhibition of paintings and sculptures by a selection of its represented artists. Some of the artists have been exhibiting at the gallery since it opened its doors—such as Michael Patterson and David Dunlop—while others are newcomers including Cathy Hegman and John Paul Berry.
Jeff Faust, Portrait of a Jar, acrylic on canvas, 48 x 36"
As a landscape painter, Dunlop spends time observing the landscape looking for fresh views and ideas that are later translated to paintings that also convey his feelings and observations. Close to the Surface is a painting featuring shallow water and its reflections. He elaborates, “The experience of observing translucent, shallow water offers the challenge of painting multiple perceptions within a single visual frame.
Peter Batchelder, Majestic, oil on canvas, 20 x 20"
I refer to the experience of seeing through the water to elements beneath the surface, as well as seeing elements floating on the surface and how they commingle with reflections and shadows. Psychologically I enjoy creating an experience which offers the viewer infinite distance versus immediate proximity. I enjoy finding opportunities for creating atmospheric mystery cohabiting with the visual clutter of sharp-edged nearby information. Balancing the mysteries of ambiguity and the clarity of legibility is my artist’s teeter-totter and a joyful ride.”
David Dunlop, Close to the Surface, oil on brushed silver enameled aluminum composite, 24 x 36"When Jeff Faust begins a new painting, he never knows exactly where it might lead. His still life Portrait of a Jar reflects his intrigue of the object, set as an icon in the composition. “I’ve always loved the remarkable array of shapes and contours of jars and bowls, both ancient and modern,” he says. “Portrait of a Jar is my humble homage to what they have given me for so many years.”
Peter Batchelder often finds inspiration when exploring the secondary and country roads in towns around New England. Such was the case for Majestic, which was derived from a scene he saw in Massachusetts that was tucked away into the woods. “The barn was huge, old and in poor shape, but it loomed from within its wooded setting, as if it had once played a more prominent role in the landscape,” explains the artist. “I initially intended to paint the piece with more of the trees that shielded it from view from the road, but I opted to leave most of them out to make the structure the focus, and to give it back some of the grandeur it had lost over the years.”
Andy Newman, Plane Trees Among the N86 10, oil on panel, 10½ x 7"
The show runs October 1 to November 7 and October 15 is a reception in conjunction with MKE Gallery Night. Artists will have painting demonstrations and talks, including a plein air demonstration with Diane Washa and a presentation on the Boston School by Liz Hunter, who is the widow of artist Robert Douglas Hunter. —
Lily Pad West
215 N. Broadway • Milwaukee, WI 53202
(414) 509-5756 • www.lilypadgallery.com
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