A deep appreciation of nature is one of Bill Garibyan’s greatest motivations as an artist, but he also genuinely loves the painting process itself. “There is something deeply satisfying about observing a place, interpreting what I see and feel, and translating that experience onto canvas.”

Viewers will soon have an opportunity to see a dozen new interpretations of the landscape by Garibyan in a show at Idaho Art Gallery in Boise that celebrates the natural beauty of the region. Titled In Pursuit of Light,the show opens on September 29 and runs through October 31, with an artist reception on Thursday, October 1, from 5 to 9 p.m.

Hiking, oil on canvas, 20 x 24 in.

Art runs deep in Garibyan’s genes and stretches back to his childhood in the former Soviet Union, where his father was an artist, as were many of his relatives, “so creativity has always felt like a natural part of who I am,” he explains. Although his Idaho landscapes convey a deep intimacy with the terrain, as an immigrant to the state in 1991 after the collapse of the Soviet Union, that connection took time to develop.

“The transition was not easy at first,” he shares. “…Over time, however, Idaho began to feel like home. I became increasingly inspired by its expansive skies, changing light and natural beauty. That connection to my surroundings eventually encouraged me to return to making art. In that sense, Idaho became an important part of my artistic journey—it helped lead me back to painting.”

Fall in the Woods, oil on canvas, 36 x 48 in.

For this new series, Garibyan turned his focus to simplification. “Rather than including every detail of a landscape, I am focusing on what is essential to the scene, its composition, atmosphere, light and feeling,” he says. “Technically, I am exploring…a more limited color palette, and stronger contrasts between light and shadow. By reducing the number of elements and colors within a painting, the relationships between light and dark become more important and more dramatic. For me, this series represents an evolution toward saying more with less.”

This dramatic intensity of light and shadow is on full display in the nocturne Magic of the Night,a mountain scene defined by cobalt darkness and sunlit ridges so stark one can almost feel the cold air. Garibyan says, “I wanted to simplify the landscape enough that the viewer would immediately experience that relationship between the darkness, the areas touched by light, and the atmosphere created between them. I wanted the painting to capture not simply what the landscape looked like, but the feeling and mystery of experiencing it at night.”

Tranquility, oil on canvas, 36 x 48 in. 

His painting Hiking was inspired by the sense of discovery one can only truly experience when moving through the landscape on foot. “…You notice the changing terrain, the distance ahead, and the way the scenery gradually reveals itself as you move through it,” he explains. “I wanted this painting to capture that feeling of exploration and the quiet anticipation of not knowing exactly what lies beyond the next turn. It is as much about the journey through the landscape as it is about the landscape itself.”

Magic of Night, oil on canvas, 20 x 24 in.

Tranquility, in which a lazy river meanders into the distance under a canopy of green, captures the peaceful serenity Garibyan felt while beholding the scene.

“Ultimately, that is at the heart of my work—I paint what I feel,” he says. “I am not simply trying to reproduce a place exactly as it appears. I want the painting to convey my emotional response to being there.” —

Idaho Art Gallery  702 W. Idaho Street, Suite 105 Boise, ID 83702 • idahoartgallery@gmail.com www.idahoartgallery.com 

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