Oil Painters of America 34th National Exhibition at Herrig Center for the Arts

"Day Tripper" by Sean Witucki (Depew, NY) 

The new Herrig Center for the Arts (formerly Art Center Manatee) is now home to the 34th National Exhibit of the Oil Painters of America (OPA). The space is filled with light and showcases the 200+ works of these master artists beautifully. OPA is an organization dedicated to the preservation of representational art. With more than 3500 members, it's no surprise that the artists whose work was selected for this exhibit achieve that mission in very different ways. Read (but mostly look) on to see a few of the works in the show. 

"Day Tripper" by Sean Witucki was one of the first works to greet us. Wow. While boat motors aren't a subject that would typically draw my attention, the realism of this work did. I felt like you could lift this motor up, secure it to a fishing boat and head out for a day on the water. And that's exactly what Witucki was going for in this painting. Growing up in the Berkshires, he developed a love for the great outdoors to which this painting pays homage (in a slightly indirect way). For more examples of Witucki's work, click here. 

"Red Lips" by McGarren Flack (St. George, Utah)

It was the hairstyle of the woman in McGarren Flack's "Red Lips" that drew me in. It's just so cute. But as I looked more closely at the painting, I began to appreciate the detail in his work. Just look at the patterning on her blouse and the thin chain with three small silver balls and the letter A hanging from it. I'm curious about the meaning behind the letter. Is this the first initial of her name or does it have some deeper significance? It's up to the viewer to decide. 

My research on Flack revealed that he's known for quite different work than the one on display here -- paintings of emergency scenes. While the topic is a bit unusual, it makes sense once you know that Flack grew up with visions of becoming a doctor. His career path swerved from medicine to art after taking a drawing class to fulfill a college course requirement. Drawn from his work as a paramedic, his emergency scenes are pretty disturbing. He noted in an interview that while those works are satisfying to create, they aren't the type of painting most people want to hang in their homes. And so he balances that work with more marketable images such as "Red Lips." To see some of Flack's emergency scenes, click here. And for his website, click here.  

"Tibetan Plateau" by Tony Luo (Levittown, New York) 

"Tibetan Plateau" by Tong (Tony) Luo is a work I could easily imagine hanging in a museum. Luo is a master of chiarascuro, or the treatment of light and shading. (Think Rembrandt or Caravaggio.) The nuance this technique enabled him to achieve in his portrait of a Tibetan woman is truly impressive. 

Luo grew up in the Henan Province of China where his father taught traditional Chinese ink and brush painting. While Luo's style is wholly different, I wasn't surprised to learn he was introduced to art at an early age. Although Luo now lives in New York, his subject matter harkens back to his home. He spends at least two months each year in Tibet to rejuvenate his artistic spirit. 

To see more of Luo's work, click here. In addition to more paintings of almost regal Tibetan women. there are some works that are a bit titillating. I'd love to know more about this dichotomy.  

"Got Your Back" by Robin Cheers (Austin, Texas)

I'll leave you with "Got Your Back" by Robin Cheers. It's one of several works in the show that had a red dot on it indicating that it had been sold. Congrats, Robin! 

"Got Your Back" was one of the more impressionistic paintings in the exhibit. The work captures the feeling of controlled chaos in a commerical kitchen. So much movement! 

Cheers paints in alla prima style, meaning that she creates each painting in a single session. This style of painting requires the artist to paint "wet-on-wet," a special skill. It's a technique championed by Monet, whose work was ridiculed as creating a mere impression of a scene. This sense of immediacy is exactly what Cheers is going for in her work. Color me impressed. For Cheers' website, click here.

The Oil Painters of America 34th National Exhibition runs through June 27th, so time is short to see the show in person. It's well worth the trek to Bradenton. If you can't make it, you can click here to see the exhibit. Congrats to the Herrig Center for introducing people to the new space with such a special show.