Cincinnati Artists Shine at ARTclectic™
By Marlene Steele
Greater Cincinnati’s newest gallery, ARTclectic™, opens its doors with new energy and a fresh consortium of local artists.
Gallery owners, Starr and Tarry Shebesta, are boundlessly enthusiastic about the variety of talent found in the Cincinnati area as well as the diversity of medium and subject matter that configures their current presentation.Their opening exhibition in July features the internationally recognized watercolors of Chris Krupinski with several samples from all their artists.
Chris fills full size watercolor sheets with tantalizingly real still lifes of fruit and folds of drapery.
“I choose to primarily paint still life compositions.The elements that I use (fruit and quilts or other material) offer a wide variety of composition and design opportunities.” states Chris Krupinski, “In fact, I look beyond the realism to the abstract design created by lights and darks, fabric design, folds, and the large shapes created by the fruit.”
Krupinski’s compositions devise pictorial contrast by pairing the fruit with color compliments and size differentials, such as the trio of sunny yellow lemons with hints of cool green and the deep red violet stemmed cherries.The reflective glass bowl with its rhymically scalloped ridges conciliate the diametrically opposed black and white striped drapery that courses underneath the still life elements.
In another composition, “Berry Nice”, Krupinski appeals to the great summer treat: fresh varietal berries.Ravishing blackberries dominate the composition in the tallest stemmed glass, rollicking red strawberries in a short stemmed brandy snifter and blushing blueberries are corralled in a vintage after dinner liqueur glass.A flamboyant ridge of red and white striped drapery adds an element of mystery to the composition as it camouflages from behind the various stemmed glassware while a few escapees animate the lower white corner.
“The lights and darks are paramount in the design” says the artist.
Karpinski’s feature fall watercolor brings together everyone’s favorite memories from the season: cozy quilts, caramels and crisp apples. Three rosy ripened apples are nestled in the folds of a colorful, handmade quilt across the top of the composition.The yellow greens, gentle pinks and flaming reds of the apples and the mellow caramels, glinting in the bowl, play with the variety of patterns in the old-timey quilt. The organization of the apples from high on the upper right to low on the left is counterbalanced by the subtle opposing lift in the hand-sewn seamwork of the quilt. Old-fashion caramel candies spill from a pretty candy glass and cascade down the side of a larger diagonal fold in the quilt extending the composition in the bottom half of the image.The double stripe of golden yellow checkerboard catches the eye, tying into the light yellow greens on the shoulder of the highest apple.The sunlight focus on of the main characters is the subtle element that pulls it all together as the deep purple shadows, dominating the top of the composition and looping downward in large scallops, both accentuate and compliment the ripe fall fruit and candies.
The watercolors of Ken Landon Buck, Bruce Allan Neville and Thomas Schroeder will catch your eye here.
A variety of sculpture work can also be enjoyed in the gallery. Consider the abstract metal work of Mark Schlachter and the carvings and cast pieces of John Leon, both members of the Cincinnati Art Club
Starr Shebesta, whose vision and energy launched this gallery, enthusiastically expresses her support, “We are excited to have such an accomplished and world-renowned artist kick off our featured artist exhibitions. It’s exhilarating to share these amazing works with the local art-loving community.”