Artist John Hubbard in his studio. (Photo courtesy Finlandia University)An opening reception for the artist will take place from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. on Thursday, May 28, at the gallery. An artist talk will begin at 7:15 p.m. The reception is free and open to the public. Refreshments will be served.
Drawing inspiration from well-known Canadian painters, The Group of Seven and the California impressionists, John Hubbard’s recent series of landscape paintings, created during a recent sabbatical, express the rugged beauty and luminous light of the northern landscape. Closely cropped water patterns, treetops viewed from below and the blue-green light of the deep forest fill Hubbard’s canvases.
Spider Trees 2009, Oil on Canvas, 18" x 24," is one of John Hubbard's recent northern landscape paintings. (Photo courtesy Finlandia University)Working alla prima, from the Italian "at once," Hubbard created each painting in one sitting. He begins his process by searching the surrounding woods and photographing thousands of images, seeking to capture a fleeting quality of light that will bring authenticity to his landscape painting.
"My goal as a painter is not to duplicate the photo, but to bring to the viewer those aspects of the image that are significant and to make it look not like a photo, but a painting that was done with brushes, rags, fingers and paint," notes Hubbard. "The interest in a painting or any work of art is the unique visual formation of the marks that differ from one person to the next."
Hubbard is also interested in conveying through his work the inherent value and vulnerability of nature.
"The relation of man and nature has been explored by many artists, especially the Hudson River artists; but my concern is different in that I am fearful of man’s impact on the environment as we face global warming and other events that may affect our world as we know it," says Hubbard, adding that his future work will continue to explore these concerns.
The productive and creative momentum created in Hubbard’s recent sabbatical, and continuing intensive painting research, are significant influences in his work. In this new series of landscape paintings, Hubbard continues to refine his process as he discovers new techniques and ideas.
A professor in the School of Art and Design at Northern Michigan University for nearly 40 years, Hubbard teaches drawing, painting and printmaking. His work has been exhibited in numerous one-person and juried exhibits. Public commissions of his work include the Fredeen Art Project in Marquette and the Copper Country Mental Health Building in Houghton.
The Finlandia University Gallery is in the Finnish American Heritage Center, 435 Quincy Street, Hancock. Gallery hours are Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; Wednesday, 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.; or by appointment. Please call 906-487-7500 for more information.
No comments:
Post a Comment