Showing posts with label artist reception November 30. Show all posts
Showing posts with label artist reception November 30. Show all posts

Dec 7, 2012

More Art from Featured Artist Michele Wells

Born in Vancouver Canada, Michele attended art school there in the 1980's but did not choose art as her career. After moving to St. Louis in 1994 she started painting watercolors, however she switched to pastels in 1999. 

Recently she has started combining the two mediums with great results. Michele likes to paint landscapes and abstracts in her studio at home, however her favorite subject matter is "plein air" landscapes.


Apple Orchard, Pastel Painting by Michele Wells

View of the Alps, Pastel Painting by Michele Wells


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Blog post by Gateway Gallery Artist Daniel Fishback.

Nov 27, 2012

Gateway Gallery Artist Greg Matchick's New Series "Natural Beauty - Intimate Missouri Landscapes" on exhibit through the end of December 2012

Photographer Greg Matchick explores some of the spectacular ways in which light transforms the Missouri Ozarks into an enchanting place of beauty. At the edge of day light enters and retreats from the river valleys creating scenes which are fleeting moments in time. Colors can sometimes even become surreal under such conditions and the result can be quite beautiful, as can be seen in these photographs. Here are some of the subjects:

Rocky Creek: These images were taken as the last light of day retreated from the Rocky Creek valley and the shut-ins on Mill Mountain while the golden trees, in their autumn splendor, glow as the last rays of sunlight illuminate them.

Photograph by Greg Matchick

Johnson's Shut Ins: The light which produced these images was truly spectacular. In early morning, as light entered the Black River valley it cut through fog and illuminated the tops of select trees while bathing the opposite hillside in warm colors, reflecting in the river. The evening light can be purely magical, transforming the river into liquid gold as it contrasts with the grey granite which takes on blue tones in the shadows under the evening sky.

Photograph by Greg Matchick

Hawn State Park/Pickle Springs: In late autumn the bare trees mix with the subtle hues of lingering leaves along Pickle Creek combining with the sandstone creek bed to create visual textures and detail in the quiet solitude. The natural sandstone plays an important role in these unique ecosystems. One of the unique features is the sandstone arch at Pickle Springs Nature Area.

Photograph by Greg Matchick

Marble Creek: At the edge of day, as the sun retreats behind the Ozark hills, autumn colors can enhance the beauty of this creek along the Ozark Trail.

Photograph by Greg Matchick

Missouri: Missouri is truly blessed with a quiet beauty that is at its best in these moments when light and earth embrace at the edge of day. I hope this exhibit helps you as a viewer to appreciate this beauty that is just outside our doorstep.

Photograph by Greg Matchick

About the Artist: Greg is a fifth generation native of St. Louis and lives in the historic Carondelet community. He is a self-taught photographer having developed a creative eye and techniques through years of trial and error. He photographs his subjects using available light with a keen eye for composition and lighting. His prints have been displayed around the St. Louis area in various venues, from art fairs to juried exhibitions; and his work and articles have been published in national photography magazines.

Photograph by Greg Matchick

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Blog post by Gateway Gallery Artist Daniel Fishback.

Nov 23, 2012

Reflections by Michele Wells on her trip to Southern Germany.

Pastel by Michele Wells

Gateway Gallery's next theme show was brought on by a trip to Germany for Michele Wells. She spent 10 days visiting with family in the very South of Germany. Here is her experience in her own words....

I flew into Munich on August 4 and was picked up by my Dad and Step Mother. My Dad was born in Germany and spent his childhood there. They now live in Vancouver Canada but he has many friends and family to visit.  After visiting with my Dad's cousins for a few hours we drove 2+ hours southwest to the little town of Markdorf Germany just a few miles north of the Bodensee also known as Lake Constance. My parents had arranged to swap houses and cars for a month with a family from this little town so we had a nice spacious place to stay and a way to get around. We used this as a central place to do our day tripping from.

One of my favorite drives was east into Bavaria. Our plan was to go to Fussen and take some photos of the famous Neuschwanstein castle. The drive there was one of the most beautiful with the view of the alpine valleys and the Austrian Alps. When we got to the castle we were disappointed to find the castle covered in scaffolding and huge crowds so we turned back to the old town site and spent the afternoon in Fussen. This is a beautiful old town just a mile or so from the castle.

Pastel by Michele Wells

Another day trip was through the Black Forest stopping in Titisee, a small mountain town next to a beautiful lake. Of course we had to have black forest cake for lunch. We drove on through to Frieberg and found a huge market surrounding the old Cathedral in the center of town. There were many venders selling things from flowers, produce, sausages, mushrooms, handmade brooms and brushes to items made from olive tree wood. And much much more. We took the drive south along the Rhine on the trip home.

The small towns dotting the edge of the lake were all great places to visit. One of my favorites was Meersberg. It is a very beautiful town set up on a bluff. We shopped, had lunch and toured the old castle. Another day was spent riding a ferry along the lake. It stopped at 7 or 8 towns dropping off and picking up passengers. It was like a mini cruise. We got off at Lindau and had a nice leisurely lunch and then took the next ferry back. This was about a 7 hour round trip and the weather could not have been better.

Pastel by Michele Wells

Many of our other days were spent driving the countryside and visiting the small villages and markets of the area. The landscape is full of agriculture with a wide variety of crops. We saw orchards, vineyards, corn and many grains to name a few. I was always amazed at the number of beautiful window boxes, many of them filled with Geraniums. Almost every building had them.

On the last full day we drove back to Munich to be close to the airport for my flight the next day. This also happened to be my birthday. While there we went to the famous Hoffbrau House for lunch. Unfortunately it was not our best experience in a restaurant. The food was just okay and the service was not great. But our decision to eat cake for dinner was a great one especially since it also happened to be my birthday. We found a nice little place near the hotel that had great cake and coffee. Our last evening was spent strolling through the city park known as The English Garden. We had heard to look out for the surfers and could not imagine what this meant. It turns out there is a place in the river that has some large waves and there were many young guys surfing in the middle of the park. Too funny.

Pastel by Michele Wells

It was a great visit. I took over 1000 photos and all of my paintings for this show were done in my studio from some of these photos. There are so many great subject matters it was hard to just pick a few.

Next.... I am planning a painting trip to France in Sept. 2013.

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Blog post by Gateway Gallery Artist Daniel Fishback.

Nov 15, 2012

GATEWAY GALLERY IN CLAYTON PRESENTS “The Beauty of Southern Germany”, November 21, 2012 – January 4, 2013

Pastel by Michele Wells

Pastel by Michele Wells
Opening reception held for the artists 6-9 p.m. November 30
(Clayton, MO/August 29) Gateway Gallery “The Beauty of Southern Germany” exhibit will feature paintings, drawings and images from Michele Wells’ recent trip to Southern Germany.  Michele spent some of her days in the small towns and the countryside of Bavaria, one of the most beautiful areas of Germany.  Scenes from the Black Forest and the lakeside towns of Bodensee, known as Lake Constance, will also be featured.  Many scenes involve visits to small villages, markets and country sides with views of vineyards, grazing cattle, castles and the great Alps.  This show runs November 21 through January 4 with an opening reception from 6 to 9 pm on Friday, November 30 at 21 North Bemiston Ave, Clayton.
Michele Wells has been painting in pastels for 12 years and is a resident artist at Gateway Gallery. While Michele likes to work en plein air most of these works had been done in her studio when she returned home from her travels. She has many pastels in private collections in the US and Canada. 

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Blog post by Gateway Gallery Artist Daniel Fishback.