The Howard/Mandville Gallery is participating in the Kirkland Centennial by hosting its "Love of the Land, Invitational Landscape Show." The show, which will debut May 6 at 5:30 p.m. and run through June 5, will feature more than 100 contemporary landscape paintings.
The styles of the painters vary widely, from the photo-realism of Denis Milhomme, to the light infused tonalist paintings of Tricia Berg, and the colorful impressionism of Michael Ferguson. Painting media will include oil, watercolor, gouache and acrylic.
Darren Rice is quickly establishing himself as one of the premier landscape painters in the Northwest. Receiving his art training at Yale University, Rice has since earned a reputation for both his bold, confident brushwork and his keen ability to capture the nuances of light on canvas.
Rice currently divides his time between landscape, still life and marine-oriented subject matter. His was recently appointed as Official Artist to the United States One World Challenge for The America's Cup. Additionally, Rice was recently selected as one of the "Top 50" in the prestigious Arts For the Parks small format contest, an international competition. Notably, he was the only artist from Washington state to be selected into this group.
His work can currently be found in galleries and private collections throughout the country and abroad, including the collections of Seattle billionaires Craig McCaw and Paul Allen. He is a juried artist member of both Oil Painters of America and The American Society of Marine Artists.
Gregory Packard
"Painting to me is about the personal connections we make with all of creation, a language that corresponds directly with how we see and interpret the world around us and within us," says Packard.
The artist says that the physical act of painting is an experience of passion, somewhat directed with control, skill and luck. "Whether the scene is in front of me while painting from life or a recollection of the warm sun on my face, all experiences past and present contribute to the finished canvas," he says.
Packard notes that painting is not as related to documentation as it is to capturing a glimpse, something experienced and gone quickly.
Denis Milhomme's early childhood was spent in Massachusetts, enjoying the wooded landscapes and nearby lake. He began art instruction at the age of eight ; with the encouragement of collectors and family he started pursuing his fine art career full time in 1983. He has received several awards from the Annual Arts For The Parks competition and the Death Valley Art Show. He has also been featured as an artist to watch by Southwest Art magazine.
Most of his adult life has been spent in California, where over a decade ago a visit to Death Valley inspired him to choose the desert as the primary subject for his oil paintings. "In the desert, you can see for 50 miles; it fascinates me to be able to see the changes in color," says the artist. Although Milhomme lives on the edge of the lush green Sequoia National Park, he returns regularly for inspiration to Death Valley and other favorite desert destinations.[[In-content Ad]]
