Saturday, August 30, 2014

Two 2014 Artisans Road Trip Artists at the "Paint the Iowa Great Lakes" Plein Air Painting Exhibition!

Top two works (Acrylic paint, crocheted yarn) - ©Timothy J Arand-McIlrath
Bottom work (Acrylic painting) -  ©Marisa Sidles

The Pearson Lakes Art Center in Okoboji Iowa features two A.R.T. Artists, Marisa Sidles (Terril) and Timothy J Arand-McIlrath (Okoboji) as two of the participants in the "Paint the Iowa Great Lakes" Plein Air Painting Exhibition. The exhibition of painting done in the open air style will be on view through Oct 11th in the Pearson Lakes Art Center's Weaver Lobby Gallery.

 "Looking Down- Heuchera/Moneywort"
Acrylic paint, crocheted yarn, 12”W x 12”H - ©Timothy J Arand-McIlrath

Arand-McIlrath has four works in the exhibit and has chosen the concept of "looking down" as a theme for his plein air works for this exhibition. His works are acrylic paint combined with crocheted yarn. Juror Dennis Dykema selected "Looking Down- Heuchera/Moneywort" as second place winner in the exhibition.

 Look for Arand-McIlrath's artwork during  Artisan Roadtrip 2014 at the Pearson Lakes Art Center.  You can see more about Timothy J Arand-McIlrath's work at the 2014 A.R.T. website at - http://www.artisansroadtrip.com/Timothy%20McIlrath.htm

 "The Trail At Lakeside Lab"
Acrylic painting - ©Marisa Sidles

Marisa Sidles has 2 works in the exhibit and has gone "outside" her comfort zone to create her plein air works for this exhibition. Her acrylic paintings include bright and bold colors creating a landscape of trees. Juror Dennis Dykema selected "The Trail At Lakeside Lab" as an honorable mention in the exhibition. Dykema referenced her bold use of color and painting style as having an innocent familiar quality of the "le fauves" (wild beasts) of the early 1900s.
Look for Marisa's artwork during  Artisan Roadtrip 2014 at her Studio in Terril, IA. And you can see more about the work of Marisa Sidles at the 2014 A.R.T. website at - http://www.artisansroadtrip.com/MarisaSidles.htm

 Stop by the The Pearson Lakes Art Center in Okoboji and catch the exhibition through October 11th - which is also the first day of the 2014 Artisans Road Trip this year!!!

Remember the 2014 Artisans Road Trip this October 11 and 12 - enjoy the beautiful crisp fall air and the wonderful artwork of the 2014 A.R.T.!!!

Saturday, August 23, 2014

2014 Artisans Road Trip Artist Bill Lieb - "The Birder" Sculpture Dedication

"The Birder"
Sculpture ©Bill Lieb

2014 Artisans Road Trip member artist Bill Lieb recently installed his latest public sculpture, titled "The Birder", at the Dickinson County Nature Center in Okoboji, Iowa. The Birder is a memorial to LaVonne Foote for her generous support of the Nature Center.
 

(sculpture detail)
"The Birder"
Sculpture ©Bill Lieb

The Birder is constructed of 1/2" thick laser-cut weathering steel with stainless steel and aluminum accents in the walking stick, binoculars, and the bird. The bird's wings rotate in a breeze.  The sculpture is over eleven feet tall and is installed in the prairie grass field adjacent to the center.
 

The Birder is the ninth public sculpture Lieb has installed in the Lakes Region over the past eight years. To learn more about Bill's work, check out his page on the 2014 A.R.T. web site at - http://www.artisansroadtrip.com/William%20Lieb.htm   

Stop by Bill's home in Spirit Lake during the 2014 Artisans Road Trip on October 11th and 12th this fall, to see his other works of art!