October brings with it a welcome change in the weather and the RAL Art Center Gallery windows will change as well. Our featured artists this month will be Ron Taylor and Thomas Bradshaw.
Ron Taylor has been working in various art mediums since the 1970's, as his work evolved from oils and acrylics to watercolor, pastels and colored pencil. A career in graphic arts developed his digital artistic ability as well. All of these things came into play after Ron retired to the Northern Neck and began creating his own art. He has a vivid imagination and this is the driving force behind all of his art. This is apparent in the variety of subjects and the manner of expression that Ron uses, often blending two dimensional and three dimensional elements into his pieces." I see no boundaries", says Ron. "You will see my work in oils, acrylic watercolor, wood, metal or anything else that best conveys the end result."
Ron's exhibit piece in the Gallery Windows is titled," Eye of My Hurricane", which is based on the satellite images that we often see of hurricanes which often threaten us this time of year. As you view this piece you can see that he tried to give the image an 'eye' in the literal sense, and it will draw you in just like a virtual hurricane! Ron exhibits his work at the RAL Art Center, Arts On Main in Gloucester, and at the Williamsburg Contemporary Art Center.
Thomas Bradshaw is a Richmond based oil painter who has recently become a new RAL Art Center member and co-op artist. His preferred style is working Plein Air using a loose painterly style that allows him to imply detail without overstating it, employing brushwork and a palette knife to create a textural impression which draws the viewer in for a closer look. Painting Plein Air forces the artist to, "recognize that light is the heart of any painting and that light is the quality that inspires the dynamic nature of the landscape", states Tom. He will be exhibiting an oil painting titled, "Sunrise Point". Tom has a degree in Graphic Design from the Art Institute of Atlanta. After leaving Atlanta he moved to Jackson Hole, Wyoming, where his evolution into a Plein Air artist began to take shape, as he captured the breathtaking Western landscapes with his brush, realizing his two main passions: Painting and being in Nature. Thomas is currently teaching a Master Painting class in Richmond.