EBENSBURG, Pa. – A relationship between an artist and nature is captured in this showcase.
“Nature’s Palette: Art Inspired by the Earth,” an exhibition by Ebensburg resident Paul Seymour, is on display through March 23 at Bottle Works, 411 Third Ave. in the Cambria City section of Johnstown.
“I never feel quite so alive as when I am outside in the forest or at a lakeside, surrounded by the scenes, sights and smells of nature,” Seymour said. “My love of nature, my dependence on public spaces, my interest in conservation and my skills as a landscape painter inspire me to use my brush to capture the majesty of the natural spaces that our public lands provide.”
The exhibition features 90 depictions of regional landscapes, predominantly done in oil, as well as a few florals and still lifes.
“It’s divided into four areas, and it presents a nice visual image when you walk in,” Seymour said. “There are studio landscapes; they are pieces that I paint indoors, and they are large and dramatic. There’s also studio florals, plein air pieces that I’ve done on location, and there’s watercolors.”
He said his landscape paintings are generated in two ways – smaller plein air paintings that he’s done in the field and from photographs.
“I’ll take these smaller 11-by-14 paintings and turn them into large-scale 30-by-40 paintings,” Seymour said. “Photographs lie when you paint from them because they flatten shadows, blow out highlights and distort color, but I know how to edit that photo so that it looks more natural and more lifelike.”
This past summer, Seymour was an artist in residence with the National Park Service. He lived in isolation for two weeks in the Allegheny National Forest and did nothing but paint the scenery, sometimes for 12 hours a day. He completed 15 paintings that captured the beauty of public lands.
“I was in a cabin in the middle of the Allegheny National Forest, and it was a very remote location, and I was by myself and didn’t have the distractions of life,” Seymour said.
“I was able to focus on art, and it was an amazing experience. A lot of the landscapes are based on things I experienced while doing my residency and are in the exhibit in some form.”
He said he wanted to have new, fresh works featured in the current show.
“I dedicated myself to painting eight to 10 hours a day,” Seymour said. “Many of the paintings in this show are recent paintings done within the last year. Working at that level, I’ve seen a big increase in my skill level, my eye and my perception, and I’ve seen a big leap forward in my work.”
He said he started his artistic journey 30 years ago as an acrylic painter, but oils are his medium of choice.
“I’m also exploring the wonderful world of watercolors and started painting with it about six months ago,” Seymour said. “It’s a new medium for me, so while the pieces in the show are very pleasant and beautiful, they are not as evolved as some of my large-scale oils. I wanted to hang them because I’m proud of the work, and I’m sure in years to come my watercolors will evolve like my oils have.”
He said he’s inspired by the combination of art and nature.
“We live in a beautiful area of the country, and when I’m outside, creating beautiful paintings based on what I’m looking at, I really feel a special connection with nature,” Seymour said. “I feel very fortunate that I feel that because it does inspire me in a very odd way.”
He said he hopes that viewers will see his ability to capture light.
“I don’t want to render what’s in front of me. I want to capture a moment, and that means understanding how light works,” Seymour said. “At the opening reception, I asked people what their favorite painting was and why, and a lot of what I heard was (that) I have a special feeling for capturing light.
“That very much pleased me, because that’s what I’m really after.”
Seymour will be the featured artist at the NatureWorks Expo that will be held on March 9 at Bottle Works.
“One of the great things about Paul’s work is that it’s almost fantasy-like, but at the same time, you feel like you’ve just stepped into the scene that’s in the landscape,” said Matt Lamb, Bottle Works’ creative director.
“He pushes the boundaries with his colors, but it’s in a traditional landscape format, which is a really cool effect.”
Lamb said that Seymour’s work is a natural fit for the NatureWorks Expo.
“You can tell immediately how much Paul enjoys being outside and that he actually spends time in these spaces that you’ll see in these landscapes,” he said.
There is no fee to attend the exhibitions.
Gallery hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesdays, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Wednesdays through Fridays and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturdays.
For more information, call 814-535-2020 or visit www.bottleworks.org.
