Royal Scotland is one painting on display at the Cazenovia Public Library Art Gallery. It is a large still life (31” x 39”) of objects that are Scottish. It will be on display in the exhibit and prints of the painting are available.
By Dan Tennant
(Cazenovia, NY – Oct. 2013) My first contact with the Cazenovia Public Library was in 1967. In junior high school, I often stopped in to gaze at the mummy. Now, 46 years later, I am having the pleasure of displaying artwork in the library’s Art Gallery.
A show of my original still lifes and landscapes—including five originals and sixteen prints—will be on display from Nov. 1 to Jan. 31. All work is for sale unless labeled otherwise.
When I was in junior high school at Cazenovia, I heard about the high school art teacher who was regarded as a local legend. I was excited to be able to study under Merrill A. Bailey for the last four years of his teaching career. He retired in 1971, after being in the classroom for 36 years.
Bailey was a great teacher and a master painter in watercolor. From him, I learned that creating artwork is tough work and there is always room for improvement. With his teaching as a strong foundation, I echoed many of his sentiments when I became an art teacher (1976-2008).
Throughout college I tried every conceivable medium but did not find the one I felt comfortable with. In 1979, I tried gouache and knew this was what I had been looking for. I have yet to meet another artist who uses gouache on the large scale that I do or in such a tight realistic fashion.
Gouache can be used loosely, is great for plein air painting, and has been a favorite with designers and commercial artists. I love it because it has brilliant colors, is water based, it can create extremely fine lines, and photographs well because of its matte finish.
In 1984, I started using an airbrush to extend the working capabilities of gouache and to create certain effects. Though I am not an airbrush artist, it has helped me make my work look even more realistic.
In 1990, I became affiliated with Gallery Henoch in New York City and stayed with them from 1990-1999. I was represented by Bernarducci-Meisel Gallery on West 57th Street from 2000-2004 and had two one-man shows with them. From 2005-2010, I exhibited at Hammer Galleries and am currently showing exclusively at M.A Doran Gallery in Tulsa, Okla.
Although it is wonderful to sell work, it has not been my main emphasis. With my brushes, I have enjoyed capturing my world and the impressions I have of life. Each one of us yearns to be remembered after we are gone, and having paintings framed and collected in some way leaves a little of my influence behind.
I feel privileged to be a painter and always want my work to be wholesome and positive. I know some artists who want to shock or create in anger or in protest. Being happy with my life, I have always veered away from that mentality.
To create a painting I always start with a photo shoot. After I have exposed a few rolls of medium format slide film, I get them processed and then examine them on a light table with a lupe (magnifier). When I have decided on which still life I will paint, I transfer the drawing onto a piece of 8-ply museum board attached to a large plywood support on an easel. I always work vertically, starting with the background and working my way forward in the painting. A typical painting can take a few months to complete.
Over the years, I’ve exhibited all over the country, have written a book on my techniques, and have entered many shows.
Karen, my wife of 36 years, has been my biggest supporter and often critiques my finished work. She too is a painter and makes canvas floor cloths in her studio. As both a father of four and grandfather of four, I hope my paintings can be a way of showing my family how much I appreciate the beautiful world God has created.
I invite all of you to stop by the Cazenovia Public Library Art Gallery to see my exhibit.
The Library Art Gallery is open during regular library hours: 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. Monday through Friday and 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Saturday.
For more information on this exhibit or other events at the Cazenovia Public Library, call 655-9322 or visit www.cazenoviapubliclibrary.com.