John Cook, “Hats Off,” oil on canvas, 60 x 40 in. © Southwest Gallery

Two nationally acclaimed painters are getting some local love from their preeminent gallery this spring with a vibrant group exhibition. Who are they, and where does it all take place?

Southwest Gallery in Dallas, Texas, is presenting the works of nationally acclaimed painters John Cook and John Pototschnik during an exhibition titled “Local Masters.” An opening reception, which will be attended by the artists, will take place on Saturday, May 13, from 1-5 p.m.

John Pototschnik, “Simply Marvelous,” oil on canvas, 12 x 24 in. © Southwest Gallery
John Pototschnik, “Simply Marvelous,” oil on canvas, 12 x 24 in. © Southwest Gallery
John Pototschnik, “Docked,” oil on canvas, 32 x 48 in. © Southwest Gallery
John Pototschnik, “Docked,” oil on canvas, 32 x 48 in. © Southwest Gallery

“Action and energy permeate the canvases of John Cook,” the gallery writes. “There is a spontaneous nature to his paintings that conveys his need to quickly achieve the essence of light as it dances, pierces, careens, and bounces to find its way throughout the subject. By drawing with brush rather than pencil, Cook achieves the loose and free style that characterizes his work. Never belabored, each painting reflects his passion to catch a mood with the interplay of light and shade.”

John Cook, “Midmorning Burgandy,” oil on canvas, 60 x 72 in. © Southwest Gallery
John Cook, “Midmorning Burgandy,” oil on canvas, 60 x 72 in. © Southwest Gallery
John Pototschnik, “View Across the Valley,” oil on canvas, 30 x 30 in. © Southwest Gallery
John Pototschnik, “View Across the Valley,” oil on canvas, 30 x 30 in. © Southwest Gallery
John Cook, “Timeless,” oil on canvas, 24 x 30 in. © Southwest Gallery
John Cook, “Timeless,” oil on canvas, 24 x 30 in. © Southwest Gallery

Pototschnick says, “My paintings are not flamboyant, mysterious, trendy or shocking, but I am interested in depicting the truth about life, as I see it, in a naturalistic way free of frills and bravado. I enjoy depicting simple, common, everyday life and its objects as things of beauty and worth. I intend to show the dignity and value of the subjects I paint — just as my artistic influences have. Through continued hard work I want to give to society paintings that transcend the culture and its ever changing tastes … paintings that speak to the heart.”

To learn more, visit Southwest Gallery.

This article was featured in Fine Art Today, a weekly e-newsletter from Fine Art Connoisseur magazine. To start receiving Fine Art Today for free, click here.


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Andrew Webster is the former Editor of Fine Art Today and worked as an editorial and creative marketing assistant for Streamline Publishing. Andrew graduated from The University of North Carolina at Asheville with a B.A. in Art History and Ceramics. He then moved on to the University of Oregon, where he completed an M.A. in Art History. Studying under scholar Kathleen Nicholson, he completed a thesis project that investigated the peculiar practice of embedded self-portraiture within Christian imagery during the 15th and early 16th centuries in Italy.

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