New Works Shown by Four Nationally Acclaimed Artists

Now showing at Rice Gallery of Fine Art (Overland Park, Kansas):
New works by Larry DeGraff, Kathleen Hudson (2017 PleinAir Salon winner), Susan Lynn, and Rodgers Naylor

This group show offers a variety of styles and subjects painted by four nationally acclaimed award-winning painters.

From the gallery:

It’s not unusual to find Larry DeGraff at the end of a dirt road, brush in hand, trying to capture the light unique to that place and time. His goal is to share the beauty all around that many are too busy to see.

DeGraff showed impressive artistic talent at a young age and developed his skills towards a career in illustration. He eventually built a client list that included Warner Brothers and the Walt Disney Company. In the midst of tight deadlines and constant revisions, DeGraff missed the joy of creating that he remembered from childhood and began to paint for himself. He found inspiration in the Impressionists and the Hudson River School. Along with studio work, he committed to painting outdoors, which he found both a fast track for creative growth and a good excuse to be outside.

In 2011 DeGraff left his job as a Hallmark Cards artist to pursue painting full time. He has since won many awards in juried national exhibitions and has competed in over 40 plein air events. His work has been featured in Southwest Art magazine and he is represented by galleries in Colorado, Kansas, and Missouri. DeGraff and his wife, Gina, reside in Ozark, Missouri.

Kathleen B. Hudson lives and paints in Lexington, KY. She recently received the Grand Prize in the 6th Annual Plein Air Salon for her painting “Bright Morning, Timberline Falls,” which was featured on the July 2017 cover of PleinAir magazine. She was also recently named an “Artist to Watch” by Southwest Art magazine.

While earning her degree from Harvard University, Kathleen came to love the beautiful New England landscape as she painted, studied mountain travel narratives, and led backpacking trips for fellow students. Her love of the outdoors led to a newfound interest in plein air painting, and she began to take part in regional plein air painting competitions and festivals.

She also undertakes several national juried competitions each year, and when she’s not outside painting from life, you can find her in the studio creating larger scale landscapes that emphasize the dynamic interplay of light, shadow, and atmospherics.

Susan Lynn is a nationally recognized watercolor artist. Painting primarily with transparent watercolor, she is captivated by the interplay between the land, the light, and wide-open spaces, and she believes that nature is a subject that speaks to the viewer in a visceral way, tapping into universal memories and emotions, and the human connection to the world around us.

Though accomplished in the field of architectural illustration, fine art painting has been her primary focus for many years. Lynn creates her paintings both in studio and en plein air,
a term coined by the French Impressionists meaning to paint the landscape from life, “in the open air.”

While painting outdoors with watercolor presents a unique set of technical challenges, she believes that it develops a greater sensitivity to the subtleties of light and the energy of the landscape. Her paintings are frequently described as luminous and serene.

Rodgers Naylor (work featured at top) finds a rich array of painting subjects close to home in Colorado and also throughout the United States and abroad, especially the Mediterranean region of Europe.

He works in an “alla prima” manner, usually beginning with a warm-tone underpainting and completing a painting in one session when possible. This method, since it involves painting directly into wet paint, allows great flexibility in mixing colors and attaining soft edges, and fosters a fresh, spontaneous approach to painting.

Naylor takes a strong interest in the effects of light versus shadow and warm versus cool colors, and is intrigued by the interplay between the landscape and its human inhabitants. He paints both in the studio and en plein air.

Additional Featured Artists

Grace Aldrich works primarily in acrylic, graphite, and watercolor, but also sculpts and experiments with new mediums and techniques whenever possible.

Her artwork often challenges preconceived notions of beauty, utility, and reality by subtly pushing the limits of “normal” until it is pleasantly strange and often even surreal. Her imagination is fueled by her appreciation of the unnoticed details in her everyday surroundings. The study of light, atmosphere, and color are core aspects of her artwork.

She is fascinated by the idea of combining imaginative environments with a unique composition and lighting scheme in order to create worlds so real and full of life that you feel as though they might move while your back is turned.

Related > See how the drawing “Elements of Style” came to be in Aldrich’s guest blog post, “From an Idea, To a Sketch, To a Work of Art”

Peter J. Hansen was born and raised in Yosemite National Park, California. Being surrounded by this natural beauty for 14 of his early years was the subtle beginning of a lifelong fascination with landscape and light. His early art instruction began in Southern California with his grandmother, an artist and art instructor, as well as in high school.

Hansen’s education, military service, and eventual career afforded him the ability to travel and see the world. Boarding school and college in Utah allowed him to see the West and Southwest. Serving as an army captain in Germany granted him access to the great European cities to explore the wonderful museums. His careers in hotel industry management and computer sales led Peter all over the United States and Europe and brought the beginning of what would be his next profession, painting.

With a lifetime of inspiration from his travels, and a constant appreciation of art along the way, Peter began painting as a way to express his creativity and alleviate stress. He quickly discovered he had found his true calling and has been painting and creating ever since.

This show runs through September 2018 at Rice Gallery of Fine Art (Overland Park, Kansas). For more details, please visit www.thericegallery.com.

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