Greg Evans
As a boy, I was good at two things: making little detailed crafts and picking on my younger brothers. My mother recognized these talents and suggested I pursue dentistry. Okay, the reality is a little more complicated, but I chose science and dentistry although drawing in high school and college brought much joy.
I remember from Grinnell College that awe feeling I had looking at Professor McKibbin’s giant 5 X6 ft pastels of the Midwest skyscapes. The weight of the storm clouds, the after rain freshness of a back alley captured in pastels. When I needed a break from Parenting and Dentistry, I enrolled with Cody Winiecki to pursue that goal of painting a pastel of that grandeur.
I remember from Grinnell College that awe feeling I had looking at Professor McKibbin’s giant 5 X6 ft pastels of the Midwest skyscapes. The weight of the storm clouds, the after rain freshness of a back alley captured in pastels. When I needed a break from Parenting and Dentistry, I enrolled with Cody Winiecki to pursue that goal of painting a pastel of that grandeur.
"First Rainbow in the Net" 9x12 Oil - $265
Well like any lofty goal, I fell short, but I keep trying. Sparrow Art Center introduced oil painting and it’s been a chain-smoking type of habit ever since. For me, oil painting attempts to capture reality as we perceive it. I value accuracy and representational art as a skill and craft, much like the art and craft of dentistry. Beyond the craft, I feel we each perceive reality with a different mindset while we also share perceptions and tastes. Oil painting lets me capture bits of reality while also shaping them into emotional or sentimental moments that photorealism lacks.
Lately it’s been fish, trout specifically. Catching and releasing a fish can be an accomplishment and a connection with the natural world that is both personal and memorable. Painting the moment of release when a fish exuberantly returns to nature is a flash of a moment that can be stilled for the magic it imparts. That’s what I like to paint, but I’ll let our fly fishing philosopher sum it up:
“Trout are among those creatures who are one hell of a lot prettier than they need to be. They can get you to wondering about the hidden workings of reality.”
- John Gierach
Lately it’s been fish, trout specifically. Catching and releasing a fish can be an accomplishment and a connection with the natural world that is both personal and memorable. Painting the moment of release when a fish exuberantly returns to nature is a flash of a moment that can be stilled for the magic it imparts. That’s what I like to paint, but I’ll let our fly fishing philosopher sum it up:
“Trout are among those creatures who are one hell of a lot prettier than they need to be. They can get you to wondering about the hidden workings of reality.”
- John Gierach
"Technicolor Escape" 16 x 20 Oil - $605
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"Dorsal Flair" 16x20 Oil - $504
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