Jimmy Wright has been president of the Pastel Society of America since 2013. Founded in 1972 by Flora B. Giffuni and headquartered in The National Arts Club in New York, the society has grown during his tenure. Last year, the society’s 50th annual exhibition, Enduring Brilliance, featured works from 33 states and 11 international countries and offered over $50,000 in awards. Wright is a master pastelist in the society, a designation for PSA members who have accumulated three PSA annual exhibition awards. In 2018, he was named an academician of the National Academy of Design.
Raised on a farm in western Kentucky, his parents subscribed to five newspapers as well as Reader’s Digest and Life Magazine. It was in Life that he learned about artists such as Jackson Pollock, Frank Lloyd Wright, Picasso and Matisse. One issue contained a series of photos of Picasso’s home near Nice on the French Riviera and, at the age of about nine, he knew “that was exactly how I wanted to live.” He was already on his way, drawing and painting in watercolor. Years later he was a cover artist for Reader’s Digest.
He spent a summer with his aunt and her husband in Denver, where his aunt enrolled him in an art class taught by Lester Burbank Bridaham. Bridaham had been a student and studio monitor for Kimon Nicolaides who wrote the seminal book, The Natural Way to Draw. Jimmy had also spent time observing and drawing the figure, learning to “look” and developing hand-eye coordination.
Denne historien er fra June 2023-utgaven av American Art Collector.
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Denne historien er fra June 2023-utgaven av American Art Collector.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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FULL EXPOSURE
Photographer Conor Martin documents the present using photographic methods of the past.
Autumnal Light
The landscapes and nature scenes of painter Jennifer Sowders are irresistibly tactile, filled with varying textures that seem to leap off the canvas.
Art for All
Members of Art Dealers Association of America come together for a philanthropic affair.
Modern Marketplace
Redwood Art Group brings together the San Diego region for another class-act celebration of contemporary artwork.
An Enchanting Evening
Scottsdale Artists’ School knows how to throw an art party.
Timeless Tales
Soft, warm undertones underscore the mood of enchantment that runs through Nom Kinnear King’s paintings.
Next Exit New York
Coming off his series that focused on San Francisco and Los Angeles freeway signs, artist Eric Nash’s sights are now set on New York. Now on view at George Billis Gallery's Manhattan location are seven of Nash's new oil paintings and two drawings that explore the signage of New York City freeways. Although Nash's work is tightly rendered, he doesn’t consider himself a photorealist, but rather someone who utilizes those techniques to express ideas.
Monster Mash
Vampires, witches, ghouls and all things that go bump in the night are the theme of the exhibition Monster Mash, now at Abend Gallery.
Inside/Outside
Those familiar with Geoffrey Johnson's populated by inky figures and trailing shadows that bleed into the wet streets, and architectural elements obscured to varying degrees by the misty atmosphere.
Bold Figures; Bold Color
For Brooklyn based painter J Louis, it’s all about balance, which can mean many different things in a composition, but for Louis, it’s about balancing his female figures among a unique landscape of color.
