Featured Artist: Leigh Ann Inskeep-Simpson

As a life-long resident of Champaign County, Ohio, I have become more aware in recent years of the beauty that surrounds me.  The gently rolling hills and well-maintained farmland offer pastoral vistas.  The interplay of organic and ever-changing cloud formations contrasting with the geometric forms of barns, silos, and fields provide subject matter for my paintings.  These landscapes are often located within a few miles of my home, scenes I encounter daily.

My paintings have the look of being painted Plein Air, but are studio creations.  Three years ago I started painting on our screened-in porch.  It offered plenty of natural light, and at the time was not often used.

I believe people still want to look at beautiful things.  These are the landscapes, the rural vistas, I find most appealing.  My paintings reveal the simple, honest, direct beauty of our local landscape.


Leigh Ann Inskeep-Simpson received her B.A. in Art Education from Otterbein College.  She received her M.F.A. in Painting from Miami University.  She teaches Art, Art History, and Photography at Urbana High School.  She can be reached through her website at www.LeighAnnInskeep-Simpson.com.

 

 

 

 

 

Student art exhibition

5th grade artists at Liberty Tree Elementary School, in the Olentangy Local School District, looked at the strong compositions of flower paintings by artist Georgia O’Keeffe.  Students then set to work simplifying a flower into simple shapes and lines with an emphasis on the composition itself.  Their goal was to reach all 4 sides of the paper and abstract the flower to take on a new life all its own.  These images were rendered in water-soluble oil pastels, with attention to thoughtful color selections and pairings.  The work will be on display at the Clintonville location until early May.

    

Featured Artist: Lacey Butcher

This series of paintings has been evolving for almost 10 years now.  I enjoy making small paintings because I want people to get up close to really look at them.  I want them to see all of the wonderful brush strokes and colors that arise while I paint.

And I enjoy painting this simple subject matter.  I find it fascinating.  Even though they are common objects, there is always something new to discover; it is still interesting even after so many years.  It is also very convenient for me to make art on this scale, as it encourages me to keep working even when life gets busy.

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