ESSENCE OF THE HUMAN FORM
February 16 - 28, 2015
Open House: February 19, 6-8pm
Scottsdale, Arizona

Michael Malm, Albin Veselka, William Whitaker and guest artist CM Cooper
 

Scottsdale, AZ…. Trailside Galleries in Scottsdale, AZ is pleased to present ESSENCE OF THE HUMAN FORM, a four-person show that will feature figurative painters Michael Malm, Albin Veselka, William Whitaker and guest artist CM Cooper.  Figurative art generally describes artwork, in particular paintings, which are clearly derived from real object sources, and are therefore by definition, representational. 

Michael Malm’s rural surroundings in the beautiful Cache Valley of Northern Utah have influenced much of his subject matter that often include figures set in landscapes. His painting technique is one that combines elements of impressionism with a more classical approach and his subjects are often set in an atmosphere of twilight, with soft light and natural colors creating a compelling mood.  He notes," I love the old Utah farm communities and the wide-open fields. There is something peaceful about these settings.” He adds, “I particularly love doing figures, seeing the way light reflects off the skin and the mystery in each person’s eyes. The human figure, in my mind, is the most beautiful of all God’s creations. So much can be communicated through the tilt of the head, or the gesture of a hand.” 

Guest artist CM Cooper refers to herself as a “contemporary traditionalist.”  Her impressionistic paintings blend classic aesthetics with the modern figure. Women, children, dancers and animals in contemporary settings come to life through her bold impressionistic brush strokes. Cooper’s delicate color sensitivity and wonderful sense of light create images that are filled with emotion and feeling.

For Utah based artist William Whitaker, the art world of his childhood and youth was the brave new world of abstract expressionism and until he was well out of college his natural inclination to draw accurately and his love for traditional realism was a source of inner conflict. He was fortunate, starting at age 17, to receive a thorough grounding in academic figure drawing and painting from the portrait painter Alvin Gittins at the University of Utah.  Whitaker loves to paint from life in an old fashioned studio. No matter what direction his art takes him, he always comes back to the model in the studio, the form bathed in the beautiful quiet cool light coming down from a high north window. He refers to this kind of seeing and painting as the Old Testament of art and feels there is enough magic to engage him there for the rest of his life.

Idaho artist Albin Veselka paints a variety of subject matter but primarily has focused on figurative works.  He notes,   “I have found a greater challenge in figurative painting than any other subject matter. I love the flexibility of being freer to choose the lighting, tonal arrangement and color scheme.  Control over the reference is more attainable in a figurative painting than a landscape painting. While Veselka tries not to follow a time period, or region too closely, subjects that surround him and that he has grown up with provide the inspiration for his figurative works.  Fascination with his Eastern European ancestry has also served to inspire many figure works. 

Since 1963, Trailside Galleries of Jackson, Wyoming and Scottsdale, Arizona has been regarded as one of the pre-eminent dealers in American representational art, specializing in a rich and varied collection of works by the leading western, wildlife, figurative, impressionist, and landscape artists in the country. The artist roster includes members of the Cowboy Artists of America, National Academy of Design, Oil Painters of America, Plein-Air Painters of America, Prix De West, Society of Animal Artists, National Sculpture Society and Masters of the American West.

Please contact Kimberly C. Fletcher, Marketing & Communications Director at 480.945.7751 or email media@trailsidegalleries.com for further information and images.