West Liberty University’s Nutting Gallery will welcome “Bold Impressions,” an exhibition of 38 paintings by Pittsburgh artist Stephen Haynes, with an opening reception from 5:30–7 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 2.
“Stephen’s work provides a nice juxtaposition to the work of our previous artist, Stevo Sadvary. Whereas Sadvary’s exquisite glass mosaic work is very geometric and precise, Haynes’ paintings are loose and explosive. Many of his pieces are created en plein air, which is a fancy way of saying that he paints outdoors. If you enjoy nature you will enjoy this show,” said Jim Haizlett, associate professor of art at WLU.
“Haynes captures moments of time, shadow and light using thick brushes and heavy paint. Though his strokes at times seem random and almost out of control, the details that emerge, or that your mind allows to emerge, pull you right into various outdoor scenes such as a lakeside park, a farmer’s field or a city street,” Haizlett added.
A self-taught painter, Haynes spent his formative school years among the beaches of southern California and summers in the mountains of West Virginia. This divided time gave him a diverse outlook and an immense love of the outdoors.
He graduated with an associate degree in visual communications from the Art Institute of Pittsburgh in 2001 and is the current art director for Dirt Rag magazine, a mountain-bike publication.
Haynes has been working in the field of art for more than 20 years and has tried a variety of different forms of art, including sketching, figure studies, graphic design and oil painting.
Besides nature, he learned a lot from the Impressionist masters like Van Gogh, Monet and Cassatt. Other artists who inspire him include landscape painters Edgar Payne, Isaac Levitan and Tom Thompson.
Haynes exhibited in the Nutting Gallery once before, during the 2011 season. “Bold Impressions” will remain on display until Oct. 24.
All exhibitions at the Nutting Gallery are free and open to the public. The Nutting Gallery is open from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. weekdays, evenings and weekends by arrangement. For more information, contact Hazlett at jhazlett@westliberty.edu.