Pastoral Journey with Katy Reeve-Weesner

"Giverny", Watercoulor by KATY REEVE-WEESNER
IMAGES ARE COPYRIGHT PROTECTED

Hello All.

It is not often that one comes across a talent as exceptional and mesmerizing as Katy Reeve-Weesner's. Nor, is it an everyday occurrence, in the painting world, to languish in the quaint and pastoral English countryside that one sees in Katy Reeve-Weesner's lovely watercolours. That is, unless you are Katy Reeve-Weesner.

Yet, that is exactly what I felt as I stepped into Gallery 21 where her "Journeys in Watercolour" (Paintings) exhibit was running 11:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. daily. Although I knew that I was in Spanish Village Art Center located at 1770 Village Place, San Diego, California, I, nevertheless, found myself standing in the English countryside gazing at hillside villages and the black faces of fluffy sheep meandering there.

I felt transported, as if I had stepped through a time warp onto a winding country road in the Yorkshire moors, and I easily believed that I had always been there! This English born artist who now lives in San Diego, California and specializes in watercolours of English and European countrysides, had magically transported me to a land of fairy tales and "Little Bo Peep". What a lovely sorceress is Katy Reeve-Weesner...come disguised as a painter of "Journeys".

Another amazing thing about Katy is her avid dedication to sketching. It is, in her opinion, the key part, and one of the most important elements, in the creation of her paintings. Year after year, Katy fills sketchbook after sketchbook with drawings and notes from her travels. I have to admit that I was truly amazed and thrilled by the six or seven sketchbooks that were on display in a glass case during the show. Page after page of countryside scenes, Parisian cafes, people and animals beckoned the visitor through the glass. The sketches, (really, complete renderings) accompanied by flowing script, fairly tumbled from the pages and could easily stand alone as art. Katy told me that this year alone, she has already filled two sketchbooks and is working on a third! (All, by the way, filled within a three-week period). This year her sketching covers scenes in Savannah, Charleston and England. Wow! Those fingers are certainly not sitting idle. Sketching is a form of poetry all its own. And, Katy Reeve-Weesner is as poetic as they come.


"Poetry" that caught my eye at this exhibition included small miniatures where the scene flowed out of the frame of the painting and overlapped the mat board. As with "Boscastle", a 12" x 14" painting in which seagulls circle a harbor nestled in a hillside village. The gulls actually fly out of the painting onto the surrounding mat board, giving another dimension to the composition. Another piece that I admired was "Castleton", a painting depicting a lovely rural village with narrow streets and a black cat slowly traversing its course, all surrounded by rolling hills. "San Toma" gave me a glimpse of the canals of Venice where two gondolas carried passengers along the quay, and "Burnmoor Sheep" portrayed sheep in a meadow above a country village. My favorite of all in the show was, "Long Lane Sheep", (my Little Bo Peep transport) set in the Yorkshire countryside where black faced sheep mill about on a winding road, that runs through an English village reminiscent of Katy's childhood.

At the gallery, Katy explained to me that she started very young in her studies. Her great-uncle, and mentor, took her on many plein air outings with their sketchbooks well in hand. Drawing was adamant, the key to successful painting. It was everything. Later, she attended art college for five years and is a graduate of London's Central School of Art. Katy says, "it was an intense submersion", where once again drawing was adamant. Well, Katy, after meeting you and seeing your show, I'd say "mission accomplished"! As for the great-uncle ... You done him proud, Katy.



"Long Lane Sheep", Watercoulor by KATY REEVE-WEESNER
IMAGES ARE COPYRIGHT PROTECTED

Katy Reeve-Weesner, the English-born artist, lives in San Diego, California and can be contacted through her website: www.katyreeveweesner.com.


Written and posted by Cassandra Shepard, Studio 32
text and content copyrighted, 2010, all rights reserved

Now Showing: Yumi's "Symphony of Light"

"Symphony of Light", by artist YUMI
IMAGES ARE COPYRIGHT PROTECTED

Hello All,

Yumi returns to Gallery 21, in Spanish Village Art Center located in beautiful Balboa Park, for her annual exhibit. The show runs from August 18 - August 30, 2010, at 1770 Village Place and is open from 10:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. daily.

Already familiar with Yumi's beautiful paintings, which consummately reflect an inner part of her being and an eternal spiritual awareness, my attention is drawn immediately by the title of her new exhibit, "Symphony of Light". Taking into account her Japanese heritage and the title of this new show, I assumed there might be some connection between Yumi's new exhibit and a recent showing of the "landscape" kimono of Itchiku Kubota (also entitled "Symphony of Light") at the Timken Gallery and San Diego Museum of Art. Clearly, one should never "assume" anything about "Yumi" for her vision is, uniquely, her own.

Born in Tokyo, Japan, Yumi studied under Ukai Uchiyama, Japan's master watercolorist. While she was a student at KEIO University, Yumi illustrated children's magazines and books. After graduating with a BFA, she studied at the Academy of Arts College in San Francisco, California. Her creative and artistic credits in the U.S. span a period of years from 1985, (when she moved from Holland to San Diego, California), to 2010 and her current exhibit.

Included among these credits are a video, "The Colors of Yumi"; paintings on the cover of SEIKEI KAISHI magazine, (1994-1996); 2005, a Tokyo exhibition, "Light, Tokyo-Holland-San Diego"; awarded the Key to the city of La Mesa for her outstanding teaching contributions; 2006, wrote for ARIKA magazine in Japan; completed Public Art for the City of La Mesa and SDSU Business District; 2009, featured in "Light House magazine, Japan"; 2010, "Symphony of Light" exhibition at Gallery 21.

There, now. That is the expected, the obvious image one might have of Yumi. That is the "Yumi" on paper. What I want to share with you all is the true "essence" of Yumi. That special "something" about her. There is an integral "spiritual" quality that surrounds Yumi. One cannot be long in her presence without sensing it. Her aura exudes it, her smile confirms it and her paintings evoke it. I give to you the word that I think best describes it... "Light".

And so I come to the true nature and impetus behind Yumi's creation. Perhaps, the key to the titling of her latest exhibition is "Light"... Light, actual or subliminal. Light of day or night, light seen or imagined. Light that evokes emotion or the silence of reflection... reflection of the color spectrum or the soul. Light that nurtures and sustains. An awakening to and movement "Toward the Light". This is a recurring theme in all of Yumi's work. Her past three exhibitions have all dealt with this subject matter. "Light", "Night and Day" and "Toward the Light". All of which have brought her to the current exhibit, "Symphony of Light". Of her exhibition, Yumi says, "If you find the LIGHT from my painting to uplift your spirit, I would be happy and content".

I step into Gallery 21 and the sound of a ukulele softly strumming "Somewhere over the Rainbow", by Israel Kamakawiwo greets me. As I move among the paintings, I am made aware of the importance of light in all of Yumi's compositions. Central to the exhibit is her "Symphony of Light", a golden painting depicting a string trio of violin, cello and guitar accompanied by a pianist, and watched over by an angel of Light floating high above them all.

Moving through the exhibit, I am keenly aware of the many ways light plays a part in Yumi's vision. Light as seen in "Morning Light on the Prado", or in "Backstage 2", a lovely painting that captures an actress, beautifully coiffed with her hair piled high on her head, looking out of a window at the street scene below. Similarly intriguing is "Music Break" depicting a guitarist perched on a stool, where rays of warm golden light pour through a window, and an over sized cat lounges in the glow on a window seat. Circling back to the front of the gallery, I encounter a painting entitled, "White Swans". Looking at this mystic swirl of white and yellow light that surrounds three white swans, juxtaposed by aqua and blue-green shadows, I am captured by the movement and luminosity created by Yumi's brushstrokes and minimal use of color.

Yumi says, "The art exhibition, "Symphony of Light" is dedicated to my parents and Zazuko for their Love and Wisdom". Not a surprising sentiment coming from such a rare soul. At one point during my visit, I overheard Yumi explain to another visitor that, "My paintings are like my children...when a customer comes and asks to see my old paintings, I get very emotional". All in all, I would say a visit to "Symphony of Light" is an emotional one. It is a "tale told by a beautiful spirit, full of light and movement".

Standing in front of the painting, "Symphony of Light", one can view a quotation mounted on the wall. It goes, "Like the sound of river, Symphony fills the air with the sound of legato and staccato, blessed by the light of heaven".

I will leave you with those thoughts. (FADE TO: The dark of day as the brilliance of moonlight rises). Ask Yumi. She has a secret of Light to share with you.

"White Swans", by artist YUMI
IMAGES ARE COPYRIGHT PROTECTED

Yumi Climenson lives in La Mesa, California and is an accomplished oil painter. She may be contacted at yumiart@juno.com or through her website: www.yumi-art.com.



Written and posted by Cassandra Shepard, Studio 32
text and content copyrighted 2010, all rights reserved