Starting November 6, Manitou Galleries honors the tranquility of nature in a two-person show featuring the work of Douglas Aagard out of Colorado, and Michael Baum from Utah. “[These artists] are very different from one another, yet symbiotic in their need to document the celebration of their environment,” says Manitou Galleries.
Michael Baum, Afternoon Visitor, oil, 24 x 32”
These talented artists are indeed different in the focus of their subject matter, but their paralleled love of the outdoors is quite evident. “I take my inspiration from being out in the landscape among the canyons, under the vast western sky,” says Baum. “An important part of the painting process is immersing myself in the landscape, experiencing it directly, not just visually, but in all the senses.”
Aagard echoes this sentiment in stating, “One of my favorite parts of this job is driving around looking for great, new material that gets my blood racing…
I prefer working from sketches done in the field but often, I work off my photographic references.”
Douglas Aagard, Trail of Colors, oil, 48 x 48”
Aagard’s new work has an emphasis on skies and a close-up look through trees. “I love small-town farms and fields with windows or bales, or cows and horses. I love roads through the country or mountains. More than anything, I love to paint trees and mostly in their full glory.”
Seen in Aagard’s piece Brightness of Hope, the viewer is drawn into the use of composition, depth, color, contrast and light, with a style that leans towards impressionism.
Baum’s paintings are filled with clouds and an exploration of the Southwest landscape.
Douglas Aagard, Brightness of Hope, oil, 48 x 30”
“I want my paintings to depict, through light and color, a deeper experience of the landscape,” Baum says of pieces such as Afternoon Visitor. “I’m going for a kind of enhanced realism. Light is the key element. It does the heavy lifting as far as creating the mood of the painting. Enhanced color is another important element, contributing to the emotional strength of the work.”
The effects of the pandemic have not escaped this pair, and as with many artists during this time, it’s resonating through the work. “With the pandemic, I have had little opportunity to get out on the road and explore new places and collect new images,” says Baum. “I still have this keen longing to get out there into the landscape. I’m really missing it. The emotion that comes with that is showing up in my work in many ways, with things like more energetic brushwork, more dramatic lighting, and other, more subtle ways, that I can’t put into words.”
Michael Baum, Edge of Day, oil, 12 x 16”
Aagard furthers, “I’m hoping with this new work that collectors will go beyond seeing and connect emotionally…Feel the goodness of the land. I want them to feel happiness and a little comfort for awhile in this crazy world.”
Join the celebration and experience a breath of fresh air in this highly anticipated exhibition from November 6 to December 1. —
Upcoming Group Show
Up to 35 works
Nov. 6 – Dec. 1, 2020
Manitou Galleries
123 W. Palace Avenue
Santa Fe, NM 87501
(505) 986-0440
www.manitougalleries.com
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