November 9 - December 31, 2012
All Art Available Prior to Reception
Opening Reception
Friday, November 9, 2012
5:pm - 8:pm
Meet the Artists
3019 East Second Avenue
Denver, Colorado 80206
303.333.4144
Southwest Art Magazine joins Saks Galleries Cherry Creek to sponsor the American Art Invitational, Small Gems Exhibition opening November 9, 2012.
 |
| Scott Burdick, "Narrow Streets in Seville" 12 x 9 Oil |
All the beauty and mastery of larger artworks is condensed into
treasure-sized paintings and sculptures in Saks Galleries’ 5th
annual American Art Invitational. This year’s exhibition, Small Gems, presents the best in contemporary realism by 100
artists, among them: Scott Burdick, Gordon Brown, Michael Godfrey, T.D. Kelsey,
and Karen Vance. The show opens Nov. 9 with a reception from 5 to 8 p.m.
“Artists increase our awareness of things around us, and this year’s show is so
much fun, so diverse in subject matter and artistic style,” notes Karen Sluss
of Saks Galleries, who directs the American Art Invitational.
 |
| Mary Qian, "Day Dreamer" 15 x 11 Oil |
One
compelling genre represented in the show is figurative painting, as exemplified
by the work of award-winning painter Mary Qian (pronounced Chien). The
39-year-old Chinese-born artist, now living in Chicago, gained a sense of
delicacy and graceful lines through studying Chinese painting and calligraphy
before coming to the United States in the early 1990s. Yet she found her true
inspiration in Western art. DAY DREAMER captures her favorite model in a mood
of quiet contemplation, dressed in pure white. The young woman’s fair skin
takes on the soft pink hues of the drapery on which she rests. “People intrigue
me,” Qian reflects, “especially during the process of communication in
silence.”
Among
the show’s three-dimensional offerings are small sculptures by Colorado-based
artist Wayne Salge. Salge’s distinctive elongated figures speak of gesture,
movement, rhythm, and line, where the essence of the human or animal is pared
down into engaging, abstracted form. WALK ON, for example, was inspired by the
sight of increasing numbers of people out walking quickly for exercise. Salge,
whose name is pronounced sol-ghee, often starts with a quick sketch but then
works spontaneously, allowing the process to guide his hands as he creates and
connects shapes. “It’s all about lines, following lines up the piece, and sharp
angles allow me to do that,” he explains.
 |
| Wayne Salge "Walk On" 12.5" H, Bronze, Edition of 12 |
For
painter C. Michael Dudash, the American West provides unrivaled opportunities
for combining some of his favorite things: the beauty of natural landscapes,
the pleasure and evocative possibilities of paint, and the chance to tell, or
at least suggest, stories about the past. Based in Idaho, Dudash finds
inspiration in places like the Black Hills of South Dakota, the setting for COOL
WATERS. The painting depicts a river curving through a canyon where a Native
warrior has stopped to let his horses drink. The foreground lies deep in shadow
while bright sun illuminates the far canyon wall. The image reflects another of
the artist’s interests: amplifying the contrast of cool and warm colors to
intensify the sense of drama in a scene. “Being a painter is sort of like being
a screenwriter, director, and actor all in one,” he says. “I’m having a lot of
fun with that.”
 |
| C. Michael Dudash, "Cool Waters" 16 x 12 Oil |
With
two hundred works on view, Small Gems
offers both drama and subtlety, from photo-realism to soft, impressionistic
renderings of the landscape or figure, remarks gallery owner Catherine Saks.
“We’re so excited about this show.”
