Show Preview | Kevin Weckbach

Evergreen, CO
Evergreen Fine Art, March 5-26

Kevin Weckbach, Wave Crasher, egg tempera, 21 x 28.

This story was featured in the March 2016 issue of Southwest Art magazine. Get the Southwest Art March 2016 print issue or digital download now–then subscribe to Southwest Art and never miss another story.

On Saturday, March 5, Evergreen Fine Art presents 20 new works by Denver artist Kevin Weckbach. Collectors familiar with the artist’s work can expect to find new directions for the artist in this show—new media, new subject matter, new techniques—as well as a return to his plein-air roots. An opening reception and artist’s talk is from 2 to 5 p.m. on opening day.

Weckbach spent much of the past year traveling the West, so the diverse landscapes in this grouping include scenes from Colorado, Yellowstone National Park, and the West Coast and represent a departure from his cityscapes. The artist has been delving deeply into media and color explorations as well. Weckbach says that in the past he had been “downplaying color and trying for subtle color changes. These works are more high intensity—they have more vibrancy.”

Kevin Weckbach, Tahoe Sunset, oil, 6 x 8.

Four years ago Weckbach started creating his own egg tempera paints, and this year he’s been exploring ways to make the medium do more for him. “I didn’t like that the paint doesn’t last more than three days,” he says. “I started adding stuff into it, like honey. That stopped it from molding. I stole the recipe I’m using now from the Egyptians, as far as I know from online research,” he says. “The paint still dilutes with water, and you can create a beautiful, translucent quality, which I like.”

Weckbach says he’s also spending more time on each piece, adding more detail than he has in the past. “I start with a very simplified design in my work, then I start piling detail on top of that simplicity,” he says. “I’m having a blast—it’s very meditative.”

Gallery director Doug Kacena says he’s watched an evolution in which Weckbach first used oils with techniques that mimicked his watercolor work; then he went the other way with goopy and heavy paint. “Now he’s found this amalgamation of the two and is experimenting with Arches oil paper and getting used to working on paper again. He’s a virtuoso,” Kacena says. “This is another evolution of his art—developing mediums to fit his need for a particular painting.” —Laura Rintala

contact information
303.679.3610
www.evergreenfineart.com

Featured in the March 2016 issue of Southwest Art magazine. Get the Southwest Art March 2016 print issue or digital download now–then subscribe to Southwest Art and never miss another story.