Show Preview | Parker Arts, Culture & Events Center: Jay Moore

Parker, CO
January 11-March 8

Jay Moore, Evening Light (study), oil, 10 x 24.

This story was featured in the January 2014 issue of Southwest Art magazine. Get the Southwest Art January 2014 print issue or digital download now–then subscribe to Southwest Art and never miss another story!

Colorado artist Jay Moore has spent much of his life exploring the outdoors. As a youngster, he could often be found fishing in nearby rivers—a pastime he still enjoys today, along with hiking, horseback riding, and venturing into remote wilderness areas by whatever means possible. Moore’s childhood enthusiasm for the natural world eventually merged with his artistic talent during a plein-air painting workshop with acclaimed artist Clyde Aspevig. “After one week of painting outdoors with Clyde, that was it. I knew I wanted to be a painter,” Moore says. He soon shifted from a career in graphic design and illustration to landscape painting, and today his work has made a significant impact on the western art world.

From January 11 through March 8, Moore’s fans have the opportunity to view and purchase his latest body of work in a solo show at the Parker Arts, Culture & Events Center in Parker, CO. A reception with the artist is on Friday, January 17, from 6 to 8 p.m. and a “Third Thursday” reception is scheduled for February 20 from 6 to 8 p.m.

Jay Moore, Autumn Brilliance, oil, 60 x 80.

The works in the show depict the stunning landscapes of the American West, including aspen forests, mountain streams, and “vistas as far as the eye can see,” Moore says. In addition to more than 12 new oil paintings, the show features 16 copperplate etchings on handmade cotton paper, along with a display showing the copperplate printing process from start to finish (the etchings were drawn on the plates by Moore, inked and printed by Geoff Lasko, and hand-colored by Dennis Pendleton). Another display shows the complete working process—including thumbnail sketches, a field study, reference photos, and photos of the work in progress—for the largest painting in the show, AUTUMN BRILLIANCE (which is more than 6 feet long). “I love to paint large because of the impact the painting has in person. You get the feeling of being right there, in the scene,” Moore says. He also enjoys the possibilities that come with painting on a large canvas. “You can play with the effect of light until you actually feel it,” he explains. “The shadows become luminous, the water becomes transparent, and the trees have character.”

All of the works in the show were created in the style Moore has worked in for decades, which he describes as somewhere between impressionistic and realistic. “My first five years as a painter I worked exclusively outdoors, so my color palette is pretty true to nature. I don’t exaggerate too much,” he says. Moore’s remarkable ability to capture the intangible spirit of a place while remaining true to its natural beauty is one reason viewers are drawn to his work. But the artist also aims for a deeper, more visceral response from the viewer. “I want to instill a respect for the beauty of the land around us,” he says. “If I feel deeply about a painting, hopefully some of that will be felt by the viewer, too.”
—Lindsay Mitchell