Show Preview | Astoria Fine Art: Three Consecutive Shows

Jackson, WY, August 1-27

Jill Soukup, Orange Rush, oil, 56 x 88.

This story was featured in the August 2012 issue of Southwest Art magazine. Order the Southwest Art magazine August 2012 print edition here, or purchase the Southwest Art magazine August 2012 digital download here. Or simply click here to subscribe to Southwest Art magazine and never miss a story!

August is high season for Jackson and for Astoria Fine Art, which presents three gallery shows back to back this month. First up is a solo show for Colorado artist Jill Soukup (pronounced SOAK-up), best known for her richly colored horse portraits that ride the middle ground between impressionism and realism. Astoria Fine Art managing partner Greg Fulton says Soukup is a young and emerging artist, and presenting this show at such a pivotal time in the gallery’s season shows how much faith he has in the painter. “Her work is vibrant, with bold brush strokes, heavy texture, and a level of realism that people like,” Fulton says, “but she doesn’t spend too much time over-painting the details. She knows how to abstract the background so the main subjects stand out better. Her work has a bit of a contemporary edge.”

Mark Eberhard, Pronghorn Antelope, oil, 36 x 30.

The artist unveils 20 to 22 new works at the show, including not only her signature horses but also urbanscapes and wildlife works. “Her urban scenes are so popular,” Fulton says, “and she is capable of such variety.” The show runs from August 1 to 10 with an artist’s reception on Saturday, August 4, from 5 to 8 p.m. at which the artist and her family will be present.

From August 11 to 18 the gallery presents new works by Mark Eberhard of Ohio and Ewoud de Groot of the Netherlands. The two artists are known primarily as bird painters, but both are adding to their portfolios with paintings of Jackson Hole wildlife for the show. “The local wildlife is a little outside of what they usually do, and they are doing this mostly because of their love of Jackson,” Fulton says. Both artists paint works that combine representational elements with other techniques, with de Groot placing his subjects against abstracted backgrounds and Eberhard using negative space to create contemporary compositions in which his subject matter may be glimpsed only at the edges of the canvas.

De Groot brings 10 new pieces, diverse in subject matter and size, including the large and atypical AUTUMN ELK. “This painting was inspired by my walks at the Snake River in Grand Teton National Park last September,” de Groot says.

Ewoud de Groot, Autumn Elk, oil, 60 x 60.

Eberhard says, “Although my work has always been very graphic, the design of the new work is even more dramatic and exciting. The color is also bolder, influenced by the work of the California Impressionists William Wendt and Franz Bischoff.” His 10 to 12 new works are painted on canvas. “I previously painted on board,” he says, “but found it somewhat too slick.” Eberhard’s works include his signature bird pieces alongside depictions of elk and pronghorn. The show opens with a reception on Saturday, August 11, from 5 to 8 p.m.

From August 18 to 27, Astoria presents new works by landscape artist Mark Haworth, who steps out of his Lone Star niche to capture the Southwest canyon lands and the Rocky Mountains. “I’m known for my Texas landscapes,” Haworth says. “This show’s paintings  will be mainly outside of Texas.” Haworth says his central piece for the show is a 36-by-48-inch canvas that depicts a massive, red-rock wall that hangs over the Virgin River in Zion National Park. “These red walls are very sculptural, and the presence of them is so powerful. I wanted to portray that in this painting. You have so much red rock out there,” Haworth says of Utah. “In Texas you have browns, grays, greens, and yellows. I love to get out there and change my palette up a bit.”

Mark Haworth, Tetons, oil, 20 x 24.

Fulton adds, “I’ve been waiting for Mark to break through the Texas borders. These works depict wonderful landmarks of the American West as seen through Haworth’s eyes.” An artist’s reception is from 5 to 8 p.m. on August 24. —Laura Rintala

contact information
307.733.4016
 www.astoriafineart.com

Featured in the August 2012 issue of Southwest Art magazine–click below to purchase:
Southwest Art magazine August 2012 digital download
Southwest Art magazine August 2012 print edition
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