Show Preview | RS Hanna Gallery: Figures & Horses

Fredericksburg, TX
April 29-June 1

Lindsey Bittner Graham, Trio, oil, 12 x 16.

This story was featured in the May 2013 issue of Southwest Art magazine. Order the Southwest Art May 2013 print issue, or get the Southwest Art May 2013 digital download now…Or better yet, just subscribe to Southwest Art and never miss a story!

For RS Hanna Gallery, it’s all about figure and form this month—the gallery is featuring two separate shows that collectors won’t want to miss. The first show, Figuratively Speaking, runs April 29-May 18 and spotlights the human figure. The second show, opening May 3 and running through June 1, is titled Art of the Horse.

In Figuratively Speaking the gallery displays paintings by Dan Beck, Kevin Beilfuss, and Bryce Cameron Liston, three expressive masters of the genre who are known for capturing the emotions of their subjects. Beck, Beilfuss, and Liston have all won top awards from the prestigious Oil Painters of America. “These fine artists exquisitely express the complexity of what it means to be human. The artists connect us and turn such moments to silent eloquence while visually speaking in the language of life itself,”  says gallery owner Shannon Hanna.

Dan Beck, Nearly Spring, oil, 28 x 22.

Although the artists hail from different states and their works vary slightly in style, they have a number of things in common: depth of talent, harmony of spirit, and impeccable technique and color sense, Hanna says. Their paintings also share a lyrical timelessness. Beilfuss likely speaks for all of them when he says that the human figure offers endless possibilities. “Even if I paint the same model over and over, I always find something new and beautiful in a painting,” Beilfuss says. “I hope to express that same beauty I experience in my models to the viewer, so that they might also share the same experience.”

About 15 figurative works are on display in the show, and a reception for the trio of artists takes place on May 3 from 6 to 8 p.m.
The horse is one of the great icons of the American West. On May 3 the gallery opens a show of more than 30 artworks that depict this universal symbol of power, grace, and elegance. The presentation brings together paintings and sculptures by top artists in the equine genre, including Frank Gardner, Daniel Glanz, Lindsey Bittner Graham, John Austin Hanna, Elizabeth Pollie, and Hodges Soileau.

Michigan-based Pollie is a regular participant in Oil Painters of America shows. She paints still lifes, bucolic farm scenes, and storefronts, but she has a special affection and talent for portraying horses and their surrounding environments—often scenes that convey a sense of calm and peacefulness. In contrast, Coloradan Graham is more likely to depict a horse in motion, perhaps kicking up its legs at a rodeo event or racing across a polo field. Glanz, another Coloradan and the only sculptor in the show, is known for his wildlife and animal sculptures. Whether his bronzes depict bears, wild pigs, dogs, or horses, they capture the spirit and energy of the creature.

A brunch reception for the artists takes place on May 19 from noon to 3 p.m. “Feel the wind on your face and the moonlight through the trees in these iconic forms of strength and beauty from these fine artists,” says Maggie Gillespie, gallery associate. —Bonnie Gangelhoff

contact information
830.307.3071
www.rshannagallery.com

Featured in the May 2013 issue of Southwest Art magazine–click below to purchase:
Southwest Art May 2013 digital download
Southwest Art May 2013 print issue
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