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Julia Katz’s portrayal of California junior lifeguards and children at play in Atlanta’s Centennial Olympic Park accentuates the activeness of unselfconscious childhood with a vivid re-creation of their environment. Water, sand and sunlight all seem to dance with Katz’s robust, expressive brush strokes, as children in her paintings run and splash. The uniform yellow caps and red swimsuits of the junior lifeguards seem to allude to a past era, but the vivaciousness of her work provokes instantaneous enjoyment rather than the doldrums of nostalgic reflection. Read the rest of this entry »

Colorful blossoming star-shapes and flowering geometric symmetry mix in Molly McCracken Kumar’s new work, where her evolutionary method mirrors her take on nature’s life and death-cycles. Translucent, diluted acrylic in rose, orange and turquoise are layered on the canvas, poured in steps as she covers one shade with another. The layers of the finished product show multiple dimensions while hand-painted, biomorphic forms suggest an abstracted narrative. Petal-laced, floral explosions and airbrushed, bug-shaped stencils repeat over a peach and fire-colored background in “Fervent Diffusion.” The juxtaposition of many different processes catches the fervor of warmer months. In contrast, “Dormant Incantation” has a much more somber feel, with grayish scenery and darker specks that resemble pussy willows in autumn. Images in other pieces may be crawling vines, falling snowflakes, or seeds waiting to blossom in the spring. Interestingly, the vagueness in McCracken Kumar’s work allows observation of nature from microscopic to macroscopic levels, where one can see distant galaxy configurations or observe bacteria reproduce and disintegrate. The subsequent familiar—yet exotic—images allow her to portray harmony and vitality in a universe that is wondrous and still largely mysterious. (Ben Broeren)

Molly McCracken Kumar shows at Addington Gallery, 704 North Wells, through November 19.

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Robin Denevan has traveled broadly over the past several years capturing landscapes and water scenes and creating beautiful encaustics. Instead of taking snapshots of his travels in Venezuela or keeping a journal of his experiences, Denevan set up his painting materials on riverbanks and created the wood panels of “Horizon Light.” Denevan’s technique and medium are unique and fanciful. Though many of the pieces appear to be similar at first glance, upon closer inspection the different shapes and textures caused by the hot beeswax make each painting one of a kind. The beeswax also affects the coloring, blending and blurring the saffron, vermillion and turquoise oil so the paintings look like they are being viewed through a veil. The wax causes the colors to be smooth and creates a unique experience for the eye. The impact of these pieces in the gallery is powerful. They are beautiful and the multi-paneled encaustics, such as “Triptych,” are the most striking of all. Denevan hopes his paintings are more than just a visual experience and he has succeeded in this goal. The paintings make one think of a land far, far away and cause one to want to jump a plane to the Orinoco Delta in Venezuela. (Rachel Turney)

Through July 15 at Addington Gallery, 704 N. Wells, (312) 664-3406. 

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One of the more interesting things about Jill McGannon’s landscapes is her ability to mesh individual perspective into realistic representations. The browning poplars among a series of evergreens in “Lombardy Poplars in Autumn” reflect naturally in a cobalt pond. Cumulus clouds floating above seem to frame the scene in an idealized way, and McGannon’s fine brush strokes define objects almost literally. In contrast, “Lombardy Poplars and Vineyards” is more impressionistic with broader, more textured brush strokes. What was once a clear blue sky is now riddled with specks of rust, perhaps hinting at her synthesis of multiple experiences. A border of pressed leaves in “Spring Oak and Barley Grass” blends into a scene of strong gray oaks, with the human experience seeping into natural bliss. Patrick McGannon’s figure paintings reflect the Renaissance style, examining the female form amid simple backgrounds of textured walls and gold leaf. “Burden of Dreams” features a nude woman’s backside covered by a simple cloth, while her arms and shoulders seem burdened by weight. Her delicately defined arms and neck and slightly curled tendrils of auburn hair evoke a graceful strength. But in “Inward Fire,” McGannon embraces a more emotive style, with a model clutching a cloth to her breast, light emphasizing an expression of concentration. Her right arm and hair diminish into the background, as if her classical image had faded over time. (Ben Broeren)

Through April 15 at Addington Gallery, 704 N. Wells.

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Six artists present the many layers of recalling and presenting nature. The sculpted leaves and bend of a wrought iron fence mimics the natural background of trees and vines in one of Jill McGannon’s paintings. In her bucolic scenes, she mixes experiences; red and green-leaved trees are juxtaposed in a sublime yet realistic portrayal with robust clouds framing the sunlight. In contrast, Cameron Zebrun collages different imagery from his travels in nature, fixed on sculpture that vaguely resembles a paddle and a canoe. With images of a hurricane’s eye and white sand beach, viewing his work is like participating in his travels. In Kevin Sonmor’s work, heavily textured swirls of crimson mark a tempestuous sky, where paint literally drips in a brilliant flash of water. The emotional and physical experience is thus focused with a heavy brush. Ronald Clayton’s painting of manmade geometric ruins amidst an ideal countryside is metaphorical to the complex human relationship with nature. The painted trees and water flowing in Thomas Monaghan’s countryside focuses the light of the sun. Robin Denevan takes the viewer into the process of memory with layers of beeswax, resin and paint highlighting images of trees and rivers from his journeys. The works show that emotion and the process of viewing ultimately personalize natural landscapes. (Ben Broeren)

Through March 11 at Addington Gallery, 704 N. Wells, (312) 664-3406. 

Amid the frigid Chicago temperatures, Susan Kraut’s still life paintings allow a sojourn into the plush countryside of northern Italy. Ripened pears, cherries and pomegranates lounge in a windowsill while distant hills and trees are blurred in the beyond. Natural light comes through the panes, creating warmth inside as the sun dances among scarlet cherries and rusty persimmons. Blue skies in the background outline joie de vivre despite the curling of fallen leaves. Other scenes are more contemplative, with gray clouds eclipsing misty mountains. Green vines begin to wilt as persimmons and pears show signs of rot, reminding one that particular moments in time are fleeting. Kraut’s scenes thus de-emphasize the literal world and exact representation, but favor inner reflection on the simple perfection of nature and our emotions toward it. The darkened landscape outside contrasts with the texture of everyday fruits. While shadows that lurk almost mischievously show the fragile beauty of an instant. (Ben Broeren)

Through January 30 at 704 N. Wells, (312) 664-3406.