“The Problem Solvers” by Stuart Roper

Stuart Roper, a wonderful artist from Asheville, NC… I love it when an artist can take a mundane scene and make it spectacular! Something like workers on the side of the road… this is fabulous, what does it for me is the ORANGE. I think a painting that has orange really catches the eye… it draws me to it… same with red, it’s probably WHY I like a painting with a flag in it, it’s that pop of red against other colors that are so spectacular! A friend recently explained how someone had told her about putting at least a hint of red or orange to make a painting really stand out, I think that’s so true! Of course in this painting it’s more than a pop of color, but you get my drift… great loose strokes… Check out Stuart’s website for gallery representation… here in Charleston, SC it appears that he has a few pieces at M GALLERY OF FINE ART!

Here’s a blip about Stuart from his website:

Born in North Carolina in 1953, painter and sculptor Stuart Roper moved to Manhattan in the mid-1970s to attend the Art Students League of New York. There, he studied anatomy and figure drawing with Thomas Fogarty and portraiture with John Howard Sanden. Following New York, Stuart made a brief move to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where he studied color theory under the direction of Gerry Wright. In 1980, he moved to St. Simons Island, Georgia for a year, prior to settling in the state’s capital, Atlanta. Over the next ten years, his work included various commissions, both private and corporate, as well as a number of solo and group exhibitions. In the fall of 1991, Stuart moved to France, west of Paris in the small Normandy village of Pressagny l’Orgueilleux. There, he settled in the guest cottage of the Château de la Madeleine. Only minutes away from the home of Claude Monet in Giverny, the place and its artistic precedent guided Stuart’s own paint handling; through plein-air work, he found the approach of the Impressionists, which has since characterized most of his painting. Normandy offered Stuart myriad tones of gray amidst the often-foggy landscapes, however, the frequent inclement weather made plein-air work difficult. In 1993 Stuart moved to the small hilltop village of Fayence in southern France where he would remain for the next five years working under “a glorious sun.” During this time, his work took him to Italy, Corsica and back to Normandy, all the while enchanted by the light, and concentrating on the development of his limited three-color palette. In 1998, Stuart made the decision to return to the United States, where he settled in Asheville, North Carolina. The Grove Arcade Public Market commissioned Stuart to recreate the original 1920s finials that adorn the top of the building, and the City Parks and Recreation Department also commissioned him on the development of “Grove’s Vision”, a station on the city’s historical Urban Trail. He may be spotted almost anywhere, as he continues his love of capturing the landscape and developing his artistic vocabulary. 

Ran across this on his website… if you’re thinking of coming to Charleston May 30- June 1, 2012 this would be a fabulous time for a visit!

PLEIN AIR PAINTER OF THE SOUTHEAST 
Returns to Charleston for a Four Gallery Show 

Opening Reception: June 1st 2012 6-8pm 
Show Closing Date: June 22nd 2012 

Show Locations:

Galerie on Broad 29 Broad Street, Charleston, SC 29401 

Hagan Fine Art Gallery and Studio 27 1/2 State Street, Charleston SC, 29401 

Horton Hayes Fine Art 30 State Street, Charleston, SC, 29401 

Smith Killian Fine Art 9 Queen Street, Charleston, SC, 29401 

Participating Artists: 

Scott Boyle 
Loryn Brazier 
Anne Blair Brown 
Roger Dale Brown, OPA 
Katie Dobson Cundiff 
Dee Beard Dean 
Beverly Ford Evans (New Member) 
Trey Finney 
Paula Frizbe 
Karen Hewitt Hagan 
L. Diane Johnson 
Andre Lucero (New Member) 
Diane May 
Kevin Menck 
Larry Moore 
Gwen Nagel 
Richard Christian Nelson 
Richard Oversmith 
Lori Putnam 
James Richards 
Stuart Roper 
Junko Ono Rothwell 
Shannon Smith 
Hodges Soileau

Sue Stewart

Brett Weaver

Dawn E. Whitelaw 

Attending artists will paint on location in the vicinity of the gallerys (Queen Street, State Street, and Broad Street) starting Wednesday, May 30, 2012 through Friday, June 1, 2012. 

Catch you back here tomorrow!