Painter of the North
Sunday, June 18 – Join Neil Sherman as he presents his slideshow that has captured his 16 years of Plein Air Painting on the Gunflint Trail.
What I strive to capture in my paintings is the feeling of a particular day. Each day is different, especially on the north shore of Lake Superior where, often, every couple of hours can be different. Those days or hours may never be repeated again, so capturing the essence is important so that people who have known those days and hours can remember them and others who have not known can be transported there via the painting.
My particular method of painting has roots that date back to the Impressionist era. American painter Frank Vincent DuMond studied painting in France in the late 1890s and early 1900s and then taught painting at the Arts Students League in New York City. He developed a palette that has become affectionately known as the “prismatic palette” which is geared toward allowing subtle control of color and value in a landscape. This palette has been passed down through such painters as Arthur Maynard, John Phillip Osborne, and Joe Paquet, who in turn taught it to me.
A majority of my works are painted on location and, if needed, are “tweaked” back in the studio. Tweaking involves making adjustments to different aspects of the painting such as color, value, shape, tone, etc. or adding small elements that further engage the viewer beyond the initial impact of the painting. Often, one of those paintings will be used to create a larger studio painting.
You can view more about Neil Sherman and his studio here.
This presentation is supported by a Rural Leadership Boost Grant from the Blandin Foundation.
All presentations are family-friendly and free to the public.
Donations are always appreciated. Take your time driving up the Gunflint Trail Scenic Byway!
