|
|
 |
|
| July, 2009 |
Waterfowl Festival Artist Gallery |
|
Welcome to the Waterfowl Festival's Artist Gallery. In the months to come, we'd like to send you information on the many talented artists, sculptors, and photographers who will be exhibiting at this year's Festival on November 13, 14 and 15. Hailing from the north, south, east and west, the Waterfowl artists are a varied group with interesting biographies. This newsletter will give you the opportunity to meet some of them and learn about their individual talents.
This month we introduce Jason Tako (artist), Paul Rhymer (sculptor), and David Harp (photographer), all of whom have been exhibiting at the Festival for several years.
For more information on this year's event, to buy tickets, or to become a donor, visit us at our website.
Enjoy! |
|
 |
Jason Tako |
| |
|
 At last year's Waterfowl Festival, Jason was approached by the co-owner of Lord Nelson's Gallery in Gettysburg, PA and invited to exhibit his work. He says, "Lord Nelson's carries original work and prints of world renowned artists like Carl Brenders and John Buxton. I always loved Lord Nelson's Gallery ever since I walked in there, and it was an exciting moment when they asked to represent me." Born and raised in rural Minnesota, Jason developed a love for the outdoors and wildlife by going out into the woods and wetlands sketching landscapes and wildlife. His medium is mostly oil on linen or linen panel, and his subject matter consists of wildlife, landscape, still life and figurative. He tries to paint from life as much as possible "in order to give my paintings a fresh and honest feel. My main goal with my work is to capture a feeling in paint and pass it on to the viewer and give glory to God."
At left, "Follow the Leader"
At right, "Stretching the Wing"
"Sunbathing Greenwings"
Jason will be exhibiting his paintings at the Elks Gallery. This is his fifth year at the Waterfowl Festival. He likes exhibiting at the Festival because he is inspired by all the beautiful artwork and enjoys being around the other artists. He says, "It is always a joy meeting new people and talking with collectors about art, wildlife and life in general. The atmosphere in the town of Easton during the Festival is an inspiration for anyone who loves wildlife." Jason and his family live in Dover, PA. More of Jason's work can be found at his website: www.jasontako.com.
|
|
Paul Rhymer |
| |
|
  Paul Rhymer will be exhibiting his sculptures at the Sculpture Pavilion across from the Armory. This will be his sixth year at the Waterfowl Festival. At right is his sculpture, "2 Blue." His subject matter is wildlife with a focus on birds. An avid waterfowl hunter, bird watcher, fisherman and paddler, Paul finds it difficult to separate the rest of his life from these activities since they all feed and inspire him and his work. For ten years, Paul has been sculpting in clay and casting in bronze. He's been a taxidermist and model maker at the Smithsonian for 25 years and when he began sculpting found it was mostly a reflection of his experiences with wildlife.
 In addition to wildlife, Paul finds cats a fascinating subject. He says, "even after years of watching my cats, I marvel at what they can do and the shapes and lines cat anatomy has...I have several cat sculptures (lions and cougars) that were directly inspired by watching them." At right is an example, "Yawning of a New Day".
A resident of Point of Rocks, MD, Paul feels the Waterfowl Festival gets great numbers of visitors and collectors to see the artists, support the artists, and seem to be trying to always make the show a better experience for everyone. "The folks running the show and getting artists have done a great job bringing together a wide variety of artists having different styles and media," he says. Having artists from all over is great in Paul's opinion because he gets to see old friends and get inspired from their work as well. "I'm always dragging other artists over to my booth for critiques of my work to try to improve," he says. As far as Festival visitors go, Paul is amazed with the loyalty of people who have come to every Festival for over 30 years. "That's a testament to how special the Waterfowl Festival is." More of Paul's sculpture can be found at www.paulrhymer.com.
"Fisher King" "Sandhill Crane"
|
|
David Harp |
| |
|
David Harp, at right, will be exhibiting his photographs in the Photography Gallery at the Historical Society for his second year at the Waterfowl Festival. He and his wife, Barbara, work from a studio in Cambridge, MD. David has been photographing the delights and dilemmas of the Chesapeake Bay for nearly four decades, and his images of the Bay's landscapes and people, flora and fauna, have been published world wide. He prefers the marshy edges, where land and water meet and where the Bay's above-water life is so apparent. He also seeks to work during the day's edges - from first light to sunrise and from late afternoon into dusk - searching for subjects bathed in warm light with long, revealing shadows.
 At right, "Skipjack Fleet"
His work has appeared in numerous magazines - he was the chief photographer for the Baltimore Sun Magazine for a decade - and he has produced four Chesapeake Bay themed books with writer Tom Horton: Swanfall: Journey of the Tundra Swans, Water's Way: Life Along the Chesapeake, The Great Marsh: An Intimate Journey Into A Chesapeake Wetland, and The Nanticoke: Portrait of a Chesapeake River. More of his work can be found at www.davidharp.com.
"Calloways Fishing" "Bishops Head Gut"
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
