Elliott Fouts Gallery: "Vistas & Horizons"

There's something extra special about one-person shows, and I think this is due to a combination of factors.

1. The amount of time and effort required to paint an entire show is definitely worth mentioning. John's show represents a years worth of painting - he started planning last year and began painting at the beginning of this year. Planning, alone, is an arduous task. Creating a collection of paintings can almost be compared to creating different "looks" for a fashion line - each painting is different, has it's own unique flair, but is ultimately a part of a bigger picture.

2. This is an adjunct of the first idea, but continuity is of great importance. Task of taking on a one-person show is incredibly daunting, causing me to wonder - where does a painter start? With an idea? Or simply by painting? The answer obviously varies from person to person, but here's what John had to say:

"I start by looking for a visual idea that I build a new body of work around. This time it was several drives down the I - 5 that were the inspiration for this show. I experienced the space of the landscape differently then ever before. I then did a hundred or so small drawings to work out these new visual ideas before starting in on the actual pieces that are in the show. I don't work from photography so it is important to get down my new ideas quickly."

3. The fact that viewers are able to see a large body of work and investigate the subtleties of each painting is an incredibly rewarding experience. John sent me a picture of his studio in August 2010, check it out below:

John's Studio | August 2010

My jaw dropped to the ground when I saw this image - it's too cool. My relationship to our artists' paintings is pretty one-dimensional. While I'm one of the first to see the pieces in their finished form, I don't get to see the several stages they've gone through to become a "complete" painting.

For instance, I know Round-About as the biggest piece of the show - it has a river winding through the valley, a tremendous palette of layered opaque colors (as opposed to blended gradations), and a wonderful contrast between land and sky. I think I see the painting to the right of the photograph, but I don't know! John says, "I work in layers, building up the colors in each painting until they are correct. I tend to work on any given piece until I get stuck and don't know how to proceed in a painting or until whole surface of the painting is wet and must be allowed to dry."

Even then, he says that his pieces can change radically from his initial concept to completion.

So what makes John's work unique and worth collecting?

He's academically trained. Born and raised in the San Joaquin Valley of California, John completed his B.A. in Studio Art at California State University, Stanislaus. After receiving his M.F.A. in painting and drawing from the University of North Carolina, Greensboro, he returned to California, and currently lives in Turlock with his wife and two sons. He knows the "fundamentals" of painting and isn't afraid to create his own style.

It's the best of both worlds. John's paintings bridge the gap between representational and abstract realms. His subjects are clearly landscapes, but his ability to abbreviate and condense detail allows him to depart from convention. This intermediary state has become a key element in his approach.

He uses color expressively. John's vibrant palette is almost as much a subject in his work as it is a tool for description. His fervent use of expressionistic color invigorates and charges the Central Valley landscape with a compelling, new found dynamism.

Here are a couple of my favorites (amongst many!):