Living Encounters with God
Featuring artwork by Russ Reed
Art Exhibit: | Jun. 20 – Aug. 22 |
Dessert Reception: | Sunday, June 236:00 PM | Watson Hall Following the God & Country Concert |
Meet the Artist Reception: | Sunday, June 302:00 PM | Watson Hall |
Russ Reed
Russ Reed has been painting for 25 years and is especially interested in stories of people and transformation. His major creative influences include many of the baroque masters, but especially Rembrandt, Caravaggio, and Zurbarán. More contemporary influences include the small portraits of Lucian Freud. These artists reveal a great deal with their realistic portrayals, but at the same time leave behind much mystery for us to ponder.
Russ’s body of work extends the understanding of the ancient narratives into the reality of the present day. This focus places Russ in the continuum of centuries of figural and narrative artists.
When not painting, Russ and his wife Terri also lead the Art & Faith community of artists in the southwest Dallas area through Faith Bible Church in Desoto, Texas.
Artist Statement
The Encounter Gallery is about well-known historical encounters with Jesus, His miracles and teaching.
I’m interested in people and their transformation. What leads a person to walk a certain path? What happens when a person is overtaken with an idea? These are questions I’m exploring in both a historical and contemporary way. The subjects are historically documented in their most famous moment. But my sitters are definitely contemporary and alive. My goal is to carefully match the living model with the historical person and account.
As a traditional painter, I find value in ordinary people in their settings. However, I approach painting from a contemporary vantage point using paint and brushstroke as a metaphor for the subject’s experience and wisdom. The build-up and layering of paint allows me to explore the facial roadmap and discover many levels of personality. In so doing, the work explores the tension between traditional portrait values and contemporary painting ideas.
My influences include the Baroque artists, especially Zurbaran and Caravaggio, as well as the smaller portraits by Lucian Freud. These artists reveal a great deal with their realist portrayal, but at the same time leave behind much mystery for us to ponder.
Artreach Gallery
The ArtReach Gallery graces the walls of Watson Hall at Lovers Lane United Methodist Church and is the work of the Visual Arts Committee of LLUMC and is sponsored by the Lovers Lane Foundation. All artwork is for sale unless otherwise indicated. Purchase prices are available upon request. A portion (25%) of all sale proceeds benefits the Lovers Lane Foundation.
Visual Arts Committee
We are always looking for artists or individuals with an interest in art to serve on or Visual Arts Committee. Let us know if you would be interested — we would love to talk to you about it! Serving on this committee is a great way to serve the art community and Lovers Lane United Methodist Church and its Foundation
To volunteer for our Visual Arts Committee, contact Marilyn Eitzen-Jones or Margaret Mall
Marilyn Jones: meitzenjones@att.net | 214-350-4205
Margaret Mall: margaret@calligraphyartstudio.com | 214.794.9355
Purchase Information
Contact Paul Ditto at 214-706-9561 or email ArtReach@llumc.org
