Nature Inspires Art
By Pat Kerns
Rose Kadera Vastila is the guest artist at Alliance Art Gallery for the month of August. A former art teacher from Minnesota, Rose moved to Hannibal a couple of years ago to be close to her daughter. A long time potter, Rose specializes in sculpture and functional stoneware and will have both during her month at the gallery.
Many of her sculptural pieces of various sizes are inspired by the bare bones of November trees that stand like dancers, conversation groups and watchers. “They stand for generations in one place. They are the tall ancient spirits that stand observing human life as it passes by day after day.”
Rose became hooked on pottery at the age of 16 when her high school art instructor pulled out a potters wheel and demonstrated throwing on the wheel. Even as a youngster she loved playing in the mud, making mud pies and was never afraid to wade into mud puddles. This nature loving artist considers her sculptures expressionistic. Making these works of art are therapeutic and where she finds peace.
Dennis Babbitt also finds nature and making art his happy place. Dennis’s work will be part of the continuation of the collaborations some of the gallery artists are doing this year and he will be collaborating with photographer Connie Stephens in August and September to create some very special works.
Dennis is a St. Louis area native who owned a hobby store in St. Charles for many years. He and his wife also owned property in Louisiana and made the move there several years ago. Although he graduated with an Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in printmaking, life had a way of getting in his way after he married and he worked full time in the hobby store. About 25 years ago he began drawing and painting again and has never stopped. Now that he is retired he paints frequently, both in the studio and in plein air.
He especially enjoys painting outside in his two favorite seasons, Spring and Autumn when the colors are more varied and the weather more favorable.
Dennis participates in many regional Plein Air competitions, not trying to win, but so he can paint with friends and enjoy their companionship. His primary media are waterbase: watercolor, gouache and acrylic. He enjoys the process of painting, especially when it takes on a life of its own. Painting outside can offer many challenges, most often the weather and chasing the light, but on one occasion while he and his wife were on vacation in Scotland he ventured out very early in the morning to catch the sunrise coming up behind a bridge. Despite being warned to take lots of bug spray, he forgot to do so and by the time he finished painting both he and his painting had been attacked by midges leaving him with many, many bites and his painting with midges imbedded in the paint.
For their collaboration, Dennis has shared photos of some of the places he has painted and Connie manipulated those images in photographic artistic software. In return, Connie simplified some of her photos digitally into black and white line drawings and Dennis will use those as inspiration for a painting.
An opening reception celebrating the work of these three artists will be held on Saturday, August 10, 2024 from 4:00 PM until 7:00 PM, with an artists’ talk at 6:00. This event is free and open to the public.
