Review

"Hard to Forget," Oil on Canvas.

Debra Clemente

1-4 p.m.
(New Year's Eve Hours)

ARTichokes
10557 Mission Road
Leawood, KS
913.322.9481

Winter Hours (effective Jan. 1): 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Tuesday-Thursday, 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Friday, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday.
Runs through: Feb. 6

Artist's site: http://www.artistdeb.com
Gallery site: http://www.artichokeskc.com

I'm writing the final ARTKC365 post of 2009 from Topeka, not far from where one of Debra Clemente's oil paintings hangs in a place of prominence.

One would need an appointment with Gov. Mark Parkinson to see that piece, though; Sunshine Grows in Kansas hangs in his office at the Statehouse. Those of us without entree into that space need not fret, though; there's plenty more of Clemente's work on display until early February at ARTichokes in Leawood.

It's easy to see why the Lawrence artist would find favor in the Capitol; her talent and Impressionist leanings are matched by a passion for the state and its rural vistas.

Talent first: Clemente's skill is obvious. But there's something that doesn't leap to first look: Clemente paints using not an array of tools, but one single implement. The technique is brushless; Clemente's  large palette knife serves not only to apply, arrange and remove paint, but also to mix and smooth it.

The Impressionist style is partly due to Clemente's use of the knife and partly to her habit of painting from memory. As she puts it, Visual recollections continually dance in my head until I give them another place to live.

And by relying on memory, Clemente aims to eliminate unnecessary detail and capture the essence of a scene. She has certainly done that in Hard to Forget, today's featured work, distilling the image to its basics: Purple sky, golden light, and surfaces to catch and reflect the latter.

The passion, lastly, shows not only in Clemente's work but also in how she writes about it:

Lately, I’ve decided that no painting leaves my studio until it sings. They don’t all have to sing the same song but each painting needs a strong voice and an enchanting melody. I love it when my art strikes a chord within someone else, resonating true to some experience in their own life. Hopefully recalling pleasant memories and bringing a smile, just as the process did for me.

Clemente's paintings might not all be singing the same song ... but if you look and listen closely, to any and all of them, it's possible to hear the hiss and sigh of a Kansas wind through tall grass and cottonwood leaves.

Popularity: 1% [?]

Updating...