Right Around the River Blog
New Cedar Works Gallery Show Features Self-Taught Artists
Post Date: 09-13-2012
You know the old adage, "A can of paint is the best art teacher"? Okay, we admit, we made that one up -- but for the artists currently featured in Cedar Works Gallery, they've embraced this perspective and built their craft from the paint can up. This fall, Curator Meredith Timberlake highlights the power of untrained talent in the gallery's most recent show, which puts local artists James Timberlake and Josh Woods side by side in a colorful display.
"You don't have to be technically trained to be an artist," explains Meredith. "Art and creativity come from within. All you really need is vision, some paint and, in some cases, just a good-old-fashioned palette knife."
Both James and Josh use oil paints, wood panels and layering effects to create abstract works of art — but their distinct artworks show that similar mediums and abstract styles can have wildly different results. While the artists share commonalities, they also each pull from different techniques, and the juxtaposition of James’ geometric shapes alongside Josh’s more whimsical color layering create a vibrant art show worth seeing.
A self-taught artist who began painting five years ago (who’s also a Cedar Works resident and Meredith’s father), James works mostly in oil on wood panels along with various other mediums. He uses a process where he builds up layers of paint then scrapes away to reveal the colors below, creating geometric shapes and depth. He currently paints from his studio at Plant Zero and has worked with and around celebrated Richmond artists such as Matt Lively and Bill Fisher. Since picking up the paintbrush, James has shown his art in a variety of venues and galleries around Richmond, such as Art Works, Red Door Gallery, Plant Zero Café — and this is his second Cedar Works Gallery show. James’ work also resides in a number of private collections throughout the Richmond area.
Josh Woods
Also a self-taught artist, Josh is an abstract painter who turns scrap pieces of wood into works of art using oil paint and a palette knife. He employs a layering process, as well, mixing his paint together to form highly organic compositions, often resulting in very bright, colorful pieces. Josh creates open-ended paintings, which invite the viewer to decipher the work however they choose. An artist for many years, paint is his newest medium. He rarely uses a brush, choosing a palette knife, instead, which allows him to move the paint around the panel’s surface to create texture and depth. This is also Josh’s second showing at Cedar Works and a number of his paintings are in private collections.
The show runs from September 13 through October 28 and is only open to residents. If you’re an artist who’d like to display your work in the Cedar Works Gallery, you can email Meredith Timberlake.