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NEAL RISDAL ARTIST
Artist's Statment
As a young man growing up in the Catskill mountains region of NY state I was often awe-struck
by the fantastic beauty of the area.
Mountains never seemed to look the same on any given day. The autumn mist half revealed large swaths of multicolored leaves. This has greatly influenced my art. Much like the old Dutch Tales of the area the Catskills are a perfect blend of vague uneasiness and alluring aesthetics -- this is irresistible.
I had much the same experience when visiting my father's home in Norway. The mystic half-light so prevalent at the latitude, coupled with a landscape carved by glaciers, graced with tremendous fjords and wonderful rolling hills has also inspired me greatly.
I work mostly with my preferred medium, oil on canvas. I often use various textures to achieve the desired product. When I work I think of my paintings as my children. I love them all, and I guide them to become what they basically are right from the start. The painting is in the canvas and must be brought out.
Artist's Bio.
Born in 1951 in Saugerties , the Catskills area of New York State, he began painting under the tutelage of Stephan Lokos in the artist colony of Woodstock in 1966. Whereas Loko's paintings are
unique in there depliction of the bright light of Mexico, Risdal's paintings are inspired largely by the intricate play of light upon the Catskills and the mystical half light of Scandinavia.
Although Landscapes are often his subjects his work instills the sensation of a setting, what ever the subject, with a view to maintaining the overriding purpose of his art, which is to communicate a spirit of peace and his love of the natural world. Through the use of techniques defined over years of work he has perfected the conveyance of stability between times of intense change. Many of the mediums available to artists are used, including, oil, pastels and acrylics.
Risdal was represented by Studio 9 gallery in Atlanta Georga for several years and later by the Frog gallery in Allen town New Jersey.He has exhibited at various venues in New York city and New Jersey including Bergen PAC, LITM gallery in Jersey City where he did a solo exhibition and I Heat Art in New York City. He also does commissioned work.
He now resides in Kansas City Kansas where he continues to work.
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