September exhibit to open at Justus Fine Art Gallery
The September exhibit at Justus Fine Art Gallery, 827-A Central Ave., will feature a selection of Linda Williams Palmer’s colored pencil drawings from her Arkansas Champion Trees series, watercolor paintings by Gary Simmons, and the lyrical abstract paintings of Tony Saladino.
Additional work by Michael Ashley, Robyn Horn, Sandra Sell, Gene Sparling, and others will also be showcased, the gallery said in a news release.
The show will host a reception from 5-9 p.m. Friday as part of the monthly Gallery Walk. The exhibit will be on display through Sept. 30.
Palmer began her Champion Tree series in 2007, when she found the online list of the largest of each species of tree determined by Arkansas foresters. Since then, Palmer has traveled over 20,000 miles, taken hundreds of documentary photographs, and researched the history and science of the trees in preparation to create the tree series, the release said.
Palmer has had more than 28 solo exhibits, along with inclusion in additional group shows. She has given more than 30 presentations to civic groups and university students highlighting the “beauty of Arkansas and its people through her art.”
Her Champion Tree series inspired an Arkansas Education Television Network documentary, “Champion Trees,” that went on to win state, national and international awards, the release said. The documentary now shows on PBS stations throughout the United States.
Palmer’s book, “The Champion Trees of Arkansas: An Artist’s Journey” published by the University of Arkansas Press, is now in its second printing. Along with reproductions of Palmer’s intricate Prismacolor drawings of the trees, the book contains excerpts of the oral histories of the trees, along with “their role in the families and communities that love them,” the release said.
Simmons is a multifaceted artist working in numerous media. “Along with an extensive exhibition history and long list of collectors, Simmons served as a respected art professor at Henderson State University before recently retiring. He is the author of ‘The Technical Pen,’ considered a ‘must-have’ for anyone interesting in learning more about pen-and-ink techniques. Originally published by Watson Guptill in 1992, the book has been republished by Echo Point Books,” the release said.
He has also taught numerous pen-and-ink workshops throughout the nation at venues including the Dallas Arts and Crafts Association in Dallas; the National Art Materials Trade Association in Philadelphia, and in Arlington, Va.; the Flushing Art League in Queens, N.Y.; Allegheny Highland Arts in Clifton Forge, Va.: Woodlands Workshop in Vancouver, Wash.; the Visual Arts Center of Northwest Florida in Panama City, Fla.; Rapid City Arts Council in Rapid City, S.D.; Artist
and Display in Milwaukee, Wisc.; the Barnwell Art Center in Shreveport, La.; the Naperville Art League in Naperville, Ill.; the Arkansas Arts Center in Little Rock; Henderson State University in Arkadelphia; the Daytona Beach Art League in Daytona Beach, Fla.; and the Camp Brook Comer Gallery in Bethel, Vt.
Owned by artist Dolores Justus, Justus Fine Art Gallery offers a wide range of original art including sculpture, paintings, ceramics and photography by recognized artists. Opening receptions are held in conjunction with the Hot Springs Gallery Walk held from 5-9 p.m. the first Friday of every month in downtown Hot Springs. Hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Wednesday through Saturday and by appointment. Call 501-321-2335 or visit http:// www.justusfineart.com for more information.