The digital world has decreased the visibility of art and culture in people’s lives. However, despite all the tech trends, art has an incredible impact on the country’s economy, education, and society overall.
Besides enriching and nourishing your inner world, art and culture illuminate our lives and boost creativity and imagination.
Art and culture improve the quality of life and boost well-being for communities and individuals alike. Which is why we were honored when Fort Collins Lifestyle was asked to sponsor this year's Governor's Art Show.
Supporting vibrant communities has plenty of perks. Besides bringing people of all walks of life together, a vibrant community plays a crucial role in the quality of its citizens’ life, lowering the likelihood of a feud between neighbors and preventing poverty. The 29th Annual Colorado Governor’s Art Show & Sale introduces the public to the fine art of many of the state’s top artists. The juried show seeks entries from all Colorado artists and exhibits the chosen work in a museum setting. The sale proceeds support Colorado artists and many youth and community needs in Larimer County, Colorado through the Loveland and Thompson Valley Rotary Clubs.
We were lucky enough to go behind the scenes and visit three of this years selected artists, in their studio. Join us as we introduce you to Parker Mcdonald, Rosetta & Tal Walton.
Parker McDonald Colorado native, Parker McDonald, has been called a “Maker.” “As far back as I can remember I’ve been creating with my hands. Today that means hammers, a welder, stainless steel, and bronze.” “I’m a fabricator. My Wildlife art starts with cast parts, or sheet metal. Parts are cut, hammered, and welded, and usually combined with stones, or some architectural salvage. Each piece is always unique and one-of-a-kind. The limitations of working metal this way are a challenge, but it’s also immediate, spontaneous, and has an organic personality. I hope my work uplifts viewers, and pays homage to God’s creation.” Parker has many public and private installations, including Benson Sculpture Garden and has exhibited in Birds in Art, at the Woodson Museum. He is a signature member of the Society of Animal Artists. Learn more at parkermcdonald.net Rosetta Though drawn to modeling in clay at a very young age, Rosetta's formal art training was in commercial art, culminating at the Art Center College of Design in Los Angeles. Once established in a successful graphic design career, the urge to pursue her love of creating in three dimensions resurfaced and now she is sculpting full-time. Her subjects are animals, another childhood passion. Stuffed animals took the place of dolls, and recurring nightmares of being stalked by big cats evolved into wonder-filled dreams of friendly encounters with them. Admiration and respect for the grace, power, and nobility of the wild ones is evident in Rosetta's sculptures, which capture their spirit, form, and movement in a unique hard-edged yet fluid style. Rosetta has exhibited extensively both nationally and internationally, has completed corporate, public and private commissions and has received numerous awards for her work. Learn more at rosettasculpture.com Tal Walton Tal Walton studied painting and sculpture at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah, where he earned his Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees in Fine Art. Walton paints in oil on a prepared marble ground highlighted with gold and metal leaf, which imparts luminosity to the pigments overlaying its surface. Tal also adds sandpaper marks and scratches to the gessoed surface prior to applying multiple glazes, giving it an aged, old appearance. His approach to composition is identified with 15th-century masters. He hopes that the serenity of his paintings will draw the viewer in, and the complexity of his work will inspire lingering contemplation. In his paintings are not meant to imitate actual places but to recreate the universal idea of landscape and time. Walton’s techniques and spiritual beliefs impart an Old World feeling to his work, despite its contemporary simplicity. Walton believes that there is an underlying order to nature, an ideal that supersedes reality. His expression of variant realities, as well as the concepts of past, present and future are expressed in the vertical breaks and layers of gesso found in many of his paintings. Tal currently lives and works in Fort Collins, where he finds balance between painting and activities with his family. His art can be found in private, public and museum collections throughout the US and Europe.