Opening reception September 2, 2005, 5-7pm.

Chilkat River-Southeast Alaska. Acrylic on canvas. By Jim Fowler.

Spending painstaking time in a studio is not Juneau artist Jim Fowler’s idea of taking pleasure in creating. Nearly ten years ago, Fowler was consumed with creating children’s book illustrations. “I realized I was spending too much time indoors, so I started making smaller sketches outdoors during my recreation and I worked up to larger pieces.” Fowler has since adopted plein air acrylic landscapes as his primary medium and will be exhibiting his work in Plein Air Landscapes throughout September.

Literally translated as “open air,” plein air refers to paintings or drawings made directly from nature and infused with a feeling of the open air. The technique lends itself to working quickly to capture the changing effects of light, and as such, Fowler has developed a thick and choppy brushstroke imbued with light. Fowler finds that in plein air he is able to focus more on the application of paint and color, rather than the idea or theme behind it. “I think acrylics allow me to be more impulsive and explorative with my landscapes,” states Fowler. “I can distill the landscape and bring out its subtleties, bring it to life.”

Subject matter for Fowler is secondary to the process and experience of painting outdoors. Painting primarily in the Juneau area, Fowler avoids comfortable and typically aesthetic scenes by walking into the woods for twenty minutes and stopping at an undesignated place to paint whatever is in his view.  The randomness of Fowler’s scenes conveys an intimacy different from an expansive landscape by focusing his efforts on particular trees or streams rather than a whole view. His love of the area- the smells, sights, sounds- continually renew Fowler’s interest in landscape and further inspire him to translate nature.

For more information on Jim and his work, visit his website.