Dean Wyatt, waiting for the moon : Governor's Gallery, April 12-June 6, 2010.

              Dean Wyatt Governor's Gallery April 12 - June 6, 2010
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Dean Wyatt
Untitled by Dean Wyatt
Dean Wyatt
Waiting for the Moon
Governor's Gallery - April 12 ? June 6, 2010
April 4, 2011
Dean Wyatt finds inspiration for many of his paintings
during the twilight hour. The subtle changes of the sky
and the colors that wash over the earth at sundown are
reflected in his abstract landscapes.
"The transition from day to night has a nebulous quality I
find fascinating," says the artist. "There is beauty
accompanied by darker undertones. The sun is gone.
Distortion creeps in. Land merges into sky. Familiar
objects dissolve. And the day succumbs to night."
Although his paintings are often recognized as landscapes,
Wyatt doesn't think of himself as a landscape painter.
Rather than focusing on traditional landscape components
such as trees and flowers, the artist prefers to focus on
the basic elements of a scene, including earth, sky, water,
and light.
He explains, "I'm more concerned with the
composition, color, and mood of the piece than
the specific subject matter."
Wyatt works with acrylic paint, which dries
quickly and allows for layering of color. He
often achieves the drama and depth of dusk by
first painting the canvas black. This creates a
platform to build from dark to light where Wyatt
contrasts the undertones of the twilight sky
with strokes of bright color. Texture is created
using pallet knives or other objects to scratch
into the paint before it's completely dry.
Wyatt grew up in Duncan and remembers
sitting with his parents at sunset as they waited
for the moon to rise over the Wichita Mountains.
The images of gentle hills and shifting colors
first seen in his childhood now play a large role
in his current paintings, including the work in
this exhibit titled, Waiting for the Moon.
Having learned the basics of art in high school
from his teacher, Charles Novotny, Wyatt
focused on realism for many years, creating
portraits with pen and ink. Spending as long as
three months on each portrait, he would
meticulously reproduce each feature of the
subject. After many years Wyatt realized this
Capitol Exhibitions
The Capitol is home to four art
galleries, exhibiting works of
current and past Oklahoma
artists.
East Gallery
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Governor's Gallery
Betty Price Gallery
About the Governor's
Gallery
Located on the second floor of
the Capitol, adjacent to the
Governor's Blue Room, the
Governor's Gallery features
paintings and mixed media
works by current Oklahoma
artists. Exhibits rotate
approximately every 60 days.
Hours: Weekdays 8:30 a.m. to
5 p.m.
The Governor's Gallery is
curated by the Oklahoma Arts
Council. For more information
contact Alyson Moses at
405.521.2931 or
alyson.moses@arts.ok.gov.
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Exhibitions
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Exhibition
Upcoming Governor's
Gallery Exhibits
Gayle L. Curry (Oklahoma
City)
December 17, 2012 -
Febuary 17, 2013
Almira Hill Grammer
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