"I really didn't start painting seriously until 2002," says artist Gary Blevins. Born and reared in Springfield, Blevins spent some time away from the Rose City but returned to Springfield nearly a year ago and set up a studio and gallery at 145 S. High Street.
Walking by one recent early morning, this appreciator of fine art had the privilege of watching the artist at work on a new painting. Blevins was working on a commissioned painting of Governor Asa S. Bushnell (1834-1904) standing in front of the historic Bushnell Building. He graciously invited me in for an impromptu private tour.
Upon entering the space, I was taken in by the easy likeability of his body of work. Enriched Americana might be a fitting descriptor of his style, and one that could have some art scene cognoscenti turning up their noses. It begs the question: Can artwork be readily accessible to everyone and still be considered fine art?
Of course it can. Blevins' work is wonderfully delightful at first glance. And as with many other remarkable works of art, repeated viewings of Blevin's oeuvre deepen the affinity.
His painting of Frank Lloyd Wright is based on a black and white photo in an old 1950s magazine he stumbled upon. The portrait, however, is in color, and demonstrates Blevins' mastery of line, hue, and definition of character.
Another striking painting of his comes with something of a novel allure. It is Blevins' reimagining of Norman Rockwell's famous "The Young Lady with the Shiner."
"He did this way back in the 1940s," says Blevins. "Mary Whalen is the model. He did several paintings of her. The Rockwell's Retreat museum called me because they had seen my work before, and they let me know they were going to have a reunion of the models."
The museum asked Blevins to bring some of the paintings they knew he had done in the style of the American Master.
Blevins obliged. But he also had a big idea.
"Is Mary Whalen going to be there?" he asked.
She was. Blevins asked his girlfriend to come along for the trip to the Rockwell museum, and to pose next to Whalen in the same studio in which she posed for Norman Rockwell way back when. The result is the painting shown here. Mary Whalen at age 9, sitting beside Mary Whalen, age 86.
Blevins had prints made of the work and sometime later visited Whalen in Arlington, Vermont. Over pastries and coffee, she recounted tales of her father's relationship with Norman Rockwell. Mary Whalen's father was Norman Rockwell's attorney.
That sort of thing is part of the appeal of Blevins' work. Stories within stories, within stories about stories. To this appreciator of art, it makes repeated viewings of the works of Springfield's own American Master of fine art, all the more engaging.
Though
Gary Blevins Art Studio is not officially part of First Friday activities, it will be open on Friday and is located in downtown Springfield within walking distance of the center of First Friday happenings.
Stay tuned to HubSpringfield.com to know when his soon-to-be first anniversary party at the High Street studio/gallery will be announced.
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