Happy New Year

Happy New Year from JR Mooney Galleries View this email in your browser Happy New Year!!   From J.R. Mooney Galleries of Fine Art (above) J.R. Mooney Galleries, Boerne (above) J.R. Mooney Galleries, San Antonio Lets take a look back and Recap the Great J.R. Mooney Highlights of 2013...

(above) Donna Campbell (R) and Mr. Mooney J.R. Mooney Galleries of Fine Art celebrated their 67th year of business and received the Texas Treasure Historical Commissions award and was recognized by the House and Senate in Austin.  J.R. Mooney Galleries, Boerne recognizes the distinguished careers of both G. Harvey and Dalhart Windberg with a tribute showing of prints on paper for a monthlong spotlight hanging of work.  (above) detail of the Boerne showing of G. Harvey and Dalhart Windberg One of the new artists to the San Antonio gallery -- Richard Riverin (above) Early Snow, Richard Riverin.  Scientist turned artist who patented his own paints joins the ranks at the gallery Briscoe Western Art Museum hosts Night of the Artist exhibition and two of JR Mooney Galleries artists are included -- Cliff Cavin and Mark Keathley. Mark Keathley wins Patrons Choice Award at the Briscoe for his Native American Painting "Native Sun". (above) NHOME magazine features Cliff Cavin and Mark Keathley for their work in Night of the Artist exhibition at the Briscoe Western Art Museum (above) Another Good Year, Mark Keathley The appointment of Gabriel Diego Delgado to Gallery Director for J.R. Mooney Galleries, Boerne (above) Gabriel Diego Delgado outside the J.R. Mooney Galleries, Boerne The solo exhibition and spotlight of Boerne's own Sidney Sinclair at the Boerne Gallery. (above) Spirit Journey, Sidney Sinclair The introduction of new Contemporary Artists to the J.R. Mooney Galleries, Boerne roster that included: Russell Stephenson, Guus Kemp, Louis Vega Trevino, and Cody Vance (above) A Quiet Place, Russell Stephenson (above) Cool Breeze, Cody Vance (above) detail of Colors of Pardise, Guus Kemp  (above) home installation of Louis Vega Trevino, shaped canvases ****J.R. Mooney Galleries of Fine Art will continue to bring you award winning artists, spotlight exhibitions and outstanding customer service as we bring in 2014!!****

Copyright © 2103 J.R. Mooney Galleries, All rights reserved. You are receiving this email because we like to send you news about J.R. Mooney Galleries and the Texas art community. Our mailing address is: JR Mooney Galleries 8302 Broadway San Antonio, Tx 78209

A Quiet Time for Russell Stephenson

A Quiet Place

Russell Stephenson

Oil on panel

36” x 36”

$2,700.00

The majestic skylines of Texas radiate an unexplainable beauty – the kind that harkens to the tributary songs of stars at night and the like in all its nostalgic inspirations.  Whether you’re experiencing the charming and subtle horizons of Corpus Christi, the flat plains of Lubbock and Plainview or the rugged mountains of Big Bend to the rolling Hill Country there is something unmistakable in its atmospheric awesomeness; with its sunrises and sunsets, its vast openness, or its terrifying and turbulent storms.

Russell Stephenson, a Texas painter, in an unrelenting approach has mastered the gorgeous godliness of our great state in his Panoramic Texas series paintings. Radiant browns and various tones of burnt sienna seem to meddle perfectly with contrasting cool slate grays, snowy silvers and wispy whites.

Atmospheric amalgamations of colors are ever approachable, digestible and delicate in their ephemeral and abstracted beauty.

In “A Quiet Place”, Stephenson delivers a mid-sized square painting, one that is anchored by an indistinguishable horizon that is concisely suppressed, mingled and engulfed by feathered heavens that glow with an inner radiance; something that can only achieved by some cosmic enlightenment.  The top half of the painting registers as an overcast nighttime sky; unique in its own right as each line, mark or controlled chaos of the artist’s hand touches the panel in a series of deliberate gestures through pressure, contemplation and automatic subconscious responses.

Thinking back to the cave paintings of Lascaux and man’s desire for expression, prayer, and guidance, I see a correlation to these organic canvases and Stephenson’s work.  “A Quiet Place” is in no regard a series of stories of hunting expeditions and vengeful deities, but further appreciation and understanding of the work looms closer to an epitaph of a long forgotten mountainside, etched with the timeless tale of the universe --Scars, stretch marks, wrinkles, and worry lines of an unprecedented worldliness; a story of life itself beyond the limits of Texas; and carefully calculated by the artist; and driven by divine-ness.

Call J.R. Mooney Gallery at 1-830-816-5106 to purchase

© Gabriel Diego Delgado

Eloquent Stone Carvings of Cody Vance

Eloquent stone carvings of Cody Vance View this email in your browser Cody Vance was born in 1965 in Eureka, Kansas and raised in Albuquerque, New Mexico.  He began his career in the arts during his service with the United States Air Force in 1985.  In 1997, Vance was able to hone his skills in illustration as a Graphic Artist ~ being a Military text book illustrator. The Department of Defense recognized Vance’s skills and named him Military Graphic Artist of the Year - 2007, 2008, and 2009.  It was the first time the DoD conferred this prestigious award to a military artist more than once and the only time in its history that it has bestowed the award to the same artist for consecutive years. His career in the Air Force provided valuable life experiences for Mr. Vance to draw upon in his career as an artist, including travel around the world, particularly throughout Western Europe. However, in 2008, while studying under sculptor Rachman Ulmer at the Inspire Community Fine Art Center in San Antonio, Texas, Mr. Vance discovered his passion for stone sculpting and has found a voice in the eloquent and organic carvings of various exquisite rocks and minerals; including: Italian Ice Alabaster, Travertine, and Steatite. “My sculptures beg to be touched…demand to be felt”, says Vance. “How else can one understand that this fluid, twisting, sensuous thing before them is stone?” In essence Cody Vance creates a form balanced with negative and positive spaces using twists, turns, ribbons, curves, and sensual grooves.  Vance resides in San Antonio and is a member of the Air Force Art Program, Texas Sculpture Group and Texas Sculpture Association.   Cody Vance's sculptures are available at the J.R. Mooney Gallery,Boerne location only.  Prices range from $2,500 to $3,200. To purchase please call Gabriel Diego Delgado, Gallery Director @  830-816-5106

Iconology of D. Mendoza

Madonna de la Salud

Diana Mendoza

Oil / 10” x 8” / $920.00 framed

The spiritual art of Diana Mendoza is imagery that offers dramatic texture.  She is purposeful in the application of gold leaf with oil on canvas.   The clothing is artistically benefited by using metallic leaf application to create medallions as well as clothing accents. 

The hues are consistently regal.  Blue, ochre, ruby red and green are used in values that communicate harmony to the figurative paintings.   Mendoza uses light brush strokes and ease of hand that links the artist to the painting in a reverent way.  The radiant halo adds continuity to the painting, defining the spirituality of the Madonna. 

The blessed Madonna and child are portrayed with porcelain like features and facial perfection that is beaming and sets the two apart from mortal’s portraiture.  There is contentment as the loving Madonna supports the child and the child reciprocates with an outstretched arm in trusting childlike love. 

  The embrace suggests affection, care, and honor that are uniquely shared by adult and child in any culture.  Their eyes gaze off at distance as they savor time together and seem to understand their unique calling in history.

Diana Mendoza is known for her skillful precision.  Her ability to combine gold leaf and oil on canvas in tracery outline is a time consuming process that results in imagery that is appealing in many cultures and touches the human spirit.

© Betty Houston

J.R. Mooney Galleries, Boerne

Which Way, the Patience of the Cowboy

Mazoy 

Which Way?

Oil on canvas / 30 x 40” / $1,125.00 framed

Mazoy is both artist and storyteller.  He uses of color helps illustrate the time of day and invites the viewer to participate in the happenings of this cowboys’ daily routine.  His color choices are traditional and realistic to the rural countryside; refraining from embellishment to portray the aptly named Which Way?

Two horsemen seek direction.  Mazoy portrays stillness and the obedience of the horses by using slight variations of brown and tan; anchoring them in the landscape, with an almost central composition.

 The use of neighboring tones communicates the ease of the dutiful equine. The brush strokes are fine and the absence of sheen on the horsehair confirms working animals. The hounds are trained to satisfy the owners request for direction but, elusiveness prevails.  They are surrounded by water and the scent of the hunted is lost.

In contrast, the flowing water is more impressionistic and painted in long horizontal strokes that echo the reflecting colors of the vegetation and the animals. Beyond the water’s edge is lush greenery supported by dense green sub growth that is thriving.

The horsemen understand the plight of the dogs and patiently exchange eye contact. It appears that the participants understand the complexity of the situation.  The hues, the brush strokes and the overall calmness contribute to the acceptance of the situation.

© Betty Houston

JR. Mooney Galleries, Boerne

830-816-5106

Abstract Longhorns

J. Park

Peering Around 

Oil on Canvas

24” x 36”

$1,570.00 (framed)

J. Park offers layer upon layer of color that becomes a cattle adventure.

Most animals are social and this is definitely a social setting painting! 

There is painterly movement with strokes of confidence that defines the tilted heads and the gathering of the group in an uncanny communicative order; followed by disorder and ending with content-ness. The animals appear to seek a unified understanding and react to that moment in which they all share. They are close in space but, individual in the act of visual attending. 

Rich tones of red, brown and orange separate the gathering and define individual animals. These hues are countered by an area of cool white, blue and the grey sky. The smallest touches of green, yellow and purple are present and add life to the slightly off balance of contrasting temperatures. What began as a painting of five longhorns has become an opportunity to appreciate the inclusive marriage of all colors of the spectrum.

The composition is abstract and requires momentary viewing of the painting. There are visual surprises – the counting of the longhorns; the sky and the turf in harmony, and the strokes of abstract patterns. 

J. Park offers a visual journey. However, his choice of colors is the same found in more traditional and paintings, applying an abundance of earth tones that can complement any interior.

© Betty Houston
J.R. Mooney Galleries, Boerne

Minimalist Louis Vega Trevino at J.R. Mooney Galleries, Boerne

Minimalist Louis Vega Trevino at J.R. Mooney Galleries, Boerne View this email in your browser A prolific San Antonio painter, Louis Vega Trevino’s signature artwork is/has been on display in many prominent public places: the Terminal B building at the San Antonio Airport, Main Street Plaza, Chamber of Commerce, and various City Administrative and Mayoral Offices. Louis Vega Trevino is a trained architect having graduated from San Antonio College with degree that spans both architecture and art; granting him an unusual perspective on the two industries; forging an uncanny ability to create work that is influenced by a variety of architectural parameters. Louis Vega Trevino's painting reflects a deep understanding of historical precedents.  Without any derivative step, he has built upon a number of important, painterly languages to evolve a style that is instantly recognizable as uniquely his own. Louis dismisses subject matter altogether for compositional 1960’s minimalism.  Known as a colorist stripe painter, Trevino explores simple geometric alignments with hard edged and blurred line, verticals and horizontal selections that invite the viewer into his world of artistic movement, optical illusion and irregular “Frank Stella-ish” shaped canvases –all making amusingly clever arrangements. Trevino's painting recalls not only the atmospheric color fields of Mark Rothko and Julies Olitski, but also that indeterminate margin where color field interests merge with the geometric and optical abstraction of Gene Davis and Richard Anuszkiewicz.  It is in that margin that Trevino's work finds its form, an area once explored by Morris Louis and which Trevino's color-charged compositions have revived and redefined. Louis is neither tied to formalities of pictorial definitiveness like perspective, detail or anatomical renditions, his paintings are something of a paradox:  balancing cool analysis with a hot pursuit of color relationships in which he blurs the distinction between color, line and form such that those elements seem to merge and deconstruct in an astonishing blend of hues that are only conceptual in relation to one another. Taking more freedom in pictorial placement, shaped canvases are purposefully arranged in a way that is neither fluid nor geometric, but teeters on the brink of symbolic.  With no one canvas sharing a common axis, each section can be angled to a distinct degree; making for matching corners, but obsessively evident is the reference to negative space contemplation if work is arranged where no one side touches the other and small sliver of space is left to exist between the edges.  © Gabriel Diego Delgado Gallery Director, J.R. Mooney Galleries, Boerne

Louis Vega Trevino is now available at J.R. Mooney Galleries, Boerne. To purchase the artwork of Louis Vega Trevino, Call J.R. Mooney Galleries, Boerne at 830-816-5106. Price ranges from $1,800.00- $3,500.00 Visit us this Second Saturday, Dec. 14, 2013 and see his new selections of work.

Bill Scheidt--The future of Native American, Cowboy and the Western Art Genres, and its role in Contemporary Art!

Let’s reevaluate the future of Native American, Cowboy and the Western Art Genres, and its role in Contemporary Art!

Recently San Antonio has seen the decade long cultivation of funds to finalize the budget needed for the opening of the new Briscoe Western Art Museum in downtown San Antonio, the signature Cowboys & Indians as Southwest Art Magazines are thriving and various Wild West reenactments around Texas still spur the collective memory of the stories behind the settlement of the West and the stubborn and cherished Texas Pride. 

But more importantly, what happens when key artists of a specific art genre begin to pass away, leaving behind a legacy but no continued lineage? 

Answer: Mentorships and workshop spur students and traditionalists who have studied with the masters to try to keep the coveted aesthetic going. 

With only 21 active members of the Cowboy Artists of America (CAA) alive, the once exclusive art group that swore “To authentically preserve and perpetuate the culture of western life in fine art”, is but a dying breed of artists.  

Losing two key members in the last few years and most of them being mid-career or older, there will be a need to readdress the contemporary and living artists who are abiding by these same philosophies and holding true to a preservation of culture.

This is where Boerne, Texas comes into the story of a continued conservancy.  One such artist that strives to capture and preserve this aesthetic is Boerne’s own Bill Scheidt.  Bill Scheidt is a level 5 certified Texas Professional Farrier (a specialist in equine hoof care, including the trimming, balancing and the placing of shoes on their hooves), and is a member of the Texas Professional Farriers Association. Interestingly, Bill Scheidt worked the horse route around Boerne from 1971 till about 1987, and still resides in Boerne. He was also the Farrier for what was previous - Fair Oaks Ranch, before it was a gated community on I-10 known as the same name.

With such an extended and significant career around horses it is not surprising the subject matter that garners Scheidt’s attention. He has studied at the Scottsdale Artists School; taken workshops with: artist, Roy Andersen; CAA artist, Joe Beeler; CAA artist, Jim Norton; CAA artist, R. S. Riddick and Bruce Greene; and attended various other Cowboy Artists of America workshops.

Bill Scheidt is also a Signature Member of the Artists for Conservation Foundation, “Supporting wildlife and habitat conservation, biodiversity, sustainability, and environmental education through art that celebrates our natural heritage.”

Stoic in his intentions, Scheidt is a revered and well respected artist by several Native American tribes for his renditions of Native American Culture. Showcasing the unique characteristics of members of the Taos Pueblo (Tiwa or Tewah tribe) and Apache tribe, Scheidt is true to form in capturing this indigenous way of life.  Also as a sign of gratitude and respect for his craft, Scheidt was presented a highly prized woven Navajo blanket by Native American, Joanna Purley which is on display in his personal studio – as a reminder of his servitude to an entrusted legacy.

Bill Scheidt is a current or former member of the American Plains Artists, Oil Painters of America and has exhibited in the Museum of Western Art.
 

In “Closed for Winter”, Scheidt delivers a riveting landscape that depicts the isolated life of the Native Americans during the winter months. Snow brings a renewed sense of survival, a man vs. nature attitude juxtaposed by a harmony with the natural environment. Scheidt’s skyline glows with majestic auroras that are laden heavy with the never ending threat of the impending snowfall. Backlit by a fading sun, the teepee’s angular pol lines collect the fallen wintery and wet blanket, creating a cold exterior contrasted by the warm interior. Snow covered trees, a barren landscape and an exposed and naked smaller wooden armature reflect the nostalgic quality of the Wild West through a cold seasonal bliss in all its majestic glory.

Bill Scheidt's artwork is now available at J.R. Mooney Galleries of Fine Art

© Gabriel Diego Delgado

Gallery Director

J.R. Mooney Galleries, Boerne

830-816-5106

Newly Rediscovered/ Uncovered Spanish Underworlds by Jose Vives-Atsara

A Delightful Duo of Unique Cavernous Compositions of Cave Drach

(Circa. 1962-1964 and valued at $22,000.00/each)

Available for purchase at J.R. Mooney Galleries, Boerne

Cuevas del Drach and Cave Mallorca, two large semi-abstract paintings by San Antonio painter, Jose Vives-Atsara bring a unique underworld and cavernous depiction of hidden beauty; undoubtedly an  uncharacteristic subject matter in his internationally acclaimed body of work that spans 60 plus years.

Measuring an impressive 30 x 40”, the stalagmites and stalactites, or fringes of Manton, capture the seductive secrets of this major international tourist attraction. Painted as a commission to one of his collectors spotlighting the Caves of Balearic Islands, on the east coast of Mallorca, Spain, these unique treasures blend Vives-Atasara’s signature color palette with his sweeping but refined palette knife technique. 

Cave Drach is an exquisite and exotic experience in its own right, host to one of the largest underground lakes in the world complete with 10 minute orchestra concerts.  However, coupled with the artistic prowess of Vives-Atsara – the ethereal atmospheres draw us in, entering into a dark and sonorous milieu.

 

In these two paintings, the only pair ever done of this location by the artist, Vives-Atasa treats the subject in relation to the background very different with alternating dark and light backgrounds.  With a gloomy, shadowy and cryptic dullness in one, we are confronted by our own insecure-ness on continuing our journey further into this superb subterranean while juxtaposing a purposefully lighted sensibility in the other, he guides us with artistic generosity;  illuminating and uncovering an unimaginable underworld.

Cuevas del Drach and Cave Mallorca are priced at $22,000 framed.  These unusual and matchless paintings by Jose Vives-Atsara are estimated to be painted sometime around 1962-1964.  This timeframe would be reflective of his accession to celebrated lecture and instructor at Incarnate Word College, San Antonio Art League and the Witte Memorial Museum;  a major formative and important few years of an internationally celebrated career.  

Only a few years later in 1968, his work was presented as gifts to Arnulfo Arias Madrid the President of Panama and Luis Pietri, the President of Venezuela.

© Gabriel Diego Delgado

Gallery Director

J.R. Mooney Galleries, Boerne

830-816-5106