Asheville Gallery of Art’s September show features the work of Judy Rentner, whose brilliantly colored landscapes usher in the fall season. The show runs September 1-30 during gallery hours, 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 1-4 p.m. Sunday. The gallery, located at 82 Patton Avenue in Asheville, across from Pritchard Park, will host a reception for the artist on Friday, September 1, from 5-8 p.m. Everyone is cordially invited to stop by.
The artist works in oils, using a palette knife to create intricate texture when applying her colors. Rentner says of her technique, “Painting with a palette knife has been delightful. It has allowed me to use color as I have never done before. The process is spontaneous, intuitive, and freeing. Using this means of applying paint fits so well into interpreting the landscape in a way that captures light and shadow, infusing it with more color than is actually there.”
After receiving her art degree, Rentner taught in the California public school system. She has taken many workshops in various media to learn techniques, composition, and color theory. After moving to North Carolina, she taught classes in watercolor, acrylics, and oils.
Of her life’s work Rentner says, “When someone asks how long did it take to paint a particular painting, I respond, ‘Oh, about 40 years, more or less.’ That usually gets a laugh or a puzzled look. In truth, it has taken many years of learning and many years of experimentation to settle into the style of painting that I currently use.” She added, “A person can look at a piece of art and appreciate what the artist has done, but evoking an emotional response is altogether different. This is what I desire when someone views my work, a positive, uplifting, emotional response.”
Rentner’s work, as well as the paintings of the other 30 gallery members will be on display and for sale through the month of September. For further information about this show, you can contact Asheville Gallery of Art at (828) 251-5796, visit the gallery website at www.ashevillegallery-of-art.com, or go to the gallery Facebook page.