Arthur Deatly: In the Heights
Hillery Community Gallery
May 22 - July 10, 2021
Hillery Community Gallery
May 22 - July 10, 2021
The Pearl Fincher of Museum of Fine Arts is pleased to present In the Heights, an exhibition featuring the work of Houston artist and educator Arthur Deatly. This body of work includes plein air paintings of homes and Little Libraries – free book exchanges where anyone may take or leave books – in the Houston Heights neighborhood. Having embraced the genre of urban landscapes, Deatly's approach to the subject has evolved from panoramas to more intimate portraits of buildings and the neighborhoods they reside in. From street views to alleyways, he wants the viewer to feel the splendor of the day he felt while painting.
Artist Statement
The Little Library series came about from my ongoing quest to paint the charm and grace of the Houston Heights neighborhood. From the shops on 19th Street to the gazebos and Victorian homes, the Heights is both a neighborhood and community which exemplifies how Houston old and new layer over each other. One particular and charming outgrowth of the Heights and greater Houston is the Little Libraries that have sprung up. Uniquely styled to the likings of the owner, they become conduits for social interaction. They both represent the family behind it and extend a hand in friendship to the neighborhood around it.
Once I have found my subject, I secure a safe vantage point, set up my easel, put on my apron which holds my water cup, and load my palette. Within an hour I go from line to shape then form, covering the canvas on the first day. It takes several visits (3-5), usually 2 hours a visit at the same time of day to capture what I want. Then the in studio vetting takes however long it takes. My method to keep the paintings going? Always have one you're finishing, one you’ve started, and be scouting the next one.
Artist Statement
The Little Library series came about from my ongoing quest to paint the charm and grace of the Houston Heights neighborhood. From the shops on 19th Street to the gazebos and Victorian homes, the Heights is both a neighborhood and community which exemplifies how Houston old and new layer over each other. One particular and charming outgrowth of the Heights and greater Houston is the Little Libraries that have sprung up. Uniquely styled to the likings of the owner, they become conduits for social interaction. They both represent the family behind it and extend a hand in friendship to the neighborhood around it.
Once I have found my subject, I secure a safe vantage point, set up my easel, put on my apron which holds my water cup, and load my palette. Within an hour I go from line to shape then form, covering the canvas on the first day. It takes several visits (3-5), usually 2 hours a visit at the same time of day to capture what I want. Then the in studio vetting takes however long it takes. My method to keep the paintings going? Always have one you're finishing, one you’ve started, and be scouting the next one.
Learn more about the artist at www.deatlyart.com.
Image above:
Little Library on Norhill Street, acrylic on canvas, April 2021
Image above:
Little Library on Norhill Street, acrylic on canvas, April 2021
