Jeff Gorrell’s naturalistic art show that showcases both watercolor and mixed media will be available to nature and art lovers alike in a show titled “Landscape and the Abstract Truth” at Bluefield College, now through August 24.
Open and free to the public, the Gorrell art show is located in the BC Art Gallery on the first floor of Lansdell Hall from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. weekdays. Weekend hours may be obtained by calling the Bluefield College Art Department at 276-326-4558.
Bluefield College junior graphic design major Benjamin Ayers, who received an early viewing of “Landscape and the Abstract Truth,” said that he generally enjoys all of the college’s art shows, but was particularly looking forward to seeing Gorrell’s non-objective abstract art.
“When you look closely enough, you’ll see that Gorrell’s landscape works notice and incorporate details that we maybe wouldn’t see when just glancing at and walking through nature,” said Ayers. “I think it is important to see and notice those details in the world around us, because everything is based around those details, and being detail-oriented absolutely aids in success. It is not just about art.”
Gorrell is an award-winning artist, who exhibits regularly with the Vienna Arts Society. He has exhibited watercolors and mixed media paintings in many venues in Virginia and elsewhere. His paintings have received significant awards in prestigious exhibitions in the region, including the Virginia Watercolor Society Annual Show, the Potomac Valley Watercolorists exhibits, and the Vienna Art Society Treasury of Art Show, among others.
“Whether I am painting landscapes or non-objective abstracts, I am fascinated by the edges of things,” said Gorrell, “the way that water meets the shoreline, clouds stand out from the sky, trees and leaves intermingle, hard lines meet soft contours, soft contours blend into other contours, adjacent colors bleed together or stand out in strong contrast. My most realistic landscapes are patterned color and shape — objects, of course, but more than objects; they are sensed relationships.”
Gorrell is a signature member of the Virginia Watercolor Society and a member of the Potomac Valley Watercolorists and the Vienna (Virginia) Arts Society. His work can be seen at his studio and exhibit space at the Workhouse Arts Center in Lorton, Virginia.
“I’ve been influenced by serious and not-so-serious art and artists of many time periods, styles, and media,” he said. “Recently, I have added to my orientation toward landscapes with non-objective abstracts in watercolor and acrylic that reflect a poised and aware state of mind, exploring texture, color and compositional elements.”