Although interpretations by a novice may be refreshing, explanations from a trained eye which describe the intricacy of fine art is a necessity. This is why we stepped back on this one to let the renowned artist and writer Bruce Helander detail the artwork of  Clem Penrose, Fine Artist and Creative Director of the New Harmony Artists Guild in New Harmony, Indiana. His artwork will be exhibited at Studio 1696 throughout the entire month of December. For more information, please contact 561-832-2121

An excerpt from “Penrose Examines the Power of Nature with a Double Feature of Invention”
Written by Bruce Helander, American painter, collage artist, editor, and writer

The artist begins his journey by exploring surfaces with elementary position marks he later expands. Then he presents a marriage of carefully mixed acrylic paints that seem to have an affection and natural attraction to those non-organic surfaces. After he has laid down the basic elements of his composition (often based on memory or dream cloud formations and waterway edges, which add a colorful reflective spirit), Clem Penrose incorporates ancient myths into his paintings. He examines the power of nature with a double feature of invention, utilizing lighting and tornadoes that at the same time form kinds of abstract, stick-figure shapes with meandering tails, which can disappear and reappear depending on barometric pressure. In another amazing picture entitled Wolf Moon, Penrose sets up a clever night scene, where midnight trees are silhouetted against a mysterious and provocative sky, convincing the viewer that the clouds from the head of a wolf howling at the moon. All of his works have the distinct flavor of the extraordinary movement of light. His newest works reflect his recent residency in Palm Beach, where the Intracostal Waterway and powerful Atlantic Ocean seem to have a gravitational pull on his creative impulses. Down where the sea kisses the shore, his visionary expressions are exemplified within his paintings, such as Islamorada – The Purple Isle and Standing Mandela. Reflecting on natural beauty manages to conjure up all the experiences of his past, while dexterity and imagination spin it back to the picture plane. Deliberate sharp edges bring a peculiar and convincing separation between foreground and background, adding a realistic sense of space.

Click Here to continue reading on Clem Penrose’s website, clempenrose.com
-Bruce Helander is an artist and curator who writes on art. He is the former Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs for the prestigious Rhode Island School of Design.

Penrose was also featured in Posey Magazine Summer 2013.
The article titled “Life After Life After Life” by Linda Neal Reising takes a closer look at the artist’s journey and personal life.

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