REGENHARDT GALLERY AT SHRODE ART CENTER
Drawn From Nature
January 25, 2025 – March 16, 2025
• Exhibit Open: Tuesday – Saturday 10 am to 5 pm & Sunday 1 to 5 pm
• Gallery Admission – Free
GATHER AT THE GALLERIES – EXHIBIT OPENING RECEPTION
Saturday, January 25 | 5:00 to 7:00 pm
Admission $10.00 | Cedarhurst Members – Free
- Open bar and appetizers | 5 to 6 pm
- High School Competition Awards Announcement | 6 pm
- Gallery hop to see the art and meet the artists | 5 to 7 pm
- Shuttle rides to Shrode Art Center | 6 to 7 pm
Programming
Art Chat
Sunday, March 2 | 3 to 4 pm
Shrode Art Center | Free admission
- Exhibiting artists and public welcome
- Moderater – Carrie Stover, Director of Shrode Art Center
GALLERY SPONSOR:
GUY AITCHISON – BIO | ARTIST STATEMENT
Southern Illinois artist Guy Aitchison began his creative career at the age of 17 as an apprentice at the Jacklich Corporation which led to freelance work painting punk and metal bands album covers.
In 1988 he landed a tattoo apprenticeship at Bob Oslon’s Custom Tattooing in Chicago, and he knew right away that he had found his calling. Guy’s artistic journey has flourished with notable professional milestones including appearances on Tattoo Wars and LA Ink. He owns Hyperspace Studios with his wife, Michele Aitchison, who is also a tattoo artist and painter.
Reflecting on his body of work in this exhibition, Guy states, “Many of my works are simple landscapes painted under the open sky as the day moves and the light changes. These pieces are meant to push my understanding of light and atmosphere, with the objective of conveying emotional spaces such as longing and nostalgia. I then strive to apply these effects toward my more abstract works, which are also rooted in my love for the outdoors and my fascination with patterns of growth and decay. “
Guy Aitchison, Snowy Trail, oil on panel, 10” x 8”, 2024
Greg Gibbs, platter, ceramic, 2024
GREG GIBBS – BIO | ARTIST STATEMENT
In spite of having played in clay for many decades, every new firing brings joy, excitement and sometimes disappointments. Each firing adds to my knowledge and brings me closer to the “perfect pot.”
My journey in clay began in college with a nine week class which helped me prepare for a career teaching art in high school and later junior high. I developed a series of clay projects which became a popular part of the classes. Mostly I was self-taught. Before the age of YouTube, I taught myself how to throw on the potter’s wheel, hand build, coil, glaze and fire. Workshops, books, and magazines completed my education.
Although I have worked with many clay bodies, glazes, firing ranges and techniques, I have remained with functional pieces. I enjoy the fact that my work is meant to be used and I have enjoyed the connections people have made with my work. Never wanting to become a production potter, instead making one-off pieces, I have enjoyed creating pieces that use the patterns and forms of nature around me. Each pot is a whole set of choices that I have distilled over many years of play. My favorite part of the clay process is when I get to make marks on the pots.
Clay has enriched my life, given me great joy, and connected me to a whole tribe of people who fell in love with clay.
