Celebrating Wendell Berry In Music

Andrew Maxfield the musician behind the "Celebrating Wendell Berry in Music" project recently profiled my painting on the project's website. I am always pleased when I get to see my work in print and this project has been exceptionally satisfying. Not only did I get a lot of freedom while creating the painting, but it has since gone on to great success in the fine art sector.

 Please check out the double album package that features the music that inspired my painting. All of the song lyrics are taken directly from the poems of Wendell Berry. One disc features choral music by Andrew Maxfield and the other showcases the folk/bluegrass talents of Eric Bibb. If you are a fan of Berry's work or even if you just like good folk and choral music, this CD package could be just your cup of tea. You can listen to and download a free song, send a free song to a friend or buy the entire double album package. detailed the sketch and also the painting process for my portrait of Wendell Berry.

My painting "Beckoning the Peace of Wild Things" hanging in the Springville Art Museum

"Beckoning the Peace of Wild Things" is also now currently hanging in the new permanent collection show called "Voices" at the Springville Museum of Art.

The announcement that the painting has become part of the Springville Museum of Art's permanent collection is posted here also.

"Beckoning the Peace of Wild Things" Acquired By SMA

Beckoning the Peace of Wild Things -  by Greg Newbold
oil on canvas 30" x 18" - 2013

Permanent Collection. Those two lovely words now apply to my painting "Beckoning the Peace of Wild Things" which has been purchased through a donor for the Springville Museum of Art. The painting had previously been accepted into the 89th Annual Springville Spring Salon and was then recently selected to become part of the museum's permanent collection. The donor family felt that of all the pieces in the show, my painting best represented the values of hard work and the heritage of agriculture that the region was known for.

face detail

I am jumping the gun a bit by announcing this on my blog since the formal museum announcement has not yet been made, but I have received a check, so I figure why not toot my horn a little. At some future date there will be a press release and a photo op, but I am so excited, I wanted to share the news. This is the first museum to purchase one of my pieces for their permanent collection, but I hope it is only the first of many. More news will be forthcoming soon, but I am understandably tickled with this news. If you are in the area, the Spring Salon runs until July 7th, 2013.

PRINTS ARE AVAILABLE! Contact me through the email or phone number listed on the blog sidebar for pricing.

See previous post about this painting here

Wendell Berry Portrait in Springville Spring Salon

Beckoning the Peace of Wild Things -  by Greg Newbold
oil on canvas 30" x 18" - 2013

I learned this morning that my recent portrait of Wendell Berry was accepted into the 89th Springville Spring Salon. My painting, now entitled "Beckoning the Peace of Wild Things", will hang in the Salon from April 20 to July 7, 2013. This exhibit is one of the most prestigious juried shows in the region and acceptance is always an honor. I am pleased to be counted among so many talented artists and friends. Congrats to all my art friends and even former students who also gained acceptance!

Springville Museum of Art hours and directions

The painting title comes from the Wendell Berry poem below.

THE PEACE OF WILD THINGS 

When despair for the world grows in me
and I wake in the night at the least sound
in fear of what my life and my children's lives may be,
I go and lie down where the wood drake
rests in his beauty on the water, and the great heron feeds.
I come into the peace of wild things
who do not tax their lives with forethought
of grief. I come into the presence of still water.
And I feel above me the day-blind stars
waiting with their light. For a time
I rest in the grace of the world, and am free. 

— Wendell Berry

Wendell Berry Painting Progress

Wendell Berry- On His Farm- 18" x 30" oil, by Greg Newbold

I am almost finished now with the Wendell Berry painting for which I showed the sketch a couple of weeks back. The wide shot is a little cropped, so there is actually a bit more on each side. It felt like a bit of a challenge creating a younger portrait of someone I have never met.

Face detail

The fact that Wendell is still living and will undoubtedly see the painting, made it a bit intimidating as well. I hope I did him justice. I think I captured his sturdy, no nonsense but good natured personality. Just a but more and I'll be ready to call this one done.

Wendell Berry Sketch

THE PEACE OF WILD THINGS 

When despair for the world grows in me
and I wake in the night at the least sound
in fear of what my life and my children's lives may be,
I go and lie down where the wood drake
rests in his beauty on the water, and the great heron feeds.
I come into the peace of wild things
who do not tax their lives with forethought
of grief. I come into the presence of still water.
And I feel above me the day-blind stars
waiting with their light. For a time
I rest in the grace of the world, and am free. 

— Wendell Berry

Wendell Berry is considered by many to be one of America's greatest living poets. I was approached a few weeks back to create artwork for an interesting project that sets Berry's poems to music in a double CD package. The challenge was to come up with a scene that combines the best of portrait and regionalist landscape and throw in a couple of nuggets for Berry fans. The painting will be used on two different discs as well as a biographical and lyric booklet, so I needed to come up with a composition that allows for three separate crops. The plan also includes making collector prints of the painting as well which I am painting in oil. I will post more as the project moves along.