October 11, 2008
By Elizabeth Coyle
Gazette Associate Editor
Bedford
architecture attracts many an artist and the home now owned by the
town’s mayor is one of the most picturesque buildings and a favorite of
local artist Eric Feather.
The oil painting of William and Francie Leibfreid’s home along South Richard St., Bedford, is one of 79 entries at the 24th Annual Juried Fine Arts Show now on exhibit at the Bedford County Arts Center. Feather, 39, of King, won Best of Show for his painting titled, “Oblique.”
Feather said he is most taken by the interesting entrance that gave the painting its name.
Mayor Leibfreid said he and his wife bought the house about 17 to 18 years ago so they could be closer to town and the children’s activities.
“I think it’s unique,” Leibfreid said of the entrance. “I’ve been all over the country and I’ve never seen one quite like it.”
Feather said he also has an appreciation for the landscaping and the layout of the property.
Leibfreid said when it came to beautifying his lawn, he asked the landscaper to reach back to the 19th century to match the architecture of the home.
“We decided to landscape it. And we went back to what they would use in the 1870s with the fence and the type of shrubbery,” Leibfreid said.
“One of the things I love about Bedford is the distinctive architecture of the homes in the area,” Feather said.
William Fluke of Everett’s unusual turtle is a striking three-dimensional work that perhaps could best be carved by an anthropology student.
“I went to school for that so I’m fairly familiar with the native culture and interested in it,” Fluke said.
His art is a hobby for the retired federal government worker.
The piece that won him first place is steeped in native American culture.
The Great Turtle represents the creation familiar to northeast natives such as the Iroquois or Delaware, Fluke said.
birdThese native Americans have passed down the tale of the great turtle who carries the world on its back as if it was a huge island.
“The corner, angled entrance appeals to me a lot as well as the layout of the yard and architecture of the house itself,” Feather said.
Feather, who has been an artist since a young age, works with different media and different subject matters from still life to portraiture to landscapes. “I often work in a very traditional style. Lots of things I do are more expressive or abstract,” but most of his work is two-dimensional. Feather studied fine arts at Indiana University of Pennsylvania and has taken graduate classes at Towson University in Maryland.
Evidence of the great turtle can be seen in the red and yellow colors of the morning and evening skies, Fluke wrote in a summary.
These colors are reflected in the bright markings on the turtle’s head.
The turtle is often a part of native American creation stories.
And, because whistles are often part of Indian ceremony, Fluke’s turtle is part whistle.
In the past he and his brother have created powder horns and scrimshaw. But animals are a recurring theme for Fluke no matter what his design surface is.
The oil painting of William and Francie Leibfreid’s home along South Richard St., Bedford, is one of 79 entries at the 24th Annual Juried Fine Arts Show now on exhibit at the Bedford County Arts Center. Feather, 39, of King, won Best of Show for his painting titled, “Oblique.”
Feather said he is most taken by the interesting entrance that gave the painting its name.
Mayor Leibfreid said he and his wife bought the house about 17 to 18 years ago so they could be closer to town and the children’s activities.
“I think it’s unique,” Leibfreid said of the entrance. “I’ve been all over the country and I’ve never seen one quite like it.”
Feather said he also has an appreciation for the landscaping and the layout of the property.
Leibfreid said when it came to beautifying his lawn, he asked the landscaper to reach back to the 19th century to match the architecture of the home.
“We decided to landscape it. And we went back to what they would use in the 1870s with the fence and the type of shrubbery,” Leibfreid said.
“One of the things I love about Bedford is the distinctive architecture of the homes in the area,” Feather said.
William Fluke of Everett’s unusual turtle is a striking three-dimensional work that perhaps could best be carved by an anthropology student.
“I went to school for that so I’m fairly familiar with the native culture and interested in it,” Fluke said.
His art is a hobby for the retired federal government worker.
The piece that won him first place is steeped in native American culture.
The Great Turtle represents the creation familiar to northeast natives such as the Iroquois or Delaware, Fluke said.
birdThese native Americans have passed down the tale of the great turtle who carries the world on its back as if it was a huge island.
“The corner, angled entrance appeals to me a lot as well as the layout of the yard and architecture of the house itself,” Feather said.
Feather, who has been an artist since a young age, works with different media and different subject matters from still life to portraiture to landscapes. “I often work in a very traditional style. Lots of things I do are more expressive or abstract,” but most of his work is two-dimensional. Feather studied fine arts at Indiana University of Pennsylvania and has taken graduate classes at Towson University in Maryland.
Evidence of the great turtle can be seen in the red and yellow colors of the morning and evening skies, Fluke wrote in a summary.
These colors are reflected in the bright markings on the turtle’s head.
The turtle is often a part of native American creation stories.
And, because whistles are often part of Indian ceremony, Fluke’s turtle is part whistle.
In the past he and his brother have created powder horns and scrimshaw. But animals are a recurring theme for Fluke no matter what his design surface is.
“I just have an appreciation for wildlife. Most (of my works) have a wildlife scene and some native culture of the area,” he said.
The art center’s executive director, Allyson Dehmcke, said this year’s exhibit has more three-dimensional entries than in past shows.
Forty-five artists from around the region are displaying their top work this month during the 24th annual juried show which was judged by Bedford art teacher and artist Holly Coia.
The exhibit is on display now through Oct. 31. It includes 79 entries in various media. There is no admission.