The Great Neck Library is having an art exhibit for Paintings by Jonathan Van Brunt from July 8 to July 26 at the Main Library Lower-Level Art Gallery at 159 Bayview Ave. in Great Neck.
The public is invited to attend a reception on Saturday, July 13 from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. For more information. Please contact Great Neck Library at (516) 466-8055 or email [email protected].
Statement by Artist Jonathan Van Brunt
“I was born and raised in Freeport, and my love of the visual arts was inspired by illustrations in the books and magazines throughout my parent’s house. That and the hundreds of comic books I read with my four brothers. The pictures I connected with were dramatic book covers by artists like Stan Galli and John Berkey. It was representational art that bordered the abstract, where brushwork was rough and exciting.
“My formal training was at both Maine College of Art, where I earned a B.F.A. in printmaking, and Ohio University School of Art, where I taught two-dimensional design and earned an M.F.A. in painting. That training gave me a deeper appreciation for abstract art and the importance of composing a picture.
“I am constantly inspired by the forms and patterns found in nature. As a Type 1 diabetic, I push myself to hike and go for walks whenever I can, and whether with a sketchbook to record scenes or a reliance on memory, I create pictures based on what I see and feel when I am outside.
“I try to convey a dramatic sense of space in my work, and I use both brushes and painting knives to show movement.”
