The latest exhibit is now ongoing at the Gibson Gallery and it takes people “Off the Beaten Path.”
That is the title of the exhibit, with it featuring the art of Francis T. Lucier. Lucier is a self-taught artist from Windsor who learned his craft from book, watching other artists and an adult learning course. He paints in oils, acrylics and water mixable oils, according to his online biography, and sometimes airbrushes to enhance a piece.
There are approximately 40 paintings in the “Off the Beaten Path” exhibit. It opened Aug. 5 and runs through Sept. 1, with a reception being held last Sunday afternoon.
“This represents about one-third of my life’s work,” explained Lucier. “I’ve been doing this for about 42 years or so. Mostly, I paint what I want.”
The fact that he doesn’t sell many of his paintings allows him to paint what he pleases, he added.
Lucier said painting allows him to get his mind off of things and relax.
“You can bury yourself in it,” he said.
Lucier stated he has been sketching all of his life, recalling sketching cars when he was in high school.
“My wife got me a set of oil paints one year, I think it was 1982,” said Lucier. “I started to try and put colour in what I was doing.”
Calling his wife “very understanding,” Lucier said she allows him to immerse himself in his work.
“She deals with everything else in our lives while I went downstairs in the basement and painted,” said Lucier.
Exhibits are few and far between for Lucier, though pointed out he was a regular at the Gibson Gallery for about 30 years ago. He is a member of the Association of Representational Artists (ARA) and they “took the gallery over” about three decades ago and displayed their work for a year before giving it back.
“It’s nice to be here,” he said.
Lucier added he enters work into the Nancy Johns Gallery in Windsor, when Johns holds size exhibits and asks for work of a certain size every year.
There is no one specific piece that Lucier considers his favourite.
“They all have a story,” he said.
Trudy Dempsey, a member of the Gibson Gallery’s exhibit committee, said she is also an ARA member and finally convinced Lucier to have an exhibit. She added she has known Lucier for many years.
Dempsey added there is a plein air artist competition as part of Art by the River, which will be held at Fort Malden National Historic Site of Canada Aug. 24-25. There will be cash prizes to the the winners of that competition.
Art by the River runs from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. both days. Admission is $5 with children aged 12 and under free when accompanied by an adult.
The Gibson Gallery’s summer hours are daily from 11 a.m.-5 p.m.
The gallery is located at 140 Richmond St. in Amherstburg. Their phone number is 519-736-2826 and their website can be found at www.gibsongallery.org.
Gibson Gallery goes "Off the Beaten Path" with latest exhibit
By Ron Giofu
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