Neil Pinkett presents his sixth solo show, “From the Corner of my Eye I Saw…” at Parkside Art Gallery from June 8 to July 14.
It’s also his largest show to date, with 54 pieces that include many that have never been seen before by the public.
The Forest Grove area artist says he gets much of his inspiration from nature and always manages to come back to foliage, leafy trees and water.
“There are so many unusual patterns in the forest and there’s something iconic and calming about trees.”
He adds his favourite subject matter is the little things that often go unnoticed.
“When you go for walks in the forest, you see things, like how rotting tree stumps create a landscape of their own.”
He’s also drawn by the complexity of leaves blowing in the wind and of running water where there’s constant movement and a sense of it being temporary.
A deviation in the collection is a painting he calls “Flying Man,” done completely in blue. It was created as an illustration for an unfinished story he wrote for his young son, Gawen, and shows a different side of the artist. Pinkett says his son also has a talent for drawing, which excites him a little.
Pinkett’s medium of choice is oil paint and the main attraction is how oils dry slowly and allow him to work at his own pace.
“I’m a slow painter, so acrylic doesn’t suit my style.”
He discovered oils by accident when a complete stranger recognized him as a local artist while passing him on the street one day. The fellow had been packing up the belongings of a relative and came across a large collection of oil paints.
He gave them all to Pinkett, who had coincidentally been emulating oil paintings with the use of oil pastels.
“I began using the paints and never looked back,” he says, adding the paints came along at just the right moment.
His paintings go beyond canvas and some of the more notable ones are four large wall murals which can be found in 100 Mile House. He’s also done some illustrating for various publications and a series of cartoon style designs for post cards in England.
Pinkett says he’s grateful for the opportunity to show his work in Parkside and likewise Parkside director Barb Brown says they’re fortunate to have him.
“I love a large body of work and I love Neil’s work. He’s so different from anyone else around here. He’s unique.”
His collection can be viewed at Parkside Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturday from noon to 4 p.m. Admission to the gallery is by donation.
