The Pastel Cityscape

Mike Berry creates high color, expressively interpreted cityscape paintings. He will be presenting the works and influences that were the foundation to his working style and his history and explanations of current subjects and styles in his personal art practice.

Information about the Artist

Mike C. Berry is a versatile painter who works in pastels, oils and acrylics. His colorful and vibrant compositions often bending and twisting the cityscape have become his easily identifiable style. With his use of pure color and gestural brushstrokes, he credits Wolf Kahn, James Stagg, Chaim Soutine, Edward Hopper, Joseph Delaney and many modern painters have influenced his work. Further examination of Mike’s biography and his sources of influences behind his oeuvre, reveal an artist who works with passion and solid technique to create a genuinely original body of work.

Mike is originally from the Midwest and studied illustration at the Savannah College of Art & Design, where he holds a Master’s Degree in Fine Art. He has exhibited regionally over the past decade and is currently represented by the District Gallery in Knoxville and the River Gallery in Chattanooga, TN. Mike’s interests have led him to explore the restlessness of city life, which has developed his signature artistic theme: movement of the cityscape.

As Mike discovered, pastel lends itself to being an excellent medium for quickly expressing layers of different colors and laying down a rough composition. These smaller works are often used as studies for larger works, which are further developments of his theme of movement through the landscape. Application of the pastel is done on a sanded archival paper that’s mounted to rigid panel. The larger works, with the compositions already achieved in the studies, are translated into oils or acrylics that have been applied to a medium toned canvas very rapidly, usually completing the work “alla prima.”

“My works are personal views of modern day experiences, combined with my fascination with drawing and curving perspectives along with dramatic lighting which lends itself, stylistically to the use of vivid color and bold bravado brushwork. My goal is to present fresh perspectives with the use of gestural and expressive brushwork to capture the essence of movement or activity through vibrant color application.”

Mike currently manages the UT Downtown Gallery and maintains a private studio in his home where he creates commissioned works for clients. Mike has been selected to serve as the 2021 co-chair of the Dogwood Arts Festival and currently serves on the board of Knox Heritage. He and his family have lived in Knoxville since 1999.

Artist Website: mikecberry.com

The Evolution of an Artist

Chico Osten will be the guest artist speaking at our monthly meeting on October 21, 2021. The meeting is on the top floor of the Yacht Club; Coffee begins at 9:45 am, Meeting at 10:00 am. You don’t have to be an Art Guild Member to attend; visitors are invited!

Chico will share examples of his previous work in watercolor and oils.  Then he will explain precious metal clay, the process of working with it, and examples of finished works.

Information about the Artist:

Chico is a graduate of the University of Tennessee, earning both an undergraduate and graduate degree in art education with a minor in fine arts.

Chico studied at Arrowmont and with numerous regional and national artists.

He taught many years for Knox Co. Schools, grades K-12.  He developed the art program at Austin-East Magnet High School.  After retiring, he worked for several years as a Distinguished Professional for Knox Co. Schools.  For seventeen years he also taught two classes as an adjunct professor with Tusculum University.

Chico has exhibited in numerous juried regional shows, earning several awards.  His work is most recently shown in The Art in the Airport exhibit.

Currently, he teaches a painting class at the Oak Ridge Art Center and is a member of The Foothills Craft Guild.  For more information about Chico and his work:  CharlesOstenJewelry.com

Taking It To The Next Level

Bill Capshaw, Professional Potter, will be the guest artist speaking at our monthly meeting on September 16^th, 2021. The meeting is on the top floor of the Yacht Club; Coffee begins at 9:45 am, Meeting at 10:00 am. You don’t have to be an Art Guild Member to attend; visitors are invited!

Bill will share the story of his contemporary ceramic pieces, discussing their design, texture and color combinations. 

“The works are representative of my life. As an artist, we focus on the piece on which we are working and try not to get to the end until the end reveals itself. At that time, you know it is complete, and the next piece now demands your full attention.”

Bill earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Ceramics in 1971 and a Master of Fine Arts in Printing Processes in 1974 from East Tennessee State University. 

In 1977 Bill began teaching painting, drawing and pottery at the Oak Ridge Art Center. For more than 30 years, he has served as Pottery Chair and Instructor and has served as President of Board of Directors of the Oak Ridge Art Center.

Bill volunteered with the Tennessee Arts Commission 1987 to 2001 having served as grants application reviewer for At Risk Youth grants and was named Artist of the Year in 1998 by the Arts Council of Greater Knoxville.

Bill was selected to create the 2017 Tennessee Governor’s Arts Award. Each award was a one-of-a-kind hand-crafted piece of Raku pottery created by Bill. View this brief video here.

Bill lectures, consults, and conducts workshops and private lessons in ceramic processes at all levels. He has conducted workshops at the Appalachian Center for Craft, Arrowmont School, Vanderbilt University, Virginia Intermont College, Children’s Museum of Oak Ridge, and various area middle and high schools.

Bill’s professional works are in permanent collections of the Tennessee Arts Commission, Huntsville Museum of Art, and East Tennessee State University’s Slocum Gallery. Works are with many private collectors, including the mayor of Naka Machi, Japan; former Mayor Victor Ashe of Knoxville; former Mayor David Bradshaw of Oak Ridge; Hank Stoner, Dr. & Mrs. R. Campbell, Margaret Young, Robert & Dot Hightower, Dr. Richard & Wendy Ferrin, and David & Pat Coffey, and many more.