Headlines:
Global Inspiration
Great Falls artist Bob Gilbert reflects the world he traveled.
The mountains of Aspen, Colo. A crowded street in Hong Kong. NBA All-Star Jerry Stackhouse going after a loose ball. These are the subjects of Great Falls artist Bob Gilbert's paintings.
Immediately after pulling into The Old Angler's Inn, where Gilbert is the resident artist, he shows one of his latest works carried in the trunk of his car: an oil painting of the Great Falls that is still yet to dry. Although displaying just a small portion of the falls, it manages to invoke a tranquil mood that fits with Gilbert's demeanor.
This is evident through the 40 paintings that he has on display at The Old Angler's Inn, located in Potomac, Md. Ranging from watercolor, oil, and sometimes a combination of the two, Gilbert explains that although he prefers to paint with oils he has also come to enjoy experimenting with the different mediums.
FOR GILBERT, the subject of his work isn't meant to wow the viewer by its precision but more so by creating an emotion within the viewer. He states that "Good art is not a replication, it is an interpretation," serves as a personal mantra for his works.
On one particular piece, an urban street combines with the fading colors in the sky. The exact location is indistinguishable, the time of day is interchangeable, and the pictured event remains undetermined but it still speaks in both relatively familiar yet also cautiously alarming way.
When asked how he selects the subjects for his paintings, Gilbert uses expressions such as "tells a story," "gets his juices going," and "really packs a punch." Whether it's a skier going downhill at intense speeds or a desolate Irish road with a solitary figure, he manages to capture such depth. Even while looking at his paintings in the local area such as Colvin Run Mill, a boathouse on the Potomac River, or Old Town, the intimacy that his work conveys gently grasps attention.
Growing up in Seattle, he says the dreary and faded yet still scenically beautiful colors have had a strong influence on his work. His talent to appeal to any viewer can be credited to having moved 34 different times throughout the continents during which he performed a series of various jobs, leading to an understanding of various cultures and witnessing countless vistas and sights worldwide. Finding painting to be a means of great satisfaction, Gilbert's favorite aspect of his talents is, as he puts it, "You now have something that didn't exist before."
RECENTLY, GILBERT ran into a longtime friend and fellow artist, Bob Heier, at an art show. The two chatted for a while before Gilbert gave him the address to his Web site. Heier, a photographer, visited his Web site and, in an email, said the following to Gilbert, "I hope you take this the right way, your Web site stunned me. I just never understood that you are a painter — as opposed to a person who paints." This statement summarizes Gilbert's journey from a man who painted recreationally as he explored the world to an artist of talent who came to sharpen his skills as he pursued his ultimate dream.
Visit Gilbert's Web site to see his works: www.robertgilbertsart.com
