On Friday, October 3rd, VNRC will host a reception for local artist Rick Powell in conjunction with Montpelier Art Walk. Rick’s exhibit, “Take It All In, Then Look Closer”, features natural scenes and landscapes from around Vermont and New England in sharply detailed colored pencil drawings big and small. A longtime Montpelier resident, Rick will be on-site to discuss the technique and inspiration behind his work.

Rick has always been drawn to laying down line, color and tone on paper. Trained at the Art Institute of Philadelphia, he worked for 25 years as an illustrator, using his Prismacolor pencils to create realistic images to tell stories and sell products for a variety of clients. The art on display in this exhibit represents a more personal vision – capturing the rolling hills, the lush ponds, the endless beauty of nature that he could see right in front of him in here in Vermont:

“Look at each piece from a few feet away, and soak up the beauty of the scene. Then look close. Then look closer. See the lines, the thousands of lines that make up each work. Feel the contours of the subject by following those lines. Lose yourself in the details. Then, back up and take it in fresh.

And, the next time you are outside in your back yard, at the lake, or anywhere outside, do the same with the world around you. Look closely at the patterns and the details that make up your world. And perhaps, imagine it created in pencil.“

In addition to his exhibit at VNRC, you can find Rick’s work at the Bryan Memorial Gallery in Jeffersonville, as well as other venues across central Vermont.

Woodbury Misty Morning, by Rick Powell

Doors will be open to the public between 4:30 and 7:30 pm. Light refreshments, including homemade baked goods and apple cider, will be served while supplies last. Additional visiting hours for “Take It All In, Then Look Closer”, which is up through the end of October, can be found on our public calendar. Contact Alex Connizzo, Special Projects Coordinator, at (802)-223-2328 x126 or art@vnrc.org for more information or to schedule a visit.

We strongly encourage guests to continue their Art Walk experience at the Vermont State House at the end of Baldwin Street and the Vermont Supreme Court Gallery at 111 State Street. In addition to its regular weekday hours (8:30 am to 4:30 pm), the Supreme Court Gallery will be open to visitors from 4:00 to 7:00 pm during the October Art Walk.