24 Sep Stephenson Showcase: “Reflections” by Skye VanWinkle
Skye VanWinkle is a world traveler and an artist. Growing up with her father as a landscape painter gave her the tools to look at the world in a different way, while traveling has opened her eyes to new people, places, and perspectives. Her October exhibit in the Stephenson House Gallery, Reflections, will showcase scenes from her European adventures.
“My dad was an artist” she recounts, “A full time social worker but he did art as a hobby.” She remembers art always being all over the house and credits his work as her first real influence. Her father painted primarily landscapes, however, while Skye was drawn to old family photos for source material. She would paint from 1960’s-70’s photographs for a long time.
After obtaining a Bachelors in Arts from Purdue, Skye sought to attend grad school with the hopes to eventually teach college level classes. This led her to the Herron School of Art and Design where she earned an Arts Education degree. Following her graduation, she taught K-12 art classes in Kokomo schools for 23 years. Skye notes that she competed mostly commissions while teaching and her eventual retirement was to focus on her fine arts career.
The shift from teaching to creating full time allowed Skye to travel and discover new inspirations. “I was captivated by all the old buildings, I loved the history, it affected me profoundly,” she says of her early travels. She soon began painting from the photographs she would take on her trip. And the more trips she went on, the more she figured out what sort of photographs to take, what would make interesting subject matter, what called to her: a moving tourist bus, a church, and more.
Skye’s current goal with her acrylic paintings is to work realistically, but enhance color and shapes to bring out the intriguing beauty she sees. She often works in complementary color combinations to make certain details pop. A building could be painted in yellows and purples rather than their true hues, but it will match how Skye feels the piece should feel. Compositions might also be shifted from the original photograph to bring together a cohesive image. In the end “it’s all about people” Skye says, affirming that the individuals she meets are her core inspiration.
You can meet Skye at her free First Friday reception on October 4, from 6-9 p.m.
