Signal Hill plein-air artist returns to LB Playhouse for fifth exhibit

<strong>“Can You Believe That Sky? — **“Can You Believe That Sky?**

Nationally recognized plein-air artist Gary Blackwell’s work will return to the Playhouse Gallery at the Long Beach Playhouse, 5021 E. Anaheim St., in an exhibit entitled Mostly Landscapes. The exhibit is a collection of paintings that Blackwell has painted throughout California, mostly on location. Additionally, the exhibit will present an ensemble of collective work that includes some still lifes.
In this exhibit, he uses oil as the primary medium to express his love for painting outdoors and the California landscape.
Although he has been a resident of Signal Hill for more than 25 years, Blackwell was born in Virginia and traveled the world as a member of a military family. He received his BFA from Ringling School of Art in Sarasota, Florida, then enjoyed a 23-year career in advertising before committing to his passion and becoming a full-time artist in 2001.

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“My Second Home,
His work has received numerous local and national accolades. He received an Honorable Mention in The Pastel Journal in April 2010 Top 100 Special Issue, and he has received several awards from the Pastel Society of the West Coast, to include Distinguished Pastelist Award, their top honor and Signature member status the same year.
The Mostly Landscapes exhibit is his fifth show hosted by the Long Beach Playhouse.
“It’s really a great venue,” Blackwell said. “First of all, Andrew Vonderschmitt, the producing artistic director, is easy to work with. The gallery is spacious and generous. The Playhouse actually has two large rooms for art work. The walls are painted a neutral gray, and lighting is excellent. Each week the Long Beach Playhouse entertains a new audience, which mean I have a new audience for my artwork. There is plenty of parking, and the building has a great location on Anaheim across from the golf course. I think it’s a perfect match.”
Blackwell said the locations he has painted for this exhibition truly cover a lot of California. “Specifically, the places I have painted include Sonoma, the Sierra, Bishop, Morro Bay, San Luis Obispo, Pismo Beach, Santa Monica, San Pedro, Long Beach, Signal Hill and Palm Springs,” he said. “I chose to paint in these locations for two reasons. First, these are the areas where I have participated in plein-air events. The second reason is I teach plein-air painting at Orange County School of the Arts and Kline Academy in Los Angeles. So between these two situations I really get a chance to see a lot of California.”

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“1,000 Palms Evening,
He said that what he enjoys most about plein air is the opportunity to truly be “in the moment.” “You are outdoors enjoying what nature has to offer, to include the location, and still stay focused on painting,” he said. “It’s a little like golfing. You are stimulated by being outside, but you also are trying to accomplish something that gives you pleasure. I guess it’s the challenge that I enjoy.”
The public is invited to attend the opening artist reception on Sunday, Jan. 20 from 6pm to 10pm. The exhibition continues through March 16 and will be on display at the Playhouse Gallery during play dates on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays.
For more information about the artist and his work, visit garyblackwell.com or call (562) 494-4090.

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Signal Hill plein-air artist returns to LB Playhouse for fifth exhibit