Press Release
The colorful mixed-media work of Helper artist John Welch will be displayed at USU Eastern’s Gallery East from Sept. 5-29. Titled “Feel Good Color,” his work features both two- and three-dimensional works made of acrylic color, wood, Masonite, metal and wire.
Welch was born and lived throughout the Western U.S. He studied the ancient disciplines of color and design for 25 years with the renowned artist and arts educator Rudolf Shaeffer in San Francisco.
Under the tutelage of master teacher Jean Penny Bailey, he studied philosophy, color and sound, learning the dynamics of their far-reaching effects upon one’s attitudes (i.e: the more refined and pure the sound and color, the more elevated the initial response and the greater the potential benefit). He was also made aware of the significance and importance of the colors and patterns in the energy fields of everything and uses no earth tones in any color mixes.
Welch said he uses an improvisational approach, not only in his art, but in his life. He keeps his creative flow open by feeling his way through a project, avoiding what he calls “mechanized thinking.”
“I never envision an end-result when beginning a project,” he said, “but deal only with hue in art and key signature in musical improvisation until a natural form arrives.”
Creating multimedia structural forms, he paints them, or more precisely, “colors” them. Welch recognizes that everyone both needs and seeks in clothes, furnishings or art, a color or combination of colors, whether fashionable or not, that matches and even enhances their attitude and personality.
He strives to produce only uplifting works of art, using color, light and a range of depth producing techniques to draw the viewer inward. Visitors to his exhibit at Gallery East will recognize this in his work.
This exhibit opens USU Eastern’s Year of the Arts – a celebration of the arts at each of USU’s campuses from 2017-18.
An opening reception and gallery talk for Welch is Sept. 8 from 6 to 8 p.m. in the Central Instructional Building’s Gallery East. Students, family and the public are invited. Admittance into the gallery is free and open to the public during the academic year from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Any questions can be answered by Noel Carmack, Gallery East curator, at (435) 613-5241 or email at noel.carmack@usu.edu.
