Christopher Volpe: Wildflowers, Ash & Tar
Christopher Volpe is an artist, writer, and educator. Volpe’s paintings approach nature less as a visual motif than as a site of introspection and metaphor for intangible feeling and ideas. His murky, atmospheric landscapes and tar paintings often wrestle with ideas of the sublime and the power of the natural world. His work is shown nationally and held in the permanent collections of Smith College and the Whistler House Museum as well as in numerous private collections.
Christopher Volpe is an artist, writer, and educator. Volpe’s paintings approach nature less as a visual motif than as a site of introspection and metaphor for intangible feeling and ideas. His murky, atmospheric landscapes and tar paintings often wrestle with ideas of the sublime and the power of the natural world. His work is shown nationally and held in the permanent collections of Smith College and the Whistler House Museum as well as in numerous private collections.
His latest series works with foliage and wildflowers painted in oil paint that incorporate tar and ash. The artist will be demonstrating how he works the unorthodox materials to create engaging effects. The demo will be live from the artist’s new studio and art center in Hollis, NH. With degrees from the University of New Hampshire and Stony Brook University, he has taught painting, literature, mythology, and the history of art at various colleges and universities. He writes regularly about art and artists.
“The paintings I love and aspire to create turn the pain and confusion of being human into a kind of beauty that doesn’t deny the darkness or sugarcoat reality yet insists on a lyrical engagement, not just with the world around us, but with the deeper mysteries of the human heart.” – the Artist
