Rebecca Zook VL March 2014 Vol3 No3

VL

VL

March 2014 Volume 3 No. 3

VISUAL LANGUAGE contemporary fine art

Rebecca Zook

VL

Rebecca Zook

http://rebeccazook.com

http://rebeccazook.blogspot.com

VL

Rebecca Zook

Peace. Beauty. Light.

Three aspects that Texas artist Rebecca Zook consciously incorporates into her acrylic paintings.

Though she portrays a variety of subjects, natural landscapes are a personal favorite. Viewers often comment that they feel as if they could step into her paintings; as if the frame were a window to another world.

“I’m drawn to Texas’ plentiful wild grasses in particular. Watching the wind weave patterns through them and the gentle swaying provide me with a much needed calm. I stand among them and am reminded of the ocean. Great waves roll across the fields. Seed heads catch the sun and glow like breaking spray. This connection with nature is something that’s been a part of me since childhood and is a subject that helps me cope with life’s challenges.”

For Rebecca, the beauty of nature and the peace it brings offset the emotional and physical challenges of dealing with multiple chronic illnesses. A rare immune deficiency requires regular antibody infusions derived from plasma donations while secondary autoimmune conditions flare at unpredictable intervals. Because she is forced to limit her physical activities, Rebecca paints mainly from photographs that she has taken of her subject matter.

“I have a camera with me always. You never know when the light is going to be just perfect or when you are going to happen upon a unique scene worthy of painting. Sometimes it’s difficult for me to get to my intended destination when driving because I keep seeing “paintings” along the way.”

Rebecca’s acrylic technique often involves many overlapping layers of thin washes of color. She finds this better conducive to capturing the unique qualities of light. She prefers to paint mainly smaller works 18” x 24” and under and uses gessoed masonite boards she prepares herself. Follow Rebecca on Facebook to view the in progress photos of many of her paintings. She is represented by “Dutch Art Gallery” in Dallas, Texas and “Your Private Collection Gallery” in Granbury, Texas. facebook.com/RebeccaZookFineArtPaintings rebeccazook.blogspot.com rebeccazook.com Right Page: Spring Blanket - 24” x 18” - Acrylic on Masonite Bluebonnets are not my favorite Texas wildflower. Though beautiful, they are short-lived and a bit finicky; needing a certain level of rainfall to be at their best. These blanket flowers appear after the bluebonnets and revel in the blistering Texas summer sun. They represent the hardiness of true Texans.

http://rebeccazook.com

4 | VL Magazine - VisualLanguageMagazine.com

http://rebeccazook.blogspot.com

VL

Rebecca Zook

Autumn Glow - 7.75” X 10” - Acrylic on Masonite Soft wild grasses swaying in the cool breeze, glowing with the colors of Autumn.

Right Page: Grasslands II - 14” x 10.5” - Acrylic on Masonite There’s a plateau that overlooks the town of Granbury called Comanche Peak. It’s privately owned, but is on rare occasions opened to the public for special events. This is one view at the top.

Following Pages: Boardwalk - 24” x 16” - Acrylic on Masonite Everyone thinks they know the location of this scene and it stirs happy memories of summers past, but no one has gotten it right yet. It doesn’t matter, though. It’s how the piece makes you feel that does.

http://rebeccazook.com

6 | VL Magazine - VisualLanguageMagazine.com

http://rebeccazook.blogspot.com

VL

Rebecca Zook

Like Her Momma 6” x 8”

http://rebeccazook.com

8 | VL Magazine - VisualLanguageMagazine.com

4 OClock 8” x 10”

http://rebeccazook.blogspot.com

VL

Rebecca Zook

http://rebeccazook.com

10 | VL Magazine - VisualLanguageMagazine.com

Calm - 12” x 16” - Acrylic on Masonite What was it that Dorothy learned? “If ever go looking for my heart’s desire again, I won’t look any further than my own back yard.” Many artists travel far and wide to find inspiration for their work, but I often find the most compelling scenes are truly in my own back yard or in this case, an empty lot just up the street.

http://rebeccazook.blogspot.com

VL

Rebecca Zook

Texas Textures - 12� x 16� - Acrylic on Masonite The tall, blue wild grasses that grow in the open fields are a favorite of mine and the tangle of vines are a common sight on fence posts and barbed wire.

http://rebeccazook.com

Wind Dancing - 14” x 10.5” - Acrylic on Masonite I wish I could capture sound in my paintings. The rustling of the seed pods as they dance in the wind says “Fall is near” to my ears.

http://rebeccazook.blogspot.com

VL

Rebecca Zook

Lazy Day - 12” x 16” - Acrylic on Masonite

http://rebeccazook.com

Studio Shot 2: A recent room addition in the loft provided the benefit of a long gallery-style wall to display paintings that are not currently in gallery locations.

http://rebeccazook.blogspot.com

www.rebeccazook.com