ARTWORKS BY BILL LAURSEN
featuring
50 Watercolors and Acrylics
May 9 through June 14, 2008
The poetic charm of a landscape comes alive under the brush of artist Bill Laursen. He says, "...landscapes provide an opportunity for me to render their endless combinations of mood and color."
Fifty of Laursen’s scenes in watercolor and acrylic will hang in the Brigham City Museum-Gallery May 9 through June 14. The museum is located at 24 North 300 West. Hours are 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and 1 to 5 p.m. on Saturday. Admission is free.
The artist says he has been greatly influenced by the impressionists, post-impressionists and the moderns. He elaborates, "The paintings of Edward Hopper have inspired me since discovering him during my school years. I appreciate his genius in the use of light, strong composition and subject matter."
Laursen, who lives in Sandy, says the inspiration and ideas for his compositions come from personal photos, sketches, places he has visited and memory. The artist also enjoys creating a work "off the top of his head." He remembers painting an imaginary winter scene in an art class at Cottonwood High School. A woman, who entered the art room by mistake, noticed his piece and commented, "Oh, I know exactly where that place is. It’s on the way to Panguitch." Laursen was polite and responded, "You have a good eye and are very observant." He says the woman purchased his winter scene "on the spot."
With lively, proliferating brush strokes, Laursen has created an impressive portfolio through the years. Notable works on display in the exhibit are "Emerald Grove" and "Variations on a Stream," both sites in Sandy. The former piece depicts trees on a small hill, and the latter details sunlight playing on the water. There’s a blue and orange rhythmic verve to "Clouds Framing Mount Olympus" with the sunset reflecting on the clouds. Laursen captures the warmth of life in the painting "Elliot," which features a young man fishing in the Uinta Mountains.
The Utah native produces a pure visual sensation in "December 25." The centerpiece of the winter scene is a house on 400 East in Brigham City. The artist lived in the city from age 9 to 22. He was drawn to the interplay of light on the house and the translucent crystals of ice on the ground. A swing in a tree completes the picture. In "Pasture at Willard Bay," Laursen casts a backward glance at time spent in the area. The scenery consists of a gravel road, fence, trees and cows.
Laursen also constructed an abstract work, "Harmonies and Complements No. 5," for the show at the museum. The piece is marked by multi-colored under painting with vivid, zebra-like stripes on top.
The artist states he generates nonrepresentational works because it offers the freedom to use color arbitrarily and explore color combinations not often found in conventional types of paintings. He says color can provide energy, vitality, enjoyment and emotional satisfaction as well as visual stimulation, entertainment and joy. Laursen continues, "I like creating visual effects using vivid, full-strength colors layered in unexpected combinations for maximum effect. With that approach, color becomes the subject matter and the whole purpose of the painting...celebrating color."
Laursen was born in Standardville, a coal mining camp near Price. He moved with his family to Brigham City when his father went to work for Thiokol.
When Laursen was in the Sixth Grade, he entered a piece of art about Thanksgiving in a citywide poster contest open to all grades. He won top honors. While attending Box Elder High School, he also won the Hodgson Holbrook trophy. The award recognized the top artist at the high school.
Laursen attended Utah State University (USU) with an art scholarship. He received a Bachelor of Fine Arts in art and art education. Laursen taught at Cottonwood High School from 1972 through 2005, when he retired.
Some of Laursen’s professional achievements consist of the following: Teacher of the Year for Granite School District, 1986; Outstanding Service to Education Award from the Utah State Board of Education, 1996; and one of six Utah recipients of the Golden Apple Award for outstanding educator, presented by Governor Michael Leavitt and KUED Television, 1996. Laursen was also nominated for Art Teacher of the Year in 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988 and 1994, sponsored by USU.
Various honors Laursen has received for his artwork include Award of Merit at the Park City Arts Festival, 1974; accepted to show at the 7th annual Mormon Festival of the Arts at Brigham Young University; and the Oneta J. Thorne Memorial Art Award for outstanding watercolor in 1993, 1994 and 1995.
***Article written by Mary Alice Hobbs
