Grand Rapids Blue Bridge

Amy Gieschen
South Haven, MI  49090

Phone: 616-322-1295

E-mail:
amy_l_gieschen@yahoo.com

It is my hope that when a viewer takes in one of my pieces they see the care that is put into the painting and they will be led to a greater appreciation of subjects that, at times, may seem ordinary, but can easily become extraordinary if presented differently.

My name is Amy Lou Gieschen. I’m a photo-representational landscape and figurative painter. I studied Fine Arts with a focus on Painting at the College for Creative Studies in Detroit, Michigan and Kendall College of Art and Design in Grand Rapids, Michigan. I often work with acrylics on smaller compositions and oils when working larger. My subject matter varies widely, but I have a stronger focus and interest in lighthouses and beachscapes.

I travel with my husband and young son to many lakeshore and Michigan communities and take numerous reference photos when light, time, and place are just right to set the appropriate mood for a later piece. The play of natural light in the environment and the ever changing shifts of value and color in vast areas, such as the sky above, grasp my attention and compel me to recreate a similar moment in time using paint. I find myself drawn to the everyday and the ordinary among still lifes, people engaging in day to day activities, and man made structures. I heighten the significance of my subject matter by playing with view points and angles and paying particular attention to intense areas of detail. I use a great level of sensitivity in areas of light and shadow and take an analytical approach to fine detail and important visual information. I work with the idea of layering, starting in the background with broad areas of color, using washes of color to affect value and then gradually tighten my paint stroke, finishing a piece with fine points and lines of paint.


Stationary Structures against a Changing Landscape (current showing):

Lighthouses are constructed to be enduring structures able to withstand harsh conditions of weather. Their duty is to warn ships of close shorelines and to help bring in ships safely. They are built with a utilitarian purpose but are looked at as monuments of beauty and symbols of hope and promise. Bridges are created for another working purpose, as structures linking two sides together, allowing transportation to cross over. Other scenes specific to waterways and beach sides are less serious in subject matter and point to a more relaxed atmosphere.

Lighthouses and bridges give a sense of permanence. I often place these structures against flat backgrounds. Constantly changing weather conditions and time of day play key roles in establishing a mood for the piece. Blue skies aren’t always the same and although blue can have a very calming effect, playing with its intensity and value can cause other sensations of foreboding and uneasiness or ideality and gentleness.

Man made construction set against a natural landscape utilizes strong edges and forms amongst organic shapes. The point of view raises the line of sight indicating the importance of the structure. Directional line and angular forms bring the viewer around the image and into focal points. Largely symmetrical compositions indicate the structures to be unmoving strongholds. When deemed necessary, increased levels of movement are achieved with the addition of water and cloud formations. Tight control of line is key to create a close likeness to very precise construction. Strict sensitivity is found in areas of color especially within light and shadow. Words, lettering, and signage are used as an informational way to add to mood, whether being used to caution or even to humor. These compositions do not allude to a specific point in time, but can encompass greater periods.

There is a very serious nature to all of my paintings, seen in the great attention to detail and strength of linear aspects. At the same time, there is an ease at which I paint and a care for analyzing images and raising its level of artistic importance. I have a love of everyday scenes and immense appreciation of strong, meticulous construction, attracted not just by the structure itself, but also by the way light falls upon it and how it is set against its environment. <

Availability: individual/ group shows; commissioned works, current work from inventory

Rates: varies by size