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When a painting is so vivid you can almost smell the scenery, that is how you know you are admiring true art.
The Live Oak Art Center played hosts to visual artist Cynthia Dvorak Grandjean’s reception Aug. 2, celebrating her third solo exhibition.
Grandjean’s journey as an artist through the years was on full display as guests enjoyed the array of different art styles while dining and wining on bites and beverages featured by caterer Steve Konarik.
The Lake Jackson based painter first took oil painting lessons in 1983 but soon had to postpone the brush, setting it aside after two years to focus on raising a family. She initially returned to her passion in 2010, was entering art shows by 2012 and took on her latest interest, plein air painting, in 2019, becoming a Texas Master Naturalist and starting her own group.
“I put the brushes away for many years,” said Grandjean.” “Returning to my art practice around 2010, dabbling in mixed media, watercolor and acrylic. In 2012, I joined my local art league and began entering juried art shows. In 2019, I started using oils and exploring the challenging world of plein air (outdoor) painting. I started a group in Brazoria County and have not look back since.”
Grandjean recalls her pathway as an artist through her very own exhibition, transitioning from her past to present work all in one room. She details her experiences learning her eventual craft and talks about one of her favorite parts of her process in creating.
“When I first began, I started with floral paintings,” said Grandjean. “I went into abstract painting afterwards and really loved it. I took some courses from Tracy Verdugo, she is an Australian artist, but she had a workshop in Houston. I started taking online classes from her and fell in love with doing abstracts. I like to do asemic writing as well and inscribe it into my artwork.”
Among the crowd at the exhibit were Grandjean’s 30year longtime friends. Rosemary Kuban, one of the ladies Grandjean has known for decades, says despite not having any artistic talent herself, she can see the joy it brings her friend and appreciates it when Grandjean paints something recognizable to her.
“Well, I am glad she is painting things that I recognize,” said Kuban. “Some of the other ones I have a problem with, but I like flowers. She has always painted, she has recently opened up to native Americans, or things that do not make sense to me. But she is really good. She has always painted, a lot of times she will use techniques like little pieces of tissue paper and do that.”
Throughout the span of their friendship, the group have truly seen Grandjean progress in her abilities, especially within the past 10 years, and are just proud of the milestones she has accomplished. Kuban recalls a special piece Grandjean created for her and her family that meant “the world” to them, still having the painting in pristine condition to this day.
“She even painted a picture for me, I am a dove in it and my husband is a blue jay because that was what he was in high school. She put my kids’ names in and out of it in different places and the year we were married, my favorite scriptures. It was personal, and I loved it.”
Kathy Hammond, a fellow artist and one of the ladies in the plein air painting group Grandjean started, says she is happy to see Grandjean’s work be celebrated in the way it is. She expresses her delight in art being celebrated in Columbus and says the town holds a special place in her heart despite being from Houston.
“I paint with occasionally doing plein air,” said Hammond. “This is my first time going to one of her exhibits. I like her abstract pieces a lot and am excited to see her plein pieces for the first time. I do a plein air event here every year as well in March, I just love Columbus even though I live in Houston. The old houses, the trees, they are on steroids here. There is no shortage of things to paint in this town.”
Grandjean expressed her delight at the turnout for the exhibit despite her not being a local resident of Columbus or Colorado County. She says she is happy to have met new faces and have seen old ones, and now she feels she is a true member of the community.
“Because I live two hours away and to have this many people come is amazing,” said Grandjean. “I am not a local, I am not a painter in this community, but I feel like I am now because I am getting to know a lot of people. It is good to see all these people here. Some of them are family and friends and some of them are new folks and I love that.”
The art exhibit will be open to the public for viewing at the Live Oak Art Center until Aug. 30.
