2008 Woodie Awards
Student Watercolor Skills Decorate Library
Manny Caballero
Issue date: 10/13/04 Section: Life
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An art show featuring watercolor paintings by a Citrus College professor and his students is on display in the Hayden Memorial Library Gallery.
In spring 2004, Chris Van Winkle guided a group of local painters to Budapest, Prague, Vienna and Salzburg to capture the scenery.
Van Winkle, a longtime part-time art professor at Citrus College, teaches watercolor painting to adults. He also teaches cartooning in the summer to children.
Many of his adult students have artistic backgrounds.
"I get people who come back to art classes after being commercial artists or designers, and they want to get loose," Van Winkle said. "I get teachers. I get people that are painting, but maybe somewhere along the line they missed a part of an artist's education."
Van Winkle did not personally select the works displayed in the art show. His students had their choice of any two paintings they chose to display.
" I told them they could bring two paintings. If they sign them, we will put them up," he said.
There are 35 paintings on display in the library. Three of Van Winkle's own paintings are included in the exhibit. The Village of Mikulov is an impressionist painting capturing the emotional atmosphere of a small town. The dark hues of orange, red and brown give the painting a sad feeling.
According to Van Winkle, Mikulov has an interesting story. It is located in the Czech Republic. The regulator of the town gave an opportunity to the Jewish people to assimilate and become part of the community. Years later the Nazis took every Jew out of that town and herded them in trains bound for concentration camps.
Steve Nakamura, one of Van Winkle's close friends, shares with us his commented on The Village of Mikulov.
"You look at the figures (people) of the painting, they lead the viewer into the painting. The tower is the center focus," he said.
Shirley Manning, a former Citrus art student, pointed out that The Village of Mikulov is Van Winkle's trademark. The other two Van Winkle paintings in the exhibit, the Strauss Waltz and Golden Lane, are more abstract in comparison.
In spring 2004, Chris Van Winkle guided a group of local painters to Budapest, Prague, Vienna and Salzburg to capture the scenery.
Van Winkle, a longtime part-time art professor at Citrus College, teaches watercolor painting to adults. He also teaches cartooning in the summer to children.
Many of his adult students have artistic backgrounds.
"I get people who come back to art classes after being commercial artists or designers, and they want to get loose," Van Winkle said. "I get teachers. I get people that are painting, but maybe somewhere along the line they missed a part of an artist's education."
Van Winkle did not personally select the works displayed in the art show. His students had their choice of any two paintings they chose to display.
" I told them they could bring two paintings. If they sign them, we will put them up," he said.
There are 35 paintings on display in the library. Three of Van Winkle's own paintings are included in the exhibit. The Village of Mikulov is an impressionist painting capturing the emotional atmosphere of a small town. The dark hues of orange, red and brown give the painting a sad feeling.
According to Van Winkle, Mikulov has an interesting story. It is located in the Czech Republic. The regulator of the town gave an opportunity to the Jewish people to assimilate and become part of the community. Years later the Nazis took every Jew out of that town and herded them in trains bound for concentration camps.
Steve Nakamura, one of Van Winkle's close friends, shares with us his commented on The Village of Mikulov.
"You look at the figures (people) of the painting, they lead the viewer into the painting. The tower is the center focus," he said.
Shirley Manning, a former Citrus art student, pointed out that The Village of Mikulov is Van Winkle's trademark. The other two Van Winkle paintings in the exhibit, the Strauss Waltz and Golden Lane, are more abstract in comparison.