HOW TO GO
What: "Intuitive," an exhibit with Betsie Molinsky, Marvin Olinsky and Beth Duke
Where: Dayton Society of Painters & Sculptors, 48 High St., Dayton
When: Continues through May 12
Hours: 2 to 5 p.m. Friday-Sunday or by appointment
Gallery talks: 2 p.m. every Sunday
More info: (937) 228-4532 or www.daytondsps.org
Hey, all you interior decorators out there, buy an Olinsky, a Molinsky and a Duke for one of your upscale clients, and they will love you for it. The pieces, though by these very different artists, are complementary.
Marvin Olinsky is showing his sculptures; Betsie Molinsky is presenting her acrylic paintings, and Beth Duke is showing her abstracts at the Dayton Society of Painters & Sculptors Gallery on High Street.
“We’ve have enormous compliments on this exhibit so far. Betsie studied with some of the finest art instructors around. She has a very exciting and loose style,” said Olinsky, who’s the retired CEO of Five Rivers MetroParks and was in charge of building Cox Arboretum. “I think these two ladies are just fabulous artists.
Olinsky has high compliments for his fellow artists, but he should have bragging rights, as well. He is showing 23 wood sculptures in the show. He creates three to four at a time. One of his pieces, “Jasmine,” in basswood with a marble base, was inspired by a trip to the Louvre in France.
He has traveled to Africa with former U.S. Congressman Tony Hall, from Dayton, on humanitarian missions. One of his pieces, “Reaching,” uses mahogany harvested from the Congo in 1917 for the wormy base. Another work made of walnut, “African Bather,” was also inspired through one of his African trips.
“I was in Africa bathing in a stream with the local natives, because it is a way of life there,” said Olinsky. “She was washing her back and had her other hand on her behind. I memorized that and came back and did this figurative work.”
Figurative works are also Molinsky’s tools of her trade, although her figures are done in acrylic paint on canvas. “Reclining Nude” has figural curves that contrast with the sharp geometric lines of the background. “Seated Woman in Green” is more of a classic, elegant pose, with muted cool hues juxtaposed with warm orange colors.
“Dipping into paint and watching what happens, feeling that thrill of pure creative excitement, is what the life of a painter is all about,” stated Molinsky, who studied with Roland Huston in Cincinnati over 18 years. “I love the figure and flowers, as they excite me to capture the essence of their beauty on canvas and paper.”
She is showing 18 paintings for this three-person exhibit. She was also inspired by African culture with “African Mother and Child.” This large-scale work also mixes the cools with the warms in the color spectrum. Molinsky has a piece in DVAC’s upcoming Art Auction. “The Spa #2” is a vibrant acrylic on paper showing two figures will long, flowing towels. The opening bid for this item is $1,200.
The opening bid for Duke’s painting in the DVAC auction is $1,000 for “Details 1,” an interesting combo abstract/landscape in an oil painting. In the DSPS show, she is presenting a dozen large-scale paintings. Her oils reflect her love of color, geometric intersections and focal light patterns.
Duke is known for her creative drive for the 2nd Street Market and the Cannery Lofts, and her feature film productions “True Nature” and “Take Us Home,” among others. A visual artist for more than 20 years, she is represented by Primavera Gallery in Ojai, Calif., and counts Neiman Markus and Premiere Health Partners among her private/public collectors.
“We’ve had people as far as New York come to see this show,” said Olinsky, who has already sold several sculptures in this exhibit. “We’ve gotten great visitation and enormous compliments.”
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