Wandering Turtle to pay tribute to gallery founder

Life is something that is temporary, while nature eternally exists.

Artist Paul Sweany used the sustaining beauty of nature as inspiration for his art, which will be featured in a show at the Wandering Turtle Gallery.

The show’s opening reception will be from 5 to 8 p.m. Friday at the gallery.

Paul Sweany, who died last year, painted images from nature in the technically
difficult style of transparent watercolor.

In this technique, the paints are used more as a wash rather than in thick layers of opaque color, and where white is seen within the piece, it is the paper rather than white paint.

Jaime Sweany, the daughter of the artist, said this medium allowed not only her father’s technical skills to shine, but also his passion for the world around him.

“It wasn’t an option for him not to paint,” Jaime Sweany said. “I think most people will be blown away by his technical skill and attentiveness to nature.

Most people don’t pay attention to their surroundings as intensely as he did.”

Anne Hurley and Jim Krause, local musicians who will be playing at the show, said they share Paul Sweany’s sentiment of care and attention toward the natural world.

“If our music has a common message with Paul Sweany’s art, it’s to enjoy the beauty of the world around you and celebrate it through your art, your music, your poetry, whatever it is that you do artistically — share it with others,” Krause said.

Both Hurley and Krause have artistic backgrounds other than in their music.

Hurley studied comparative arts in college, and Krause is a photographer and videographer.

 Krause said it had been natural for them to incorporate visual art into their performances and to enhance sight with sound.

The goal of the show is to pay tribute to the man who made the gallery’s existence possible.

Paul Sweany opened the Wandering Turtle with his wife shortly after they retired to Bloomington in 1999. 

Jaime Sweany chose this time of year to showcase her father’s work because she said it seemed like a good way to end the year.

“Winter is a reflective time, and there will be a lot of traffic in and out of the gallery because of the holidays,” she said.

The exhibit will have a retrospective angle, displaying both earlier and more recent works of Paul Sweany’s.

All pieces will have the common theme of nature, with many highlighting birds and orchids, which Paul Sweany raised as a hobby.

Whether attending the exhibit for the art or in remembrance of the artist, Jaime Sweany said she hopes that all viewers come away with the same sense of awe and reverence for their surroundings that her father had.

“He wanted people to slow down, to appreciate the world they live in. He wanted them to open their eyes and look at the beauty surrounding them and not take it for granted,” Jaime Sweany said.