Ron Artaud: Tuscarora Seasons

Ron Artaud: Tuscarora Seasons

On view in Halleck Bar Gallery at the Northeast Nevada Museum until August 21, 2022

“This show is somewhat unusual as so much of the town of Tuscarora is represented. I have been trying to paint more of the “raw” landscape. The two are quite different. In towns, I love the chaos of all the odd lines and colors. The more complicated the better. Pure landscape is less about composition and more about the light of the moment, the weight and grandness of the earth. And sage, probably the hardest thing I’ve ever painted, loving it more all the time, the subtle colors changing over the seasons, such a compact mass, yet so open. All the paintings in this exhibition are done en plein air, a common French term used by painters, which means “done outdoors.” The title is unavoidable as I work outside all year long, so all the seasons are represented. Seasons could also mean the constant change in Tuscarora—friends lost, moved on, the decay of many of the buildings. Time that won’t be repeated. While painting, I try not to think of time past or the backstory. Ideally, you just get lost in the act of painting, trying to capture the light and color.” —Ron Arthaud