April 8, 2009 > Journey through a lifetime of art Journey through a lifetime of art By Mona Shah Grace Rankin, a painter with attentive experience in art and life, is a talent worthy of the most discerning viewer's attention. A veteran or an "Old Pro" does not get there in a flash of youthful inspiration, thrilling and enlightening as that may be. Depth in expression comes with age, travel, and experience. Art that lives comes from life. One must spend some time, understand some things, teach and be taught, be somewhere along the learning curve, before one can "breakthrough" or "break out" to new levels of understanding and expression. The Fremont Art Association (FAA) will host Grace Rankin, as the associations' Second Quarter Showcase Artist. Rankin will display her "Favorite Paintings", featuring watercolors and more. The exhibit will take place April 15 through May 4 at the FAA Gallery. An artist reception will be held in her honor on Sunday, April 19. A variety of new works from additional artists will compliment the gallery's second quarter offerings. Rankin's girlhood was spent as a logger's daughter in a float home on the coastal inlets of British Columbia. Her family covered many miles exploring North America by road and water, with multiple trips to Italy and Europe. These travels have left their marks on Rankin's varied styles. Architectural subjects, large florals, landscapes, oils, watercolors, pastels, portraits and still life all take their places in her portfolio, leading to the more recent works of mixed media and abstraction. Rankin sees her journey through the traditional subjects, mediums and stylistic treatments as a time thread following the classical models of motivation for a maturing artist. She characterizes many of the resulting creative challenges as a balancing of "patience vs. vision". Rankin cautions about the dangers of technical mastery, complacency, and the paradox of "success" imposing comfortable but confining limits on one's artistic growth. Everyday life has its hard chapters, and it takes going to the edge to see this sometimes. "Bottled Up" was a milestone canvas containing a face, rotated ninety degrees to become reborn as the painting "Self." Two separate canvases are pushed together and joined by "Ribbons of Hope," a current submission to the Lilly Oncology on Canvas Show. These works are glimpses of truth found and brought back to us by an artist survivor from a personal journey to an ultimate boundary. Canvases of exploration and discovery that satisfy the artist or viewer are the weather marks and milestones of any successful painter's career. Rankin has looked at the record of her own work and personally selected for this show those paintings she herself likes and considers important. No judge or critic could be better qualified. "I have reached this place in my career through diligence, practice, and the grace of God." Please join with your community in celebrating this artist. Hors d'oeuvres, beverages and entertainment awaits you. Free and open to the public. Grace Rankin Showcase Artist Reception Sunday, April 19 1:30 p.m. to 4 p.m. Exhibit: April 15 through May 4 FAA Gallery 37659 Niles Blvd., Fremont Wednesday through Sunday 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. (510) 792-0905 www.FremontArtAssociation.org Free