Friday, November 20, 2009

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Artist Toby Lunn 'vanquishes dragons' in new solo show By THEA RUTHERFORD ~ Guardian National Correspondent ~ thea@nasguard.com: When artist Toby Lunn vanquishes dragons, pure beauty spills out. Lunn officially opened "Vanquish the Dragon," his first solo show in about three years, at Van Breugels Restaurant on Thursday with abstract oil paintings that draw from the rhythms of nature. Lunn's work explodes from the canvas in both rich and delicate hues. Velvety indigos, aquas and whites spiral in a galaxy of droplets in "Zenith," one of the 19 paintings in the show. In the diptych "Gingerbread Grounds," a wave-like pattern awash in shades of green, white and black evoke a school of fish reaching for the sunlight just above the water's surface. "I always try to look for metaphors in nature," said Lunn of a collection that includes works from 2005 to the present. "Sunlight, in passing over a tree, would cast certain shadows in a certain formation - I would use these natural formations as a point of reference." The "dragons" Lunn vanquishes "are internal metaphoric demons that have been giving me a little angst," he explained. "What I try to do in my work is, rather than use a lot of dark energy to create work, I try to turn it into positive, light work that will be more inspiring and more calming." In this, the last show that Lunn will ever have of oil paintings, the pall of the artist's "dragons" are as real as they are figurative. Weeks before the show's opening, Lunn began experiencing debilitating headaches that left him bed-ridden. He had developed a sinus infection that was due in part to his work with oil paints. Lunn began his recovery in time to be on his feet for the opening of his show. He credited prayer, medication and the support of his parents for spurring his recovery. "My outlook now has changed and I realized that I have to slow down in my own life, and that too would be a reflection in my new work." Before his illness, the artist had worked with oil paints for 20 years. He now anticipates working in water-based media. "I'm excited about it," said Lunn. "It's frightening but at the same time it's also exciting because it's like a new chapter." Saturday, November 7, 2009