West Virginia Artist of the Year, Robert Villamagna is also the Director of Nutting Gallery,
West Liberty University that played host in mid -February to smorgasbord of
Impressionist color in pastel from artists, Robert Sako and David Lasako,
who although meeting for the first time may be distantly related!
We will need to stay tuned to see if the ancestry books prove this out.
Sako’s art is one I am very familiar with having purchased his work for my own collection
over the years. Known for his photography, painting and his work as educator
and co-op gallery administrator; he has recently moved into the use of chalk pastels.
I am happy to report with fantastic results with his pastoral scenes channeling Van Gogh.
A special luxury for the eyes and soul is the “haystacks in the morn” work.
So do take a moment to take a country drive to West Liberty University for the exhibition.
If you miss the show there I am sure you may find some of these extraordinary
pastels at Artworks Around Town Gallery, Centre Market where
Sako can often be found teaching, sharing ideas and offering his work for sale.
A delightful surprise for me was meeting David Lasako. His plein air chalk pastels
were an unexpected pleasure to discover at the Nutting Gallery.
I am delighted to review the work of an artist that follows the impressionist
process of Monet with precision in the use of natural light
and with such control in his delicacy of color.
Lasako paints what he sees in one sitting of the subject matter such as the Old Masters
decided was the only way to capture the luminescence of natural light.
The valleys and hills of the region that he uses to express his view
of the scene are transformed with his purples, pinks, greens, and gold that give
you an innate feeling that you are no longer “in Kansas” as Dorothy says to Toto!
Do watch for more from David Lasako, I know I am! Since David is from the
Waynesburg area of Pennsylvania we can expect to visit more of his work in the near future.
