TRAHC Presents ‘Light and Color, The Crescendo of Nature’

The Texarkana Arts and Humanities Council presents "Light and Color: The Crescendo of Nature" on display from September 1 through November 5 at the Regional Arts Center. Admission is free for the exhibit.

The artist, Judy Falkoff, grew up on a farm in Louisiana and spent the bulk of her time outdoors. Observing the life cycle of plants and insects proved to be a powerful influence in her artistic development.

Like many children, Falkoff loved art and craft projects growing up, but it was not until after she completed school and finished her career in nursing that she had the time to pursue her passion for painting. She credits a grade school art teacher with giving her the opportunity to work on an Egyptian mural as a turning point in her relationship with art.

Falkoff received traditional training form Master Artist, Jeff Legg, her artistic mentor, who encouraged her to pursue her love of nature through painting. The color and vibrancy of Spanish art, particularly Joaquin Sorolla y Bastida, is also a visual inspiration for her work. Following the long tradition of representational painting, accuracy and detail are the hallmark of her depictions of plants, insects, and still-lifes. Falkoff taught herself the Flemish technique, which uses thin layers of glaze and oil paint to create astonishing levels of realism. Many people have made an obvious comparison of her flower paintings to Georgia O’Keefe.