Three-Dimensional Deception

Carved and colored artworks fool the eye

Jim Nelson of Eureka Springs works with wood and acrylics to create three-dimensional artworks that often fool the eye.
Jim Nelson of Eureka Springs works with wood and acrylics to create three-dimensional artworks that often fool the eye.

Artist Jim Nelson might not call what he does trompe l'oeil, but it is. His carved and painted wooden artworks deceive the eye in ways that surprise even him.

Nelson's work will be among pieces by 20 Eureka Springs artists on show at Brews in an exhibit called "The Circle and the Square."

FAQ

‘The Circle

And the Square’

WHEN — Thursday through Feb. 16 with an artists’ reception from 5 to 8 p.m. Thursday

WHERE — Brews, 2 Pine St. in Eureka Springs

COST — Free; artwork will be for sale

INFO — Email johnrankine69@gmail…

"The circle and square are two of man's earliest symbols, and artists were asked to give their creative take on these archetypal shapes," says gallery curator John Rankine, listing among participating artists Ken Concar, Chris Fischer, Janet Alexander, Teresa Pelliccio, Devito, Jeff Danos and Rigdon P. Irvin.

Nelson has provided examples of both shapes, and the round one -- titled "#321" -- illustrates the trompe l'oeil of his work. "Beads" that encircle the piece look like "outies," he says, when in fact they're "innies" highlighted by paint.

"My stuff is essentially doodling, making patterns and designs and textures," says Nelson, who might be best known in Eureka Springs for the leather store he founded in 1974. With a bachelor's degree in painting from the University of Kansas and a master of fine arts from Syracuse University, creating leather belts didn't always satisfy Nelson's artistic needs.

"I set art aside for business most of the time. But it would kind of percolate up, and I'd have to do something," he says. Ordinarily that was painting with oils. But then he and wife Susan built their dream house. "Once we were moved in, the big bare walls cried out for art," he explains. "Inspired, I started making pencil sketches for a wooden wall piece to be placed in the entry hall. Michael Holt, a woodworker friend, agreed to fabricate the piece. We installed it in late 2006, and I have been creating these wall sculptures ever since."

Nelson is planning to exhibit some 40 pieces of his work at a one-man show in April at his gallery, which shares space with his leather business at 37 Spring St. In the meantime, he's "got a nice head of steam going," he says. "It's good for me to have something to work toward."

-- Becca Martin-Brown

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NAN What's Up on 12/30/2016

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