North Charleston City Gallery to Exhibit Works by Ron Melick

The City of North Charleston’s Cultural Arts Department is pleased to announce that works by Ron Melick will be on exhibit at the North Charleston City Gallery from July 2-31, 2012. The artist will host a free reception at the gallery on Thursday, July 5, from 5:00pm-7:00pm. The public is invited to attend.

In Expressions and Variations of Imagination, landscape painter, Ron Melick, will present 50 new landscapes and genre scenes in acrylic. Inspired by light, memories, experiences, and dreams, Melick utilizes design and the free use of color to create images of the physical and spiritual life combined. “My intention in painting is not to copy nature explicitly, but to reflect a living reality,” he explains.  He has developed a method that is suggestive, rather than photographic, creating montages composed of selected elements from the environment. Some pieces are developed from live sketching, but the artist has more recently begun to work from memory. Winter scenes are inspired by memories of the North, and beach scenes are usually started while images of the coast are fresh from a recent visit. As a result, his works are visions, rather than exact records. “There is no hidden meaning,” he says. “The goal is just a pleasing experience for the viewer.”

Ron Melick was born in Columbus, Ohio, in 1954 and began painting with oils in childhood. He completed one semester at the Columbus College of Art and Design in 1976, and has continued to learn through self study and practice. In the late 80’s and early 90’s, he focused on making landscapes and genre paintings on large canvases. In 1989, he made the switch to acrylics as his main medium and at the turn of the century he chose to create more intimate works on hand prepared Masonite panels. His paintings have been included in many exhibits in Ohio and South Carolina and are in private and public collections nationally. He has resided in Taylors, South Carolina, since 2005.

The North Charleston City Gallery is located in the Charleston Area Convention Center with free parking and admission during regular Convention Center operating hours 9:00am–5:00pm, daily.  The Gallery is staffed on Friday, Saturday, and Monday only.   Inquiries regarding the artist or purchase information may be directed to the North Charleston Cultural ArtsDepartment at (843) 740-5854. For information on additional exhibits, events, or artist opportunities, visit the Cultural Arts section of the City’s website at www.northcharleston.org.

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