LIVING : COLOR
An Exhibition of Paintings By
Anees Akhund & R.W. Goetting
May 1 – May 31st, 2013
Reception: Friday, Ma7 3rd, 6 – 8pm
Throughout the month of May, Arts Visalia will present recent paintings by two Tulare County artists, Anees Akhund of Visalia, and R.W. “Bob” Goetting of Porterville. The exhibition, titled “Living : Color,” features two artists whose works reveal their enthusiasm for painting and revel in the use of color.
Anees Akhund only recently turned to painting, beginning with a peice he made for the Art-4-Heart auction benefitting Pro-Youth/Heart during the 2012 Sofa Art Show. Encouraged by the warm reception his work received, Akhund has poured his energy into painting in the time since, producing dozens of canvases. His paint application is inventive and playful; his colors at times bold, at other times subtle in their harmony.
A native of Karachi, Pakistan, Akhund moved to Visalia in 1978, and, after attending College of the Sequoias in Visalia and Fresno State University, he went to work for Principal Financial Group in 1986. During his 27-year stint in the financial services industry, he has been and an active volunteer and leader in the community. In addition to having served as a past president of the Visalia Breakfast Rotary, he currently serves on the Pro-Youth HEART and Kaweah Delta Hospital Foundation boards.
Akund paints nearly every morning before heading to his office. About this newfound passion, he was quoted in a recent Lifestyle article as saying, “I always wanted to paint and was given the opportunity through the Sofa Art, Art 4 HEART auction. The response was so overwhelmingly positive, I decided to pursue my lifelong dream of creating art. It came very naturally to me. I get ideas every day and write them down. I don’t dwell on the ideas, they sort of percolate; and once I start a painting, it takes on a life of its own.”
A third generation Californian born in Sacramento, Bob Goetting has devoted over forty years to the development of his work as a painter. Having traveled extensively throughout Europe, Goetting has found inspiration in the works of the old masters. While his works have their own unique style, in his paintings one can sense his deep appreciation for the history of painting. Largely focusing his attention on representational, landscape-oriented images, Goetting’s paintings are awash with a lively brushwork and rich color.
He describes his work by saying, “My work almost always has a type of history, with new brushstrokes over old ones, fresh images over previous attempts or bright color dragged over muted tones. Some of them develop rapidly and others evolve. Sometimes they take on a life of their own and move in a direction that I did not anticipate. It is fun to be surprised by what happens on the canvas.”
Goetting’s paintings have been selected for numerous judged shows and have been purchased for collections from San Francisco to Amsterdam. He is a member of the Porterville Art Association, the Paso Robles Art Association, the Alliance of California Artists and the California Art Club.
The exhibition will be on display at Arts Visalia through May 31st with an opening reception on the evening of Friday, May 3rd from 6:00 to 8:00pm. Admission is free and open to the public.
This exhibition has been made possible with generous support from the following:
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