Highland Park resident Arlene Goldman will have a one-woman show at AIR (Artists-in-Residence) Gallery in Glencoe from October 8-23, with an opening reception on Saturday, October 8 from 5-7pm. The public is welcome. The gallery is located at 348 Tudor Court, across from the Writers Theatre in downtown Glencoe.
Goldman’s oil paintings incorporate her beautifully executed figures and partial abstractions into compositions that draw from both the classical and modern traditions. Mystery and magic are reoccurring themes in her evocative work. Expert draftsmanship and brushwork compliment Goldman’s fascination with the discovery of hidden depths of her subjects and the light that surrounds them. Goldman loves nature, especially the soothing and mysterious swirling of water, or “wet light” as she calls it. “It gives me inspiration and meaning,” Goldman says.
Although she proudly considers herself self-taught, Goldman has studied painting, sculpture, printmaking and drawing at the North Shore Art League, Evanston Art Center, Northwestern University and the SAIC. Goldman knew early on that she wanted to be an artist, and as an adult continued to pursue art while raising a family. When her children were still young, she went with a friend to take an evening painting class at Highland Park High School and that began her long engagement with artmaking. She drew, painted with acrylics and watercolor, practiced printmaking, and sculpted.
Goldman’s work has been shown at galleries and art fairs and has won prizes at Chicago-area exhibits. She has taught advanced oil painting to seniors. Goldman, who now paints in her home studio in Highland Park, says “Freedom of expression is the password to the joy of painting.”
