by Bella Erakko
Dennis Babbitt and his wife had to forego their California-to-Washington trip this year so they aimed their RV to nearby Lake Michigan’s Sleeping Bear Dunes National Park for two weeks. One wouldn’t expect sand dunes in the upper Midwest, but Dennis painted them and plans to showcase his dunes series as the Gallery’s featured November member artist.
True, the Bear Dunes is not the arid Sahara, or Peter O’Toole’s Lawrence of Arabia. These dunes, geologically formed from ground down rock, have more grass and even trees. But the organic debris is razor thin, living precariously atop sand.
Dennis captured this fragile yet beautiful scenery, trekking out with his paints and canvases, and returning home to Louisiana, to continue his sojourn with photographs he took while there.
A plein air artist tends to be a bit of a vagabond. Always outdoors, always looking. The greatest gift one can give such an artist is unfettered time. Last year, he partook of an artist’s residency in Steelville in the Ozarks. Residencies are artists’ dream. Usually funded through grants, the artist resides in an art-nurturing environment with lodging and meals provided. They become hermits-in-the-woods, free to create uninterrupted for two to four weeks. “It’s wonderful,” Dennis admits. “You do nothing but paint all day long.” He attended last year. “The first day, it was 60 degrees; the next 14 degrees, with 2-3 inches of snow on the ground.” Several of those winter scenes have been sold in the Gallery.
Like every other artist, it seems, the burbling fount of creativity feels a bit squashed these days. Gone is the trip to England to visit their niece … maybe next year. But beauty always has its own rewards. Nature “marries” the plein air artist to a deep always requited love. And the lasting memory of the moment always remains upon the canvas.
An opening reception will be held on Saturday, November 14 from 1 until 6:00. Visitors will be eligible to enter a free drawing for one of Dennis Babbitt’s paintings which will be conducted at 5:30.
