“I’ve been exhibiting my paintings at the West End Gallery since 1995, doing many group and solo shows. I believe this year’s solo show, Eye in the Sky, is my 22nd at the place I consider my home gallery.
Like many other things that take place over an extended period, my painting has evolved and changed. The techniques and process of my painting have constantly shifted, sometimes dramatically. And though I remain primarily a landscape painter, elements have been added to my paintings. There were red-roofed houses, red chairs, sailboats, paths, and fields of flowers, among others. And, of course, the Red Tree that became a sort of trademark, being present in the majority of my paintings over the years.
But there has also been another element that has been present and almost as ubiquitous as that Red Tree. It is the sun or moon that often appears as a large ball in the skies over my imagined landscapes.
Over the years, this sun/moon orb has taken on a greater role. Looking back at older work, the sun/moon was not shown often and was quite small in size when it did appear. It was often just a minor
compositional element. However, in the intervening years, this sun/moon has grown in size and prominence in the paintings. It now has a real presence in the paintings, often serving as either the central figure or as a spiritual partner or guide for the Red Tree. The two often seem engaged in a silent conversation in many of the works.
There are probably many reasons for this evolution but the best explanation, at least to my mind, comes from a dream I had a number of years ago. It occurred in the months before the West End show of whatever year it was, at a time when I was struggling with my confidence. I felt more deeply blocked and dejected in my work than I had ever experienced before.
I felt empty, like I had perhaps given all I had to give in my work.
I had a dream one night during this time. I was standing under a dark night sky that was colored in dark green tones. In the dream, I was experiencing the same sort of anxiety that I was feeling in my waking life. Then there appeared an opening in the sky, as though a small sliding panel were opened in the sky.
An eye appeared in the opening. Tinted green in the light of the sky, it seemed to be a clear and ancient eye, surrounded by deep creases and wrinkles that were visible as it peered down at me through the opening.
No words were spoken, no singular message transmitted, or wisdom imparted. It was just there.
It had a great pacifying effect on me in the dream as though I instantly knew that there was something overseeing me and that I was not alone, that all was as it should be.
I woke up with that same pacified feeling of assurance, knowing that everything was as it should be. It was a drastic change from my demeanor of the days and weeks before. Its effect has carried me through that time and in times of anxiety since. The sun/moon has come to symbolize that dream and the ensuing feeling. I believe that dream was the starting point for the increased prominence of the sun/moon orb in my work.
The sun/moon has become a vital element in my work, nearly as much as my Red Tree. It serves many roles, often as a steadying force, symbol of hope and a sense of communion with the universe. I think this year’s show, Eye in the Sky, gives ample evidence of that.”
GC Myers is a contemporary painter from the Finger Lakes region of New York. He came to painting in mid-life as a result of an accident that occurred while building his home in the early 1990’s. What seemed like a bad break at the time was actually an act of good fortune as it gave him the time to obsessively pursue painting. After a little more than a year after beginning to paint, Myers began his career by first showing at Corning’s West End Gallery in early 1995. Since that time, Myers’ recognizable and unique landscapes have attracted a large following and are avidly collected both here and abroad. Myers’ landscapes are purely imaginary, reflecting emotion and feeling through the forms and colors in the paintings. His work incorporates rich, bold colors with strong organic forms and lines, all built on uniquely textured surfaces that give each piece an added dimension of depth that transforms the work on an emotional level. His use of iconic and recurring images such as his Red Tree and Red Roofs provide a line of continuity through his work that allows the viewer to easily engage and find their own perspective and feelings within the paintings. Myers’ work is constantly evolving and growing, which is displayed at the few solo exhibitions he does each year around the country. Over the years, he has had over 40 solo exhibitions at the galleries which represent his work. These solo exhibits have taken place at galleries in New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, North Carolina and California.