Valley Overview

VALLEY OVERVIEW KINGS ART CENTER

VALLEY OVERVIEW CENTER

ABOUT THE ARTIST

Daniel grew up in the Midwest and began creating art at an early age fostered by a painterly mother and a pastoral father. With continued education and exploration Daniel has worked to develop a style that reflects the contemplative nature of the natural landscape. His current body of work explores and celebrates the Central Valley agricultural landscape from an aerial perspective.

Daniel studied at the University of South Dakota. He has learned much from the many artists and mentors he has encountered and gleaned information from. He currently resides in Fresno, CA with his wife and two sons working as a graphic designer and artist. His studio space is located in Fresno.

Daniel Van Gerpen has been surrounded by agricultural landscapes his entire life. He grew up in the Midwest surrounded by corn and bean fields. The vibrating rows vibrated in his periphery as he endeavored on many a drive through the country. When he moved to California as a young adult he found the fertile fields of the Salinas Valley a source of artistic inspiration. It was not until his migration to the central valley in the throws of a drought did his interest turn to the relationship between the fields and their water sources.

While exploring this relationship Van Gerpen discovered that the best way to represent this relationship was from a higher perspective. “I am intrigued by the juxtaposition of the linear man made fields that is intersected and stirred by the organic nature of the river.”

Van Gerpen began studying and exploring the geometry of the agricultural region that he now calls home. His inspiration really began to take flight when he able to take a low altitude flight over the valley. As the plane and the sun began to rise simultaneously so did his love of this new perspective. Seeing the sun reflect off the winding river and the sun casting long shadows across the fields Van Gerpen attempted to capture as much inspiration as his camera could take in. He was also mindful to take in the scenery as well. There is something about the quality of morning light and atmosphere that the camera can never capture. Therefore, it is important to be present in the place of

VALLEY OVERVIEW VIEW ARTIST 

ARTIST TALK

inspiration and try and remember how a place felt. “I think that this is why I love painting more than photography. A photo can tell you what a place looks like, but a painting can express how a place feels. I know I am on the right track as people who haved lived here their whole lives remark how my work feels like home.”

Van Gerpen is often asked where each piece comes from. His typical response is that the pieces are often inspired by actual places but they are edited and simplified in an attempt to capture the feeling of a place. Therefore, while many images are familiar they are sometimes not a place you can actually go to.

He pulls inspiration from photographs and merges ideas into sketches before putting brush to canvas. The sketching process allows him to work through many ideas, compositions, and changes in a more efficient matter and allows him to combine many scenes into one. Often color studies are also prepared before a major piece is begun. Even with all of this preparation the painting remains organic until the very end. Things can change in process and many paintings consist of several layers. This technique adds to the texture of the final piece and is an integral part of the process.

Much of his inspiration comes from the areas following the San Joaquin and Kings Rivers as well as the canals that transport water to various locations.

While there are no figures in his work the human influence is quite present. The rows and roads bisect the compositions as gridded fields take shape on the canvas and shimmering rivers cut a cool wavy line through the verdant and sometimes arid landscape.

THE COLLECTION

VIRTUAL TOUR

Section 48x54

mixed media on panel

$2400

pop of color

40x56

acrylic on canvas

$2600

Bloom 48x72

acrylic on canvas

$3800

along the river

10x10

mixed media on panel

$500

going over 10x10

mixed media on panel

$500

Spring Fling

10x10

oil on panel

$550

flourishing 12x12

mixed media on panel

$600

over distance 12x12

mixed media on panel

$600

weathering 12x12

mixed media on panel

$600

break of day

12x12

mixed media on paper

$300

apportion 12x12

mixed media on paper

$300

scraping by 12x12

mixed media on paper

$300

parcels

12x12

mixed media on paper

$300

Early Going

10x20 oil on canvas

$700

Along the Creek

8x16 oil on panel

$625

Summer Lines

8x16

oil on panel

$625

replete 12x36 oil on panel

$1000

field lines I

18x24

mixed media on paper

$650

field lines II

18x24

mixed media on paper

$650

Darkness Before Dawn

19x49

oil on canvas

$1200

Quiet Sliver

25x25

oil on panel

$850

Valley Blossoms

25x25

mixed media on canvas

$850

Quilted Countryside

25x25

mixed media on canvas

$850

overview

25x25

mixed media on panel

$850

Pale Morning

25x37 oil on canvas

$1200

farmstead

24x30 oil on canvas

$1000

Clouds and Fields

24x36

mixed media on canvas

$1200

pistachios and process

24x36

oil on canvas

$1200

pastel pieces

24x36

mixed media on canvas

$1200

Herd and home 24x36

mixed media on panel

$1200

Travail 30x30

mixed media on panel

$1000

Morning Above the Kings

30x30

oil on canvas

$1100

Bountiful Bend

25x49 oil on canvas

$1400

Radiance

25x49 oil on canvas

$1400

Terrene 24x48 mixed on panel

$1400

Purview 32x42 oil on canvas

$1400

Along the River 32x47 oil on canvas

$1500

warm shadows

30x30

oil on canvas

$1100

Schema

37x37

mixed media on panel

$1400

Dairy Aerial

36x36

mixed media on panel

$1500

morning layers

34x34 oil on panel

$1400

Pistachio Plant

37x37 oil on canvas

$1500

Groundwork

36x36 mixed media on canvas

$1500

Looking Down 37x49

mixed media on panel

$1800

Between Earth and Sky

37x49

oil on canvas

$1800

Allocation

48x48

mixed media on panel

$2200

Traverse 49x49 oil on panel

$2200

Pliancy 34X96 mixed media on canvas

$4200

Expansive 48x96 oil on canvas

$5600

ABOUT THE VENUE

Kings Art Center enhances the lives of Kings County residents and friends by providing a center to experience the visual arts.

The Kings Art Center provides hands-on art education coupled with high quality exhibitions of artwork from throughout California as well as from local artists. Together, our education and exhibition programs provide a comprehensive visual art and cultural experience to our visitors.

605 N. Douty St. Hanford, CA

(559)584-1065

www.kingsartcenter.org