BART GALLE

St. Paul, Minnesota Although drawing and painting were avid pastimes for Bart Galle as a youngster, art was put aside for many years in lieu of academics, professional endeavors and raising a family. In 1999, Galle joined a community education class on pastel painting, his first adult experience with any kind of art instruction. He quickly built on that experience with more advanced classes, additional hours at the easel, and many more ideas and opportunities than time allowed! In 2000, he joined the Lake Country Pastel Society and began participating in workshops taught by nationally known pastelists. Galle has had private instruction from Jean Ranstrom, White Bear Lake, and has furthered his training in portrait painting and figure drawing at the Edina Art Center and at the Atelier in Minneapolis.

Galle begins his paintings with a small study, or thumbnail, which he uses to resolve issues of composition and color. He then moves on to the larger piece. He underpaints with hard pastels, usually in colors that are complementary in some way to the final colors. Using many layers of soft pastels, he works from dark to light delaying the application of the lightest colors as long as possible. The finished painting is sprayed with a fixative to stabilize the pastels. The paintings are framed with acid-free archival materials and UV-protective glass.

Galle’s academic and teaching background is in English literature. For the past 25 years, he as been in the health science field, most recently as the Director of Continuing Education at the University of Minnesota Medical School. His busy lifestyle includes home and family in St. Paul and a cabin on the Gunflint Trail where he has spent time for the past 30 years. Galle maintains a studio in the Midway area of St. Paul.

Artist’s Statement

My goals for every painting are relatively simple: strong composition, dramatic and pleasing color, and a wide range of value to emphasize light and create depth. I enjoy the process of landscape painting more than any other. It is always an exciting struggle between the tendency to manipulate abstract shapes and the desire to create a clear sense of place. At the other end of the spectrum is portrait or figure painting. I find the process quite restrictive, but the finished product is always dramatic in its impact. The painting of city scenes is somewhere in the middle. I particularly like the use of vivid colors when I paint the lights of the city as day turns to night.

for Bart Galle Prints

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