Creating Art That Jumps Out at You

Where would you find resin, acrylic paints, paper butterflies, screws, plywood, florescent tempera paint, house paint and blocks of pine all together?  All of these materials are in the multimedia, three-dimensional paintings by Robert Carter.  They were used in his painting demonstration at the Art League of Nassau County’s January meeting on Friday at Clinton G. Martin Park. 

Members of the ALNC braved the snow to take in Carter’s unique approach to his painting entitled, “Jumping Ballerina”. 

Starting out with a sheet of plywood covered with gray house paint, Carter drew a quick sketch with the typical action of a young girl jumping around in a tutu.  Using acrylic paints, he quickly developed a lively painting.  He brought out a painting previously done of the same subject to show the audience how he works in three dimensions.  Carter took a previously cut-out ballerina on plywood, added some touches of color, glazed it with florescent tempera paint, varnished and attached it by way of a wood block in the back to a painted background plywood piece. 

Within each project, Carter calls on past experiences he has had in the art world to create unique multimedia pieces. Carter earned at Masters in Fine Art from the Pratt Institute in Brooklyn. One of his original jobs was a set designer. He also worked in TV as a scenic artist painting backgrounds. This is evident in the brilliant colors he uses to create a very theatrical look in his paintings. 

“I work with neon lighting and construction to create a showy impact”, he said, adding, “I also research costumes if I need them in my paintings.”

Carter is an art professor emeritus at Nassau Community College, having taught drawing, design and painting to hundreds of art students there since 1965.  He is an artist and illustrator whose work is in museums and permanent collections throughout the United States. 

The ALNC has recently invested in quality video technology; therefore, DVDs of Carter’s and other demonstrations are available to rent for a nominal charge at each meeting.

The league was formed in 1925 and sponsors artist demonstrations in various mediums at each monthly meeting.  The ALNC is sponsoring a member art show for the month of February at the Jericho Public Library.  The public is invited to the reception and show on Saturday, Feb. 5 from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. 

The next ALNC meeting will be on Feb. 25 where Kirk Larsen will paint an oil still life. 

Editor's Note: The author is a member of the ALNC and she took an art class with Robert Carter.