Surrounded by a school deeply embedded in rich agriculture and landscaping, it's no wonder MSU art professor Irving Zane Taran's passion is to turn the earth's natural beauty into beautiful art.
When Taran is not in the classroom, he's in the studio preparing for art exhibitions.
Taran's latest works, "Heavy Weather: Superior Acrylic," will be showcased for free at an art exhibition at the Hankins Gallery, 280 M.A.C. Ave., starting Sept. 7.
"My paintings are earth related in the sense they come from specific incidents," Taran said.
Taran's "Heavy Weather: Superior" pieces were created from earthly inspirations and certain weather episodes on or near Lake Superior. The paintings are not actual figures or particular items, such as lighthouses or boats. Rather, they represent Taran's mood or feeling while being on the lake and portray the images he sees through different colors.
"I pick light, storm and water reflection pieces," Taran said. "They (the paintings) are abstract and come from earth-related surfaces."
Taran's work is created with acrylic paints on birch panel for the larger pieces and canvas for the smaller ones. He uses floats - cement worker's tools - to create the dips and curves in the artwork.
He also adds gels to the paintings which allow the work to lift and hold in places, Taran said.
Taran said the paintings tend to give off a certain mood, depending on angle and lighting. Each painting has different colors that move with the light around you, which gives them a living quality, gallery owner Bill Hankins said.
"I think his work comes from such strong background," Hankins said. "The surfaces are beautiful. His work makes you want to touch and taste it."
Hankins met Taran 12 years ago and has admired his artwork ever since.
"He came to me in '91 with a collection of work from a faculty art exhibition and I loved his work. He's cutting edge," Hankins said.
It took Taran about five months to complete the exhibit's pieces. He devoted his summer to the completion of the artwork, spending 10 hours a day, every Monday through Friday, to finish.
Taran started his earth surface painting more than 30 years ago and it is the natural inspiration of the landscapes around us that enables him to continue.
"The earth has been a constant inspiration to me," Taran said. "I always see the great, natural beauty in painting."
Taran's work will remain on display through Oct. 17.
