Exhibit Explores Shapes and Colors of Ohio River Valley

Lynn Dunbar's  Little Bendis among the 17 paintings the Louisville, Ky., artist has
on display through Feb. 24 in the  Lucretia C. Begley Art Gallery.

COLUMBIA,  Ky. -- Rivers have inspired humankind since the beginning of art. But in a current exhibit at  Lindsey  Wilson  College, artist Lynn Dunbar's works take a somewhat nontraditional of the  Ohio  River.

In 17 oil paintings on display in the LWC Lucretia C. Begley Gallery, Dunbar explores the shape and colors of the  Ohio River  Valley from an aerial point of view.

The public is invited to meet  Dunbar and discuss  her latest work at reception, which will be held at 3 p.m. on  Thursday, Feb. 24, in the LWC W.W. Slider Humanities Center Recital Hall, room 100. That will be followed by a 4:30 p.m. CT presentation in the Begley Gallery. Both events are free  and open to the public.

Dunbar, who works in a studio in  Louisville,  Ky., said she got the idea for her recent exhibit while working on a book for the Indiana Plein Air Painters Association.

"When I was working on that project  it occurred to me that this would be an excellent way to show the river and also different aspects of agriculture as well," she said.

To create the 17 paintings in her exhibit at Lindsey Wilson,  Dunbar shot pictures out of a window of a chartered plane where she said she chased "patterns and play of light across the land's surface through seasonal changes."

"This project took me a couple of years, but it was very interesting to see the river and farms from this perspective," she said.

A graduate of Purdue (Ind.) University, Dunbar began her career as a commercial artist with advertising agencies before becoming a full-time artist.

Her work over the years has portrayed scenes of life around her with colorful and energetic strokes. She has strived to capture what she calls "fleeting moments of light and feeling through luminous colors and expressive brushwork."

"A good piece of art can transport us to a different season, time, or place," she said.

Dunbar's work expresses ephemeral moments of light and atmosphere and moments of transitory beauty with impressionist style. Her works also convey a love of the land, as well as the spirituality of everyday life.

Dunbar said she hopes viewers of her current exhibit will "smile when they see my paintings."

"I hope they smile because it's kind of cool, and I hope they feel unbalanced looking at them because they are a little off-kilter," she said.

Lynn Dunbar's exhibit will be on display through Feb. 24 in the  Lindsey  Wilson  College  Lucretia  C.  Begley  Art  Gallery, which is in the  W.W.  Slider  HumanitiesCenter,  155 South Blue Raider Drive. Gallery hours are 8 a.m-4 p.m. CT Monday-Friday. A reception will be held at 3 p.m. CT on Feb. 24, with a presentation to follow at 4:30 p.m. CT.