THOMAS JEWELL-VITALE
San Zen, oil, wax, and acrylic on paper, 11" x 9"

Thomas Jewell-Vitale, Professor of Art at Loras College in Dubuque, returned to his Alma Mater in 1976 almost a decade after leaving: first to pursue religious studies at Gregorian University in Rome, then to study figure drawing at Academie der Bildenden Kunste in Vienna, and finally to take a BA and MA in Studio Art from the University of California at Berkley. In 1955, he took a sabbatical post as Professor of English at Eichi University in Amagasaki, Japan. Jewell-Vitale’s art evolves from and certainly adapts to a wide variety of local and international settings.

Thomas writes: “I make paintings in which shapes are tied intimately to their surroundings…Their edges are not fixed boundaries, but fingers which probe, revealing a myriad of allegiances: hiding, nestling, isolated, adrift, consumed…”

He will have new work featured in an exhibition at Olson-Larson galleries in Des Moines, Iowa from February 24-April 1, 2006.

text and image from olsonlarsen.com