New art exhibit opening up this weekend in Tecopa

A new art exhibit is opening this weekend in Tecopa, featuring an artist that incorporates an appropriate landscape in his work for the area, the desert.

Tomorrow from 2 p.m. until 5 p.m., the Tecopa Artists Group Gallery will host David Ohlerking as they open up the exhibit featuring his artwork. Ohlerking is Shoshone Village's Artist in Residence for January and February.

Ohlerking works on the road from his mobile studio, painting outdoors in and around the remote villages of Nevada and California. He aims to paint compelling portraits that capture the personalities and histories of everyday scenes, especially in Death Valley and its desert environment.

The paintings were created as part of an artist residency with Susan Sorrells' Shoshone Village.

Ohlerking is originally from the east coast but made his way out west to share his art with a new audience.

"I moved out to the Death Valley area from Philadelphia, where I studied with Alex Kanevsky, to do a residency in Rhyolite with the Goldwell Open Air Museum," Ohlerking said.

Initially, Ohlerking lived in Beatty for a couple of years, then moved to Death Valley Junction.

"I have an ongoing collaboration there with Jenna Rita McClintock, painting her and the Amargosa Opera House," Ohlerking said. "After this Saturday I'll be doing paintings of Shoshone for an event here in Shoshone."

That event will take place Feb. 15, from 9 a.m. through 5 p.m., and is titled "Art and Literature, a Study in Composition and Style."

"I'll teach a class on composition and style, along with some writers on the same subject, creating in the desert," he said. "I have an old Crown Victoria full of plein air painting supplies. I've been letting children paint the car since 2011 so it's pretty crazy looking."

The charge for the workshop led by Ohlerking is $25, which includes materials. The instructors will be Ohlerking, along with Ruth Nolan, Craig Deutsche, and Elena Esparza.

The workshop is sponsored by the Tecopa Artists Group, the Shoshone Museum, the Tecopa Hot Springs Resort, Shoshone Village, and Stacy Goss, Craig Deutsche and Ruth Nolan, members of the desert committee. Sign up at shoshonemuseum@gmail.com or by calling 760-852-4524.

Contact reporter Mick Akers at makers@pvtimes.com. Follow @mickakers on Twitter.