A Pahrump artist and native rural Nevadan’s recent work is now on display at the Pahrump Community Library.
Local artist Geneil White has her solo exhibition, “Where I’m Going is Not Where I’ve Been,” on display through July 15, according to a release.
“This particular series, ‘Where I’m Going is Not Where I’ve Been,’ was conceived during one of my many road trips driving through rural Nevada,” White said in a press release from the Pahrump Arts Council. “The scenery was so picture perfect, I thought, ‘I could paint it from this point of view. Why not?’ and so I did.’”
According to a release just before the exhibit’s opening, the display is “an introspective view on the journey of life, acrylic paintings spanning the last 14 years will be exhibited.”
The display is being presented by Pahrump nonprofit Pahrump Arts Council and was installed on May 7.
The creative process
White explains the experience of the creative process in PAC’s release: “It is an autonomous experience to be a creator,” she said. “The process of creation in itself is one way to release emotions; channel love, hate, fear, and hope into something tangible, something that can be shared with the world. I enjoy the intuitive process of fashioning each piece and always glow after finishing a project that has taken on its own identity. Upon conception, a formless mental image is all that I have. This indistinct inspiration usually comes to life and transforms to exceed my expectations. When my work is going well, I feel as though my work and I have come together in a beautiful way and am filled with a sense of satisfaction and completion. Often inspired by significant personal events, I find myself melancholic as though lost at sea while working. I become so enveloped in the process that I am unaware of my own thoughts or surroundings. The development of my art flows out of me onto my canvas creating a lucid, lyrical effect.”
White said that, “I hope my works speak to the viewer through an emotional bond—the same way a person may feel while listening to a favorite song, an innate human connection that brings each individual back to a special moment in time.
“Developing a sense of self is a continual progression. I am grateful to be able to learn new things each day and expand my view as though looking through someone else’s eyes. I feel refreshed and renewed when my own personal perception of reality changes. Through my work, I hope to reach a new level of understanding and share the journey with my viewers.”
White’s background
PAC’s release states, Born Geneil Naomi Wabbel in Carson City 115 years after Nevada obtained statehood, Geneil likes to think of herself as ‘Battle Born’ like the Nevada State Motto itself.”
White was raised in rural Nevada and “most of her childhood was spent developing her natural artistic talents,” the release states. “Fortunate to have mentors who encouraged pursuing her passions, she also grew up with a strong sense of cultural equity in her humble beginnings.”
White is a graduate of Great Basin College with a Bachelor of Arts in arts and humanities administration. She is an avid painter and “loves to draw, dance, ride motorcycles, spend time with friends and family, and be as imaginative as possible in all areas of her life,” according to the release.