The Easton Public Library will host a solo exhibition of works by painter and magazine illustrator Jonathan Milo from Oct. 16 through Nov. 30. Seasons of Nature is a collection of recent oils, watercolors, and acrylics that depict the fish, wildlife, and landscapes of New England.
A special afternoon reception with the artist will take place on Saturday, Oct. 16, from 1 to 4 p.m. in the conference room of the library. A wide assortment of limited edition prints will be for sale at that time.
The show is comprised of more than 20 paintings ranging from underwater scenes of largemouth bass, trout, ducks, whitetail deer, and “plein air” landscapes. Milo believes certain mediums lend themselves perfectly to the different subject matter he paints.
“I’ll take the very traditional approach of oils on canvas for a dog portrait or landscape study, then I find watercolors are ideal for capturing the light and iridescence of a bass underwater,” he said.
Lately, he has been exploring acrylics for their overall brighter palette and inherent permanence. Classically trained, Milo graduated from Paier College of Art in 1989 with a degree in illustration. While at Paier, he began painting wildlife and outdoor sporting themes after spending two summers in Montana.
“Everything began to gel after that first trip out west, and I knew immediately what direction I wanted to take with my art,” he said. After graduating, he soon began to provide freelance work for such clients as Outdoor Life, American Angler, Orvis, Gray’s Sporting Journal, and Sporting Classics.
For the past 31 years, he’s been a freelance illustrator as well as an elementary school art teacher for 19 years. Since 2006, he has contributed illustrations to Bassmaster magazine every month. Rick Reed, Art Director for Bassmaster, describes Jonathan as “a genuinely dedicated, talented, and hard-working individual [who] takes it upon himself to go above and beyond.”
Milo adds that he enjoys using very traditional techniques and materials in this hyper-digital age. “There’s a timeless quality to an oil painting on canvas or a watercolor,” he said. “Artists have been painting with these same mediums basically unchanged for centuries.”
Recent awards include an honorable mention in both the Delaware Duck Stamp and Trout Stamp competitions. Also, six of his fish paintings have been included in the permanent collection of The Bass Pro Shops store in Bridgeport.
Seasons of Nature is Jonathan Milo’s fifth solo exhibit and the third time his work has been featured at the Easton Public Library. Once again it is curated by Dolly Curtis, a longtime friend and the curator of art exhibits at the library for the past 34 years.
“I know God arranges all of my circumstances, and I feel very blessed to be able to do what I love, and express with paint how I feel about the created world around me,” Milo said. “I’m constantly inspired by nature, and I paint things that move me. Having a solo exhibit like this every few years allows me to share it with the public.”
Seasons of Nature runs from Oct. 16 to Nov. 30 in the conference room at the Easton Public Library, 691 Morehouse Road, Easton, Conn. Exhibit hours are Monday through Friday: 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Opening reception is Saturday, Oct. 16, 1 to 4 p.m. Rain date is Sunday, Oct. 17, 1 to 4 p.m. For more information, contact the artist at 203- 610-7265 or at milofish@aol.com. Website: milofish.wixsite.com/mysite
