‘Nikolay Mikushkin: En Plein Air’ exhibit to open at Baltimore Woods
By Karen Jean Smith
Art Gallery Coordinator
Colorful reflections in peaceful waters. Forested landscapes in all their complexity. Flowers growing in abundance. Familiar scenes beautifully, yet freshly interpreted. This is what awaits viewers to the new exhibit at Baltimore Woods Nature Center.
From Sept. 6 through Oct. 25, “Nikolay Mikushkin: En Plein Air” will be on display in the Art Gallery of the John A. Weeks Interpretive Center at 4007 Bishop Hill Road, Marcellus. The public is invited to attend the reception on Saturday, Sept. 7 from 2 to 4 p.m.
In addition, the show will be available for viewing Monday through Friday, 9 to 4 p.m. and Saturdays, 10 to 4 p.m.
There are no admission or parking fees, and all artwork will be for sale.
“The nature has always been my calling. I find that it is completely inescapable,” Mikushkin said.
Indeed, he is fascinated with rural environments and especially enjoys the Finger Lakes region where he is surrounded by beautiful lakes, rivers and waterfalls. Here he captures in oil paint the stunning seasons of Central New York. Additionally, journeys to the Adirondacks in the fall often provide inspiration for woodland scenes as well.
Mikushkin describes himself as a “plein air” landscape artist, meaning that he paints outdoors, gathering information directly from the beauty around him including nuances with light, color, and shadow that might otherwise be lost in the confines of a studio.
He begins by searching for the perfect location to set up his easel, paints, and canvas, and then many enjoyable hours are spent in the study and rendering of the scenes before him.
“Mosaic in October” illustrates perfectly Mikushkin’s sensitivity for composition and his ability to masterfully render a chosen scene.
The influence of French Impressionist painters Paul Sisley and Claude Monet is apparent, and yet Mikushkin makes the style his own with evidence of almost every brushstroke, along with an effective blend of color and texture. “The Nine Mile Creek Aqueduct” is an impressive 47” by 41” and offers the viewer a seldom painted but recognizable local scene. Yet another familiar scene in this exhibit is “Sunflowers in Camillus,” a delightful reminder of what September has to offer us.
Mikushkin spent his childhood in a small town in Kazakhstan.
His passion for plein air landscape painting began when he was a high school student in Kazakhstan and has not waned in over 35 years. He received a degree in art and design at the College of Fine Art in Central Russia and then went on to the Academy of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture in St. Petersburg where he studied the work of Russian plein air painters Palenov and Repin among others. Their styles continue to be influential in Mikushkin’s work to this day.
It was in the late 1990s when Mikushkin immigrated to the United States and reunited with extended family in New York City.
He joined the United Scenic Artists of America and started working as a scenic artist for commercials, television, and movies, a vocation that he continues to pursue. He now resides in Central New York, enjoying the abundance of natural material for his paintings and traveling to other parts of the country to paint and participate in shows.
Nikolay Mikushkin has participated in numerous regional and national shows, where he has received many awards and distinctions.
Most recently he received Best Use of Light at Plein Air Easton Competition 2019 in Maryland and Best in Show at the 2018 Made in New York Exhibit at the Schweinfurth Art Center, Auburn. Several of his paintings can be seen at Upstate Cancer Center in Syracuse where they were selected for permanent display. In addition, his work was chosen for Saranac Lake Visitor Guides 2012-2015. Mikushkin is a member of New York Plein Air Painters/NYPAP and associate member of Oil Painters of America.
