This month, Anderson O’Brien Gallery presents Backyard View: Omaha Through the Eyes of Judith Welk. Welk, a prolific printmaker and painter, passed away last spring. Her work represents the love of family, neighborhood and landscape, primarily in Omaha and the surrounding area.
A long-time resident of the Dundee neighborhood, Welk had a fondness for hometown street views, iconic historic buildings and Midwestern scenes. Her work reflects a naive innocence combined with a heartfelt appreciation, reminiscent of Americana-style folk art from the 19th and early 20th centuries.
Welk worked mainly with composition, shape and color. Her evocative landscapes and cityscapes are simple, one-point perspectives, populated with trees, people and cars, all void of much detail or tonal modelling. She and husband Robert were self-taught printmakers, working mostly in silk-screen (serigraph) out of their home print shop.
Anderson O’Brien Gallery is located in the Midtown commercial district at 3201 Farnam, #6109. Backyard View: Omaha Through the Eyes of Judith Welk opens with a public reception Jan. 3, from 5-8 p.m., and runs through Jan. 31. More information may be found at the gallery’s website aobfineart.com.