Distinctly Montana Magazine, Abbrescia Article, page 34

"Distinctly Montana" magazine published an article in the Spring 2007 edition entitled "To Catch the Majesty - The Art of Joe Abbrescia". The article runs from pages 34 through 43 and is available on newstands now or by subscription online.

The author, Rennan Ricke, interviewed Sue and Joe Jr., last winter for publication in the Spring edition of the magazine.

For all his former students, I'll share an excerpt from the article:

Joe had an individualistic philosophy on art. He understood that style was intensely personal, and he disliked the idea that a student might imitate his style. "You're in control of your own understanding. Put some trust in there," he said to a group of developing students, urging them to take from his teachings what they wanted and mix it into their own style. He tried to guide students, to point them in the right direction instead of teaching them a collection of rules. In fact, in his classes he seemed to consider himself the leading student in a teacherless group. ...He advised students to get rid of their intellectual side when painting, to feel it instead of think it. To Joe, painting was not a series of discrete steps where canvas is sized, followed by laying down the major shapes and finally adding nuance at the end. Painting was a great continuum, where the steps blended and swirled like the oil on the canvas...

Abbrescia's Passion-Plein Aire Painting Exhibit

The Hockaday Museum exhibit entitled: "Abbrescia's Passion" - Plein Aire Paintings of Glacier National Park starts tonight, June 8, 2007 through August 11, 2007, in Kalispell, Montana at the Hockaday Museum.