Inaugural fine art festival to feature 100 artists in Colorado Springs
It takes only half a dozen colors to create Peter Freischlag’s watercolors.
Once the Golden-based artist hit on his limited palette, his pieces grew in size and doors opened.
“That group of colors works well together,” Freischlag said. “It’s very pleasing. It’s definitive. When you see my work, you say that’s Peter. It’s loose and fun and free. I’m letting watercolor be watercolor. I’m trying to show this is watercolor, not a photo. And this is what watercolor looks like when it gets really big.”
His pieces straddle the line of whimsical, he says, and mostly feature cowboys and animals, with an emphasis on mama animals and their babies, such as one piece of a mama bear and her three cubs sitting and gazing at the moon.
Country stars hit Colorado Springs on their ‘Roots & Boots’ tour
“A bear or a bison is one thing, but if you add the little ones it’s a whole other thing,” he said. “I want you to smile and I want to put you in a good mood every time you look at the piece. That’s what art’s supposed to do. It’s not making any statement other than that.”
What’s atypical about his work is the way it’s made and presented. Watercolors are usually placed under glass or plexiglass to protect them from getting wet, which can cause them to fade in sunlight. Freischlag treats his pieces with a form of museum-quality beeswax resin, which goes on like car paste, he says, then disappears and fades.
“It UV-protects the work, waterproofs it and allows you to not have to cover the watercolor with glass,” he said.
“You can go bigger because the weight and danger of breaking glass or moving to plexiglass is removed. And it puts you up close with the watercolor.”
Freischlag will be one of 100 artists from around the country selling their works at the inaugural Broadmoor Traditions Fine Art Festival. The free event will showcase all mediums, including jewelry, sculpture, glass, ceramics, woodwork, metalwork and fiber works. It’s Saturday and Sunday at The Colorado Springs School. Food trucks also will be available.
Festival founder Darren Skanson, who also owns eight other art festivals in Denver and throughout Colorado, saw an empty niche.
“There isn’t another fine art festival in the Colorado Springs area,” he said. “And there was a hunger for it down here. I’m about creating beautiful things and the folks down here would like what we have to offer.”
Skanson travels to art festivals around the U.S., searching for new and established professional artists for his shows. He abides by his criteria when hand-selecting candidates.
Irish pub in Colorado Springs is lucky for diners | Dining review
“That perfect mix, that lighting bolt of inspiration which creates something that is unique and, at the same time, that craftsmanship that you can tell someone is professional,” he said. “You can tell by the quality of work, the display and their demeanor. Mix those things together and you have fine works of art.”
When it came to Freischlag’s work, it was all about the color for Skanson.
“His palette is so striking,” Skanson said. “He uses blues and oranges in the watercolor medium, which is unusual. His palette is unusual for a watercolorist, but he makes it happen.”
Contact the writer: 636-0270
Get OutThere
Signup today for free and be the first to get notified on new updates.
