Acclaimed artist's landscapes to be featured at Brushwood Center

When she moved from the East Coast to the Midwest two decades ago, nationally acclaimed artist Nina Weiss found that a change in geography also meant a change in the artwork she created.

Inspired by the beauty of the area, she began taking road trips to Wisconsin, the Mississippi River, or downstate past cornfields. She also biked the Chicago lakefront and the Skokie Lagoons, and hiked local forest preserves including Ryerson Woods.

Weiss said she was so moved by these outdoor treasures that she began painting landscapes, leaving behind what she called her "figurative style."

Brushwood Center visitors can view Weiss' bold, colorful, strong landscape paintings beginning Nov. 9 when a free reception will be held from 1 to 3 p.m. to unveil her art exhibition, "Hidden/Protected."

"Hidden/Protected" will be on display at Brushwood Center at Ryerson Woods, 21850 N. Riverwoods Road, Riverwoods, Nov. 9 to Dec. 23. The Nov. 9 reception is free and open to the public.

Gallery hours are from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 1 to 3 p.m. Sunday, or by appointment. For more information, visit www.brushwoodcenter.org.

"I love being out in a landscape alone. It's peaceful to me, very calming and also poignant," Weiss said from her Highland Park studio. "I'm so struck by Midwestern landscapes. I find them beautiful. I have this emotional reaction to them. For an artist, it's good advice to paint what causes you to feel strongly so you create strong, personal paintings."

Weiss said she's looking forward to reaching out to a new audience at the exhibition.

"These are people who love the outdoors and the native landscapes. I'm interested in them seeing how I react to these landscapes through my painting."

One large painting in her studio is called "Off Lake-Cook Road."

"It's based on a very small ditch that I had driven by countless times. But I was struck with the water and the colors and shadows," she said.

"People have said my landscapes are very powerful, sometimes a little moody. They invite you in - they're emotionally compelling and strong."

Weiss works with bold, vibrant colors to reveal shadows and textures, and said she's particularly drawn to expressionistic paintings.

Weiss took her first painting lesson when she was 11 years old and living on the East Coast. She later moved to Madison, Wisconsin, to continue her studies.

Since then she has been an artist in residence at Acadia National Park and Ragdale Foundation in Lake Forest. Her paintings have been showcased in movies, including the 2005 Harold Ramis film "The Ice Harvest."

"They took 12 of my landscape paintings and put them in two major scenes, one of them is in a mansion at Christmastime. They also created a restaurant and hung my work throughout the restaurant, and the prop department created a sign that included my name. That was an awesome experience."

Weiss, who lives with her husband and daughter in Highland Park, continues to paint prolifically and teaches at Columbia College in Chicago, The Evanston Art Center and the North Shore Art League, among others. She also teaches workshops throughout the Midwest and in Europe.

"I don't think I would be the person I am if I didn't teach. It makes me a much better person and a better artist," she said.

For more information on Nina Weiss, visit www.ninaweiss.com.