Warrenville watercolor artist exhibits his paintings

Warrenville resident Hugh Skibbens was a high school student exhibiting work in a local art fair in Decatur when he spotted watercolors done by an artist named Rob O'Dell, cousin of retired radio host Spike O'Dell.

"As soon as I saw them I thought, 'that's what I want to learn how to do,'" he said.

Skibbens has been painting watercolors for nearly 35 years since then. Several of his works are on exhibit through Feb. 28 at Warrenville Restaurant and Pancake House, where owner John Katerinis said they have received some favorable comments.

The paintings hanging in the restaurant include a farm scene from Wisconsin, two landscapes done from Skibbens' imagination and a house portrait. Farm scenes and landscapes long have been Skibbens' subjects of choice.

The house portraits often are done at the request of adult children for their parents, who may be relocating after many years in the home, Skibbens said.

Largely self-taught, Skibbens worked full-time as a professional artist for 15 years - giving watercolor demonstrations at schools and retirement centers and exhibiting his work at art fairs.

"At one point, I was working with over 80 schools a year," Skibbens said.

But when many schools no longer had funding to pay for Skibbens' demonstrations and sales began to decrease at art fairs, he channeled his talents to another venue to help support his family.

For the past five and a half years, Skibbens has worked primarily as a house painter - creating murals and starscapes, as well as painting walls and ceilings.

"I figured I knew how to paint," he said.

When work is slow and time permits, he returns to his passion.

"My first love is watercolor. That's what I really love to do," he said.

Skibbens said he likes the freshness of watercolor and the challenge of thinking through a painting before putting brush to paper. Unlike oils, watercolor leaves little room for corrections or changes, he said.

"Once you begin to apply the paint, to a large degree, it's there to stay," he said.

Skibbens said he likes adding details and can easily spend 50 to 100 hours on a larger painting.

Many of his scenes are based on photographs he has takes around the area while traveling to schools or house painting jobs, Skibbens said.

One of his favorite paintings was of a pig.

"I've done a few pigs and they all sold. Other people like them," he said.

His works sell in the range of $300 to $1,000, with some larger ones going for $2,000, he said.

Skibbens, a member of the DuPage Art League, will have a work in the league's "Paint Wheaton" exhibit in February and a show in the Glen Ellyn Public Library in August.

"I would like to exhibit more of the art work, especially in some of the juried shows," he said.

Skibbens, a native of Chicago who moved with his family to Decatur in his high school years, showed his proclivity for art even as a kid. His mother was an amateur artist, and both parents encouraged his interest with art books and classes.

Skibbens also studied the paintings of artists he admired, carefully looking at how they did a tree or the sky. Then he practiced and practiced until he could do the same.

"I think it's just a God-given gift, something I was born with. I love art," he said.

For details on Skibbens' work, see hughskibbens.com or call (630) 930-8812.

<p class="factboxheadblack">Exhibit of Hugh Skibbens' watercolors</p> <p class="News"><b>When:</b> Through Feb. 28</p> <p class="News"><b>Where:</b> Warrenville Restaurant and Pancake House, 2S505 Route 59, Warrenville</p> <p class="News"><b>Info:</b> (630) 393-9058</p>