DJ Matheny Puts Silver Linings in Her Work

by Bob Bahr, Prairie Village Arts Council member

Blame it on the weather.

DJ Matheny likes to paint scenes in the Golden Hour, that time in late afternoon when warm light flows over the landscape because of how the angle of the sun's rays are filtered by more of the earth's atmosphere. Early morning light is similar, although often more pinkish. But when Matheny went to the Flint Hills to gather photo reference for paintings last year, it rained the whole time. Instead of focusing on golden light on the prairie, she was faced with dramatic grey clouds.

"Silver Rays," by DJ Matheny, oil on silver leaf, 14 x 11 in. Private collection.

The artist got the idea to paint these muted colors on silver leaf. She applied gesso to her canvas, painstakingly tiled very thin leaves of silver to the surface, and then sealed the silver leaf to prevent tarnish. Then it was time to paint the subject matter. Matheny used water-soluble oil paint and made the colors run by spraying the wet paint with water in a spray bottle. The colors ran down the canvas, the silver leaf popped through in various places, and a convincing and unforgettable depiction of rain clouds resulted. The effect changes based on what angle the viewer looks at the painting.

Matheny may not return to the subject of rain clouds over the Flint Hills, but the silver leaf effect will likely show up in future paintings. "I want to do some portraits on the silver leaf," says the artist. "I can't remember how I got the idea, but I was interested in getting a sense of luminosity. I am from the East Coast and accustomed to lots of water, so when I moved here, the wide-open areas of the Flint Hills were the closest I could get to looking out over the ocean. I was also interested in the historical importance of the Flint Hills. But previously I focused on the foreground of the painting and the hills--not so much the sky. Here I am focusing on the clouds to create a sense of luminosity. That's where the silver leaf came in."

"Luminescence," by DJ Matheny, oil on silver leaf, 40 x 30 in.

Matheny's clever use of silver leaf is striking, but it's not the only trick in her bag. Plenty more of her paintings now on display at the R. G. Endres Gallery, in Prairie Village's municipal building, don't have silver leaf as part of their composition, but they offer other treats.

What does Matheny want viewers of her work to experience? "I'm hoping that people will be delighted and inspired by a different way of looking at nature," she says. "People can become desensitized to the beauty of nature. I felt like scales had been lifted from my eyes when I had some design training. It was amazing. And the more I paint, the more I see--nuances in the color of the sky as it nears the horizon, the color of shadows. I see clouds much better now since I have painted them. I found them intriguing, a challenge to portray, a process of discovery."

"Beneath the Clouds," by DJ Matheny, oil on silver leaf, 24 x 18 in.

Matheny's work, along with a hearty selection of pieces by artist John Keeling, are on view at the R. G. Endres Gallery, at City Hall on Mission Road, through March 8 as part of the continuing visual art program from the Prairie Village Arts Council.