JACKSONVILLE — Through the eyes of an artist, all things are beautiful, even the most common and obscure areas of a city.
The Jacksonville City Hall is home to a new collection of fine-art paintings by RB McGrath that depict those areas of the city, such as a pawn shop, a bridge and an elementary school. The series of paintings was set to be unveiled Thursday afternoon and is permanently on loan to the city. They are part of the personal art collection of Joan Zumwalt, who has commissioned McGrath to capture the city on canvas.
“These are a personal collection that I have agreed to put on permanent loan at City Hall,” Zumwalt said. “Artist Roberta McGrath is a treasure herself and actually chose the various Jacksonville sites to record the local history of the community.”
The six-piece collection of paintings includes Jacksonville City Hall at Sunset, Paradise Park Summer, Jim’s Pawn, 14.7 The Bridge, Three Locomotives and The Jacksonville Elementary School at Sunset.
“One of my ongoing projects is to paint scenes related to my surroundings and to show the historic, contemporary and beautiful aspects of life in our town,” McGrath said. “In the span of the last two years, I have chosen to highlight landscapes within the city in several paintings.”
She said she follows three themes: landscapes of her surroundings; portraits of people of high achievement; and still lifes and abstracts that stretch her learning process as a painter.
“I don’t choose what subject to paint when it comes to landscapes of my surroundings. The subjects choose me, and when I paint a local landscape, I approach it in such a way as to complement the scene and produce something that will be historically significant for current and future generations who may view the works,” McGrath said, “which is why I say that I like to think that I am painting for the historical record.”
Zumwalt purchased the collection of paintings in 2011, and they were on display in McGrath’s art gallery in Jacksonville. The collection spans 2010 through 2012. McGrath said there are other paintings in the series that aren’t part of the Zumwalt collection, and they are on display in McGrath’s gallery. The collection will continue to grow as the artist is inspired by her surroundings.
“Her project is ongoing, and what is next is her choice,” Zumwalt said. “It’s fun to watch and guess what will appear on her next canvas. Of course, she welcomes suggestions and commissions from anyone that wants themselves, family or any landscape painted for their home or office.”
McGrath will take suggestions for subjects to paint; however, she also must be moved by the subject.
“Again, the subjects generally choose me, most often when I finish business for the day and I’m out running errands around town, or I feel moved to go to Paradise Park and just sit for a while, or when something of historical character that I see moves me to want to paint it,” she said.
“For instance, Jacksonville was built on the railroad; that is where [the city] has its origins. It seemed only logical that recording the romantic aspect of the wonderful trains that still pass through here on a daily basis would be a worthwhile venture into landscape paintings that include locomotives. … When I paint landscapes of my surroundings, I endeavor to paint that which is inherent to Jacksonville in beauty and vision.”
McGrath is known for portraiture, landscape and still-life work. Her work is in the permanent collections of the William J. Clinton Foundation, the Governor’s Mansion and the Central Arkansas Library Public Collection, as well as public and private collections in the U.S. and Canada.
“My paintings of Jacksonville are an ongoing project,” she said. “I switch off between commission work, portraits, abstracts and landscape projects to keep things interesting for myself as a painter.”
She is also involved in a project called SHIFT – A Paradigm of Masters of the Arts, which she said she is working with in collaboration with several world-class artists throughout the United States and Europe. SHIFT will include 30 portrait paintings of many of the world’s greatest past artists alongside many new emerging masters of the arts who will dominate this century in the art world.
“I am also looking at more local architectural and scenic landscape works that reveal the romantic and historical side of Jacksonville as well,” she said.
The Zumwalt collection is Jacksonville City Hall at 1 Municipal Drive. To learn more about McGrath’s work, visit her at RB McGrath on Facebook at www.facebook.com/rb.mcgrath.
Staff writer Jeanni Brosius can be reached at (501) 244-4307 or jbrosius@arkansasonline.com.