Just an Impression

Just an impression is a new show at the Green Drake Gallery and Arts Center! View a new collection of large impressionistic oils by Resident Artist Karl Eric Leitzel, shown for the first time. Artist's reception Friday evening, April 6th.

Support local artists today. Call us at the Green Drake with any questions or to set an appointment - 814.349.2486.

Our standard hours: 
Friday 4:00 - 8:00 pm
Saturday 10:00 to 6:00 pm
Sunday Closed

Artist Interview with Karl Eric Leitzel

When would you say you started making art?
Creating things has been an essential part of who I am from the time I was little. Whether fine art, building things, writing music and learning to play different instruments or cooking, they are all different expressions of the same driving desire to create something new and unique.

How has your art developed over time?
As with many painters, my work has generally progressed from more realistic, literal work to a looser and sometimes very impressionistic approach. If you look at work by many of the famous artists who are best known for their impressionistic or expressionistic work, you can see that they first worked to master realistic representations.

Tell us about this collection and where you found your inspiration?
This whole new collection is done in a fairly similar style, using oil paints, bold strokes, and sometimes a thick application of paint. The scenes are all close to home, too, right here in the Penns Valley area (the waterlilies were at the Penn State Arboretum, still nearby)

Tell us about your experience as an artist in residence at the Green Drake.
As both the managing partner and artist-in-residence at the Green Drake, with my studio upstairs, I'm afforded the convenience of more easily juggling both hats as well as being inspired by the work of other artists who are involved in the gallery and in some cases also work in the studio areas.

What are you working on these days and what should we look forward to seeing you create this year?
I'm still adding to this collection right now. I'm also starting to get busy with my warm season work creating hand painted signs.

What have you learned from your art?
As I create my art, any of my art in various outlets, I am often moved to a philosophical examination of life in general and my own life in particular. Learning to see things differently in order to paint them may spark a different way of seeing and appreciating the people around you. Writing a song that is more than shallow cliches requires thinking about feelings, relationships, and situations. I would like to think that artists are also among the more important philosophers of a society, without wearing the name tag.

Is there anything you'd like to add or say about this collection?
These paintings are best viewed in person. Seeing them from fifteen feet away and then fifteen inches gives an entirely different experience, which is one of my joys in painting this way.

Upcoming Harp Concert December 22, an Interview with Anne Sullivan

The Green Drake is excited to bring you Anne Sullivan, a talented and creative professional harpist who lives right here in the valley, for another special holiday show! The concert will be Friday evening, December 22, starting at 8:00 p.m. Anne will be joined by flutist Cathy Herrera, and they will play selections from the British Isles and South America along with holiday favorites. In anticipation of the upcoming show, managing partner Karl Leitzel asked Anne a few questions to allow her the chance to share about the upcoming concert in her own words.

Karl: "Anne, we've enjoyed your past concert immensely and you always bring a different selection of music to keep it fresh. What can you tell us about the music you'll be sharing from the British Isles and South America?"

Anne: “We have a set of Christmas carols in Celtic-inspired arrangements for flute and harp. These are new to our repertoire this season and they are a lot of fun to play, bringing a slightly different flavor to each of the carols. And we have a couple of unusual carols from Latin America that are probably not familiar to most of us northerners, but are quite beautiful and reflect the serenity of the season.”

Karl: "Can you name a few of the holiday favorites you plan to play?"

Anne: “Some of the more familiar holiday favorites we plan to play include a sprightly arrangement of Greensleeves, a lovely version of The Holly and the Ivy, O Holy Night and special for this year, a flute and harp version of the famous George Winston piece called "Joy."  We might also bring back our singalong this year!”

Karl: Your accompanist, flutist Cathy Herrera, has joined you here before. What can you tell us about Cathy and what she brings to the performance?"

Anne: “Cathy is one of my favorite musicians to collaborate with. She has a warm and generous personality that shines through her playing - she's a joy to play with! Of course, she's a first class flutist and performs regularly with a number of area orchestras and chamber music ensembles. She has a particular expertise around South American flute music, having been a Fulbright scholar to Peru. And she has a brand new book about to published that I'm sure she will be happy to talk about a little at the concert.”

Karl: "Thank you so much, Anne, for taking the time to share your thoughts here. We are looking forward to a memorable evening on the 22nd!"

Storytelling – Millheim, PA Merry Millheim Success

Friday evening, during Merry Millheim, we had a blast at storytelling with Ed Frye and Charlie Boyer. Ed recounted stories from his book of "Fools and Children" and other tales of growing up in Millheim in the 50s and early 60s. Charlie Boyer, covered a more recent history of life in the valley that sparked a great conversation with the audience.

Ed Frye's books are available for purchase at the Green Drake Gallery. Grab your copy today!

Listen to snip-its from the evening below. Let us know what you think. Leave a comment below. 

Thank you Larry and Nick at WSOV Sounds of the Valley for the audio!

Welcome to Our New Blog and Website

After about a month of planning at the Green Drake Art Gallery, we are pleased to announce the launch of our brand new website and blog!

We have specifically intended the website to be simplistic and easy to navigate so that you can find the information you need quickly and easily. 

We will be updating our blog to keep you informed about happenings at the Green Drake Gallery and Arts Center, as well as regular articles about topics close to our heart. Please check back for updates!

Take the time to explore our new site, and if you have any questions about the Green Drake Gallery and Arts Center, our events, or our offerings we are only a click or a phone call away.

We hope you like our new website……… we certainly do!