Sheehan Shines
Award-winning Butler artist Tom Sheehan will have a one-man show featuring a large cross-section of his work starting Sept. 12 at the Associated Artists of Butler County Art Center.
Sheehan is a prolific artist whose works are known locally, regionally and nationally.
“One reason I'm doing this show is my walls have been covered with artwork,” Sheehan said.
His last exhibit with AABC in 1995 featured 256 pieces. The show was called “Racing Thoughts.”
“I really haven't done too much exhibiting,” Sheehan said. “I just make art. I don't work from anything. I work from out of my head.”
He plans to hang close to 300 of his works for “More Racing Thoughts” opening next week in the Rittelmann Gallery at The Art Center. He is a frequent participant in AABC shows.
“My mind is full of images,” Sheehan said.
“Sometimes I set out to do something, but mostly I don't know where it's going when I put the first line on the paper.”
Therefore, his art runs the gamut from very realistic to abstract, he said.
“I'm from the pre-TV generation, so you learn to entertain yourself,” he said.
He has won numerous Best of Show awards, including the Works on Paper exhibit at the Philadelphia Sketch Club in December 2013, a juried competition whose past winners include Thomas Eakins and Andrew Wyeth.
“The Philadelphia Sketch Club said 'you need to get this work out there and exhibited,'” Sheehan said.
To prepare for The Art Center show, Sheehan said he even gave up his golf club membership this year.
“I've been telling myself 'you've got to take this seriously' and I turned 70 my last birthday so I figured I might be running out of time,” he joked. “I've been a recluse, doing all the matting and framing myself.”
He also has about 100 works in progress in a variety of subjects and media, though pencil drawing is his preferred medium.Sheehan's commissioned art is in both corporate and private collections. He has taught art classes infrequently and just as a favor, but the advice he leaves with students is “Talent isn't rare; discipline is rare.”An opening reception will be held from 7 to 9 p.m. Sept. 12 at The Art Center, 344 S. Main St. Music will be by the Harmony Hot Haus band, and refreshments will be provided.The Sheehan exhibit will then run through Oct. 17.The current exhibit at The Art Center, “Illustrator's Art Show,” concludes Friday.Regular gallery hours are noon to 6 p.m. Wednesdays through Fridays and noon to 4 p.m. Saturdays. Admission is free.For more information, call 724-283-6922 or visit butlerartcenter.org.<BR/><BR/><BR/>
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