Don Nagel, one of Hilton Head Island’s best-known artists, is talking about his newest exhibit, Sunlight & Shadow: “It’s about working with contrast and color to express how I feel about a particular subject. Ralph Waldo Emerson said, ‘It’s not what you look at that matters, it’s what you see.'

As a teacher, I stress pushing the light and dark color value of a painting to go beyond the photograph and involve the viewer emotionally with the subject. The images I have chosen for this show are from Hilton Head and travels in France and Italy.”     

 

Don had a long, award-winning advertising career in Pittsburgh and Detroit before he and his wife Joyce, also a pastel artist, moved to Hilton Head Island in 1986. Once here, he freelanced, but since 1998, has devoted himself to painting and teaching the fine art of pastel. 

Don and Joyce Nagel teach art classes at Art League Academy. They have also given week-long pastel workshops throughout the U.S., Europe and Africa and recently, they taught a plein air workshop in Italy. Both are award-winning members of their professional organizations.

Sunlight & Shadow, Pastels by Don Nagel, opens November 10 and runs through December 5 at the Art League of Hilton Head Gallery. Over 100 additional pieces of member artwork in a variety of media will also be on exhibit and for sale. The public is invited to an opening reception on Wednesday, November 11 from 5 – 7 pm. Art League of Hilton Head Gallery is located mid-island inside Arts Center of Coastal Carolina, 14 Shelter Cove Lane, Hilton Head Island. 843-681-5060.