The Twin Village Art Society: Paint splashes, inspiration, and camaraderie

Depew and Lancaster can serve as artistic inspiration points, if you possess a certain type of creative mind and know where to look. Chip Blenk, a retired architectural engineer, is currently in his second term as president of the Twin Village Art Society and certainly has an imaginative viewpoint and an inspired charisma. What began as a spontaneous experiment at his wife’s coaxing is now a full-fledged and truly successful past-time.

“Eighteen years ago we bought a new house, a more modern style,” said Blenk. “My wife bought some abstract pieces [of art for the home]. I said, I could do that. She called my bluff and bought me a paint kit.”

Then six years ago, a year into his retirement, Blenk decided to try something with the leftover paint from the walls of their half bath. He framed it and hung it in the bathroom. His wife loved it, and she wasn’t alone in her appreciation. This led to his work being displayed at the summertime show facilitated by the Cheektowaga Art Guild.

Blenk’s wife urged him to join the Twin Village Art Society of Depew and Lancaster, which meets once a month and sometimes hosts a guest demonstrator. Either a professional artist or art teacher will showcase their unique techniques. Doris Huber, a watercolor painter, did a demonstration as did Conrad Borucki, a club member who does photo-realistic work.

The club also hosts an art sale in September at the Lancaster Town Bandshell, located off of Aurora St. called “The Last Art Show of Summer.” This year the show, which was Blenk’s original idea, will take place on Sept. 16. It is open to any artist or crafter, and last year 48 people registered.

“The art runs the whole gamut of realism, but not too many are abstract like myself,” Blenk said. “I have sold pieces. My most productive show was the Music is Art show held on the grounds of the Albright-Knox. Two years ago, I sold nine paintings there.”

The club will also hold their “Paint – In” at 7 p.m. on March 5, where artists are encouraged to bring their canvases, supplies, and whatever else they use. The “Paint-In” will be held at the Village of Lancaster Municipal Building, located on Broadway at Central.

“Those who want to work on something will work, and those who see how other people do their work can roam around,” Blenk said. “My style is a little difficult to do [in that setting]. It is to give artists ideas about other techniques.”

Blenk used to work on pieces of cardboard and then frame them. Recently, Hyatt’s was running a sale on 16 by 20 and 18 by 24 inch canvases, so Blenk went home with a bunch of them.

“I’m a do it yourself-er,” Blenk said. “I like heavy texture. I’m a cheapskate, so I use acrylic caulking from a tube and use my palette knife to develop a texture. I airbrush in background colors. I use a big spatula to add the accent color. Where the paint lands is where it lands.”

Blenk has created paintings that were as big as two by three feet and weighed up to 50 pounds. He says his style would be similar to Jackson Pollack’s, if he had to choose.

“My work, if I had to pick an artist that it is similar to, it would be Jackson Pollack,” Blenk said. “He poured [paint] and I throw. His painting was the way he was feeling at the moment, not for the purpose of selling it, just how he felt that day.”

Blenk’s work references the turbulent nature of the weather, raw emotion, and the raging rapids of bodies of water. All of this merges and comes together in a collision of color and texture on the canvas. Blenk has also been dabbling with sculpture, too.

For more information about club membership and upcoming events, check out www.Chipswork-Art.com/tvas.