Located near the Fox River and close to the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh campus the Paine Art Center & Garden is a marvelous architectural wonder in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. The Paine Mansion was built by Nathan and Jessie Paine. Unfortunately they never got to fully see out their dreams and live in the home. After Jessie’s husband died, she maintained the home and got it ready for public viewing. While I have never been one for architecture it is hard not to be awed by the amazing period rooms and salon. Each room had its own unique quirks and eccentricities, I found myself most drawn to the paintings done by Craig Blietz in a collection titled Close to the Forest located in the exhibition salon. When I was first introduced to the prospect of…show more content… This is very noticeable with his paintings, as he mentions that he draws inspiration from the French Barbizon School artists. This particular exhibition reflects the “inspiration he gleans from the serene landscapes and the noble depictions of animals” (Paine). He draws inspiration from the French Barbizon School artists, as he studied them extensively during his training. And Blietz also incorporates his current life in rural northern Wisconsin and his appreciation for farm animals. All of his work is very personal and reflective of himself. Even the title of his exhibit – Close to the Forest, is filled with meaning. The title explains his love and appreciation for nature, while exploring the potential fear or apprehension of actually going into the middle of the forest. But more than that Blietz’s title represents the way in which he does a lot of hands on and personal research and observation in order to guide his…show more content… This is something done by many artists in a variety of disciplines; important titles can be seen in music composition, artwork, cinematography, and many other mediums. Jerrold Levinson, extrapolates to say that, “titles are plausibly essential to works insofar as they are ineliminably involved in individuating them. And this, it seems, will be so when they are metaphysically integral to what the works are” (Levinson 31). While Blietz does draw inspiration from other artists, particularly those from the French Barbizon School, the titles of his work and his interpretation of them can help to provide some individualization and personal character that make his images, uniquely
