Elmhurst native showcases art career at local museum

BY ANNA HUGHES | PHOTOS COURTESY OF FRED MOSS

Elmhurst native Fred Moss has long admired the expressive brushstrokes, vibrant palette, and spontaneous feel that characterize impressionist art.

He first recognized these patterns in art made by his grandmother, an oil painter who gave him his earliest art lessons. His fascination deepened after seeing a traveling impressionism show at the Art Institute of Chicago, where the likes of Monet and Van Gogh cemented his interest in this artistic era. Beyond museums, everyday art in his childhood life captured his attention as well.

“I also remember seeing when I was a kid some of the art from Star Wars,” Moss said. “And to me… it just amazed me what they did. So that was inspirational.”

Moss took his first formal art class as a student at Immaculate Conception, where he developed a deeper interest in drawing and painting. He continued with his artistic education at the Center for Creative Studies in Detroit, Michigan, and participated in a formative summer program at the Florence Academy of Art in Italy. It was there that Moss found a deep love for scenic and historic views of his grandparents’ native country.

Moss’s solo exhibition at the Elmhurst Art Museum, Moments in Time: A Visual Voyage, ran from November 1-28.

“I just found subject matters there that just inspired me so much,” Moss said. “It’s just a painter’s dream to go and paint these locations… just beautiful, amazing seascapes and landscapes.”

Moss spent the following years working on his series of Italian paintings inspired by photos he captured during his travels. He also created a series of garden paintings primarily using a palette knife to give them more of a textural, impressionistic look and feel.

Some of his favorite experiences have come from plein-air painting — an artistic challenge that focuses on capturing an outdoor scene while being fully immersed in it.

Some of Moss’s favorite experiences as an artist have been creating plein-art paintings.

“I started to do [plein-air] studies from these locations. I did them at the National Parks. I did some in Italy,” Moss said. “And you have to paint very quickly to do these plein-air paintings, because the sunlight changes. So within the span of two hours, you know, I do a small little painting, so I would really get… the impression or the feel of it.”

These studies culminated in a full-circle moment: Moss’s own artist exhibition at the Elmhurst Art Museum entitled “Moments in Time: A Visual Voyage.” The show, which ran from November 1-28, showcased a variety of Moss’s work — from the Italian countryside to the western landscape of Yosemite — in the city where he first learned to love art.

“With ‘Moments in Time,’ I’m capturing fleeting moments: memories or scenes that resonate, locations that are just amazing,” Moss said.

Among the exhibit’s visitors were a number of Immaculate Conception alumni, who excitedly came to support their former classmate.

“I’ve actually had a really great response,” Moss said. “It was great.”

Moss’s exhibit is part of an ongoing partnership between the Elmhurst Art Museum and the Elmhurst Artists’ Guild. The museum, which houses the Guild, includes five galleries: one is permanently dedicated to showcasing a Guild member’s work.

Founded in 1946 by 11 local artists, the Elmhurst Artists’ Guild has grown alongside the city and played a significant role in shaping its expanding arts scene. Moss has been a member for over a decade, participating in numerous group shows around the area.

“It’s great seeing this kind of commitment to art,” Moss said.

To learn more about Fred Moss and his art, visit fredmoss.com. He can also be found on Instagram @fred.moss and on Facebook, Fred Moss Fine Art.

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