Aaron Ulish will present his first solo exhibition, First Cut: Color, Concrete, and Chaos, at the Adams County Arts Council beginning Friday, September 5. The month-long showcase highlights the Gettysburg-area artist’s distinctive palette knife technique and his passion for capturing both emotion and architecture.
Ulish began painting eight years ago following the birth of his first child. “It was very humbling, empowering, stressful, joyous. I had all these emotions, and I needed some sort of outlet,” he said. “I associate my painting career with becoming a father.” Inspired in part by Bob Ross’s The Joy of Painting, Ulish relies solely on palette knives, a method he says prevents him from “overworking a piece” and keeps him focused on expression rather than perfection.
Architecture has become his specialty, with works featuring landmarks such as The Round Barn, the Federal Pointe Inn, and Fallingwater, the Frank Lloyd Wright home located near his hometown of Latrobe, Pa. In addition to his studio work, Ulish has shared his craft with local students, leading painting sessions at Franklin Township Elementary and Bright Horizons preschool, where he guided children through landscapes in true Bob Ross fashion. “They still have it hanging in the lobby with a picture of me,” he said. “It’s very flattering, it’s a good memory.”
Looking ahead, Ulish hopes to expand into plein air painting, working outdoors to capture scenes in real time. “Perhaps by this time next year,” he said, “you’ll see me out on the battlefield painting a sunset at Little Round Top.”
The Adams County Arts Council will host an opening reception for First Cut: Color, Concrete, and Chaos on Friday, September 5, from 5 to 7 p.m. in the Studio Room. The exhibit will remain on display throughout the month. Visitors can view more of Ulish’s work on his Facebook page, “Artwork by Aaron Ulish,” at https://www.facebook.com/share/1NjpefuWaS/?mibextid=wwXIfr.