[RP TownTalk] RPAC Artist Gerald King chronicled in Gazette article

[RP Arts Council]

The Riverdale Park Arts Council thought you might enjoy reading this recent
Gazette article about our member, Gerald King.

Don't forget, we are looking for artists to participate in ArtsFest2012,
Sunday, May 6 in Riverdale Park's Town Center. See attached Call For
Artists to apply.



http://www.gazette.net/article/20120304/NEWS/703049999/1123/riverdale-park-s-realism-artist-leads-a-surreal-life&template=gazette



[image: Gazette.Net]
*Maryland Community News*
------------------------------
*Published: Sunday, March 4, 2012*
*Riverdale Park’s realism artist leads a surreal life* *by Jeffrey K. Lyles
Staff Writer*

For an artist acclaimed for his realism work, Riverdale Park resident
Gerald King, 75, has lived a surreal life that has included forming a
Japanese stage troupe, spending two weeks teaching students at the request
of a Jordanian princess and taking a monkey on a road trip to Washington,
D.C.

The Riverdale Park Arts Council honored King on Feb. 28 at the Riverdale
Park Town Hall for his 40 years being an important arts contributor in the
town.

King, a Wisconsin native, has exhibited his work in Baltimore, Greenbelt,
Landover, Frederick and Tokyo.

“I try to accurately draw what I see,” King said. “I’ve certainly done many
things that are surreal but I like for people to understand what they’re
looking at.”

Jeffrey Yorke, a member of the RPAC, said King has a stunning collection of
original art with a great sense of humor to it.

“It’s almost Hitchcock-esque in that he has himself appearing in cameos in
many of his works,” Yorke said.

King recalls painting murals as an eight-year-old with his father.

“He always said make sure you get an education because he was self taught,”
King said.

During a stint in the military from 1958 to 1960, King found himself
stationed in Holland with a small detachment of about 25 soldiers.

“We were guarding these atomic missile warheads and all I was doing was
painting pictures on the walls or doing illustrations for the officers,”
King said.

Despite his art education background, King worked as commercial artist at a
printing firm in Appleton, Wisc. before opting to relocate to a warmer
climate.

“My wife is Japanese and the climate there was a little too severe,” King
said. “I’d attended a conference once in Washington, D.C. and thought the
weather was nice so we came down with the two children, a dog and a monkey.”

The family moved to Riverdale Park in the late 1970s and he began teaching
full-time at Park and Prince George’s Community College in Largo.

In the 1980s, King built a studio behind his house, to provide a dedicated
space for his work as well as another venture.

“My wife was doing Japanese dance and we formed a Japanese stage troupe and
put on productions so my studio was also used for creating the stage sets,”
King said.

In 2009, King said a woman approached him to teach her children. While
initially reluctant as he said he’d quit teaching years ago, the woman’s
persistence finally won him over and he agreed and then she handed him her
card that said she was Princess Areej Ghazi of Jordan.

“I thought that was interesting as I hadn’t met a princess before,” King
said. “A couple weeks later she came to my studio and I opened a book on
Oriental art and her 9-year-old daughter pointed to a painting and said
that’s the same one at our London apartment so I knew I was in good
company.”

King traveled to Jordan in October and said he got a chance to enjoy trips
to lavish restaurants, waterfalls, the Dead Sea and receiving Swedish
massages.

“Those were quite refreshing,” he said. “It was kind of nice living the
life of the better half.”

King continues teaching with Thursday classes at his studio, which he said
are attended by about 14 people.

“I’m very pleased with it,” he said. “People come here with absolutely no
concept of what they can do once they receive some training.”

Patrick Prangley, the former town administrator who has known King since
the 1980s, said King has kept realism art alive in the area.

“He’s not only a practitioner, but he’s also a great teacher,” Prangley
said. “He expects great detail and precision from his students and he
usually gets it.”

Yorke said the first winner of the Gerald King Scholarship for realism
painting will be announced the town’s Art’s Fest on May 6. The winner will
receive training with King for a year at his studio.

jlyles at gazette.net

© 2012 Post-Newsweek Media, Inc./Gazette.Net
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