Art displayed at Summerlin Library aimed at capturing essence of Paris

Want to get a feel for France? Denise Marie LaMar’s exhibit Les Fleurs et La Belle France is up until Sept. 5 at Summerlin Library’s art gallery, 1771 Inner Circle. The oil paintings include flowers, street scenes and landscapes inspired by the artist’s trips to France.

LaMar came to Las Vegas in 2008 after dividing her time between Southern California and Maui. She liked to vacation in Paris, traveling there four times for a week or two each time. A lover of flowers, she makes sure to visit Monet’s gardens when she’s in Paris. All the paintings in the exhibit were inspired by trips.

She called Paris a romantic city, aesthetically attractive, with its charm in the outdoor markets and cafes.

“Everywhere I looked in Paris, I could see a painting,” she said.

Darren Johnson, gallery services coordinator for the Las Vegas-Clark County Library District, determines whose art to feature in exhibit halls. He said LaMar’s skill in capturing light and balancing color was evident in her depictions and was one of the reason he chose to exhibit her work.

“She is a resident of Sun City, so I thought the Summerlin community would appreciate witnessing their local talent firsthand,” he said.

Some of the 25 paintings in the exhibit were done on the spot. Others were done later, using photos as reference. LaMar said she preferred to be on site, in the moment, painting a scene as it unfolded, even though capturing it before the light changed was a challenge. She’d set up her easel at a street cafe.

“When you’re outdoors,” she said, “you’re picking up on the sensations, the total feel of the place, the smells the people, the sounds, so it all goes into my consciousness as I’m painting, so I get a better feeling of what I’m painting.”

Deborah Wainscott, an artist, was there taking pictures to show a friend. She knows LaMar.

“Lotuses are her thing. … You don’t see a lot of representational work anymore and these cityscapes,” Wainscott said, “like this one with the red awning, I love the use of color.”

She said her favorites were the street scenes with people. The people do not have their faces filled in, as though the viewer is walking along, aware of them but not truly seeing them.

This is the first time LaMar’s art has been featured in one of the library district’s exhibition halls. She said she preferred the Summerlin location because it’s close to her home.

La Mar said she’d long hoped to do a show that depicted France. Her ties to the country go way back. Her ancestors are from Burgundy; they landed in Virginia in the 1700s.

Contact Jan Hogan at jhogan@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2949.