Roby King Gallery

 176 WINSLOW WAY E. BAINBRIDGE ISLAND, WA 98110    ROBYKINGGALLERIES@GMAIL.COM      206.842.2063    WEDNESDAY-SATURDAY 12-5PM  SUNDAY12-4PM 

LUKE J. TORNATZKY

A Gift of Water     August 6-29, 2021

“There comes a time in every creative persons life when it is clear that a change is needed–not just a change in clothes or jobs, but a real change;  a sea change you might say. It starts by being annoyed by the gray sky and the endless rain. Did I mention the winters that take forever to turn into summer?  What is needed is not a change in attitude, but a change in latitude. Trade my big studio easel for a portable plein air rig, and make myself go outside in nature to paint. Sunny skies, warm water, new inspiration. Trade it all for what’s behind door number two!

I have been calling Port Townsend home for  a major part of my life, I’ve lived, worked and shown in the Northwest for 20 years. This show is the last large studio work I will show in the NW. The paintings on display here were done in the last twenty years. Many of them I have saved in my private collection, but when I set sail I don’t want to store them or be tied to 48 degrees north, so I am letting them go. I am thankful to all the people who have supported my artistic journey all these years.”

Luke Tornatzky is renown for his oil paintings of boats, water and the marine landscape.  As a young boy he would gaze for hours upon the expansive surface of Lake Erie, lost in the contemplation of its ever-changing dialog of reflective shape and color. With this awareness of  changing environments, he creates his silent stories of love, longing, and solitude. His use of color is rich and vibrant and through various media he expresses soulful paintings of water and the marine lifestyle.

Tornatzky’s early training was at Cleveland’s Cooper School of Art, and the University of Cincinnati School of Architecture and Design. As a versatile artist, Tornatzky works in charcoal, pastel and oil.  Working with charcoal Tornatzky draws dynamic seascapes with a value range so vast and comprehensive, color is not missed. His drawing skills are also evident in the charcoal Portrait drawings that have become an integral part of his artistic expression, capturing a likeness in as little time as 20-30 minutes.  http://lukejtornatzky.net/portfolio/charcoals/#!

As artist and craftsman Tornatzky uses his skills as a finished carpenter, to craft his own frames to complete his paintings. “It’s a way of assuring that each work has a frame consistent with my vision for it”.