"Festival Days" by Kyle Buckland of Abingdon, Va.
ABINGDON, VA - Each year, the Virginia Highlands Festival commissions an artist to create an original, signature piece. The theme for the 2011 Festival is "Impressions of the Highlands" and Kyle Buckland of Abingdon was selected to paint "Festival Days."
Buckland is a studio artist at William King Museum and can often be found with his easel set up on the sidewalk, painting in downtown Abingdon.
Although landscape painting is his primary focus, Buckland says, "I enjoy painting all types of subject matter, from landscapes and still life to figures and farm animals. I enjoy new challenges and painting 'outside the box.' For the oil painting I created for the Festival, I wanted to create a slice of life from the two-week event, a moment in time that touched on the wonderful qualities of the festival. By including elements such as the band in the upper left, the different types of figures in the foreground and the antiques and merchandise under the tents, I hope to give the viewer the feeling of joy that I get from the festival and its atmosphere."
