August Artist Spotlight
Meet Bob Glowacky
Born in New York City and raised on Long Island, my earliest memories of painting were of me, my brother and my father in our basement painting on side by side easels. My father was a civil engineer, but also an accomplished oil painter. He taught my brother and I the joy of painting, and while I had always wanted to continue painting, college, graduate school, work, marriage, children and other activities all kept me busy and away from my easel.
Fast forward to 2015, when I recognized that a part of me needed to paint. I so missed the joy of laying paint on canvas and creating, so I picked up my brushes and went to work. Largely self taught, I’ve also studied with Vincent Crotty at the New Art Center in Newton, and most recently, with Ron Krouk at the Danforth School of Art in Framingham.
I’m an avid gardener (both in Wellesley and at our Cape home in East Falmouth). As such, many of my paintings are inspired by the gardens at both homes as well as the sand, sun and beaches of Cape Cod. There’s also nothing like Cape light…trying to capture the magic hours when the sun creates a warmth that’s almost too beautiful to describe.
I work exclusively in oils, and while I work most frequently with brushes, I do enjoy every now and then picking up my palette knife and working in a way that is more free and loose. Like many of you, I continue to search for inspiration in nature and my family and I are also avid travellers. These trips serve to inspire me and to see the world in a new light…unfamiliar landscapes, seascapes, cityscapes and buildings.
I wanted to include a photo of another medium that I work with that highlights my diverse artistic interests. Being half Ukrainian (and half Italian), I love making pysanky (Ukrainian Easter eggs). My father taught me how to create these when I was approximately 14 years old and I still enjoy doing them to this day. Each egg, which is raw, takes about 6-7 hours to complete and I have eggs that are 50 years old! It’s a wonderful tradition and a beautiful example of folk art.
I’m now retired and aside from painting, I enjoy gardening, playing tennis, pickleball, going to the health club, reading, skiing, cycling and volunteering on a number of boards in the non-profit world. My wife and I have two children in their twenties and we always enjoy spending time with them and their friends. Last but not least, our 12 year old beagle Skipper keeps us on our toes and provides comic relief to many a family gathering!
Follow Bob on Instagram
@Bobglowacky