It is rare to see paintings that are both playful and elegant, at once naïve, lyrical and sophisticated; yet all of those descriptions apply to the paintings of Homare Ikeda. During the March 2nd “1st Friday Gallery Tour,” from 5-8 pm in Sedona, Lanning Gallery showcases the artist’s work as “Ikeda: Idiosyncrasy” opens. The exhibit continues through March 11.

Caption: “Cooking,” a 48”h x 60”w oil and wax on canvas painting by Homare Ikeda.

With his international reputation continuing to grow, it is the artist’s unique background that allows him to stand apart. Born and raised on the island of Yoron, off the coast of Japan, Ikeda developed an intimate knowledge of the sea. The intricacies of this source of all life, the shapes of its coastlines and coral reefs, the nuance of its waters that water’s often microscopic detail would emerge as form on canvas when Ikeda began to paint. His travels led him to explore Japan and India before arriving in the U.S. where he earned a BFA and MFA from the University of Colorado.
    
And, kindly, Ikeda has stayed here to not only continue his career as a contemporary artist, whose paintings have been linked to classic Abstract Expressionism and the later Neo-Expressionism, but also to share his own skills through instructing others. Ikeda has now spent close to twenty years teaching at universities throughout Colorado, including the University of Colorado, Metropolitan State College, Colorado State University, Front Range Community College and, currently, the Art Students League of Denver.
    
His students are as lucky as his many significant collectors (including the Denver Art Museum) who are able to continuously appreciate the seemingly innocent forms and lines of his paintings which, upon further examination, are always surprisingly revelatory. Stop in and explore Ikeda’s dynamic world for yourself. Exhibition through March 11. For information: Lanning Gallery, 928/282-6865, www.lanninggallery.com.