Time and Travel:
A Watercolorist Revisits Some Favorite Places
works by
John Pfordresher

SOUTH EUCLID, OH-13 July 2006-This September Notre Dame College’s Clara Fritzsche Library will host  “Time and Travel: A Watercolorist Visits Some Favorite Places,” featuring works by local artist John R. Pfordresher inspired by his travels, primarily in Ireland, Italy and the American far west. An architect by profession, Pfordresher is a signature member of the Ohio Watercolor Society and a member of the Hillcrest Art Guild in Cuyahoga County where he was president and held other offices for a number of years.  He earned his degree in architecture at the Catholic University of America in Washington, DC in 1953.  A native of Chicago, he worked as a designer on the Air Force Academy Building in Colorado, the Prudential Building and others in the Chicago area.  As architect for Eaton Corporation he supervised the design and construction of industrial plants in France, Spain, Mexico and the western and southern United States. 

Pfordresher has studied at the Chicago Institute of Art as well as the Cleveland Institute of Art.  A frequent award winner, his work has been exhibited in numerous shows throughout Ohio.  His paintings are in collections throughout the Greater Cleveland area, New York and as far away as Florence, Italy.

Pfordresher’s background as an architect is apparent in his masterful studies of buildings and architectural details.  Various architectural styles hold a special interest for him, as can be seen in his paintings of an adobe building on a Navajo reservation, San Marco’s Cathedral in Venice, Italy or an Irish farmhouse.  The natural grandeur of the American west also captures Pfordresher’s interest.  His use of a rich, dense color palette in scenes of town and country alike create images of dramatic contrast and striking beauty.  Pfordresher applies a disciplined approach to his art.  “As an artist, I invest time and effort in selecting and developing a visual work of art.  If I am able to transmit an idea, evoke an emotion, delight the eye, jog a memory, the effort was successful.  If the work has ongoing interest, I have truly succeeded.”

This exhibit marks a return to Notre Dame College for Pfordresher, who participated in “A Trio of Colorists,” an invitational show in the College’s Performing Arts Center in January 2000.  It is also a homecoming of sorts for his wife, Mary, who at one time served as editor of Notre Dame Today, the College’s alumni magazine.

The show will run from September 14 through October 27, 2006.  An opening reception will be held on Thursday, September 14th from 5 to 7 p.m.  The exhibit may be viewed during library hours:  Monday-Thursday 9 a.m.-10 p.m.; Friday-Saturday 9 a.m.-5 p.m.; WECO Fridays 9 a.m.-8 p.m.; Sunday 1 p.m.-10 p.m.