City Hall Art Gallery: Robert Parry

The North Olmsted Arts Commission displays artwork from local artists on a temporary basis at the North Olmsted City Hall, providing an opportunity for artists and art groups to introduce or expand upon the visibility of their artwork through interaction with the local viewing public.

The featured artist for December 2019 is North Olmsted resident Robert Parry. His collection includes seasonal and holiday-themed watercolor paintings and some photography.

Bob’s interest in the arts began as a college student pursuing a Bachelor of Fine Arts in graphic design from The Ohio State University. Bob later continued on to graduate school in city planning which would become his lifelong career. During his working years, his busy schedule didn’t allow much time to pursue art. “It was always in the back of my mind,” says Bob. Leading up to his retirement, in an effort to develop his hobbies, he started taking art classes. He began drawing and then found watercolor, which became his passion.

Now, Bob paints several times a week and has turned one of his spare bedrooms into a studio. He also enjoys photography, which often provides the reference material for his paintings. Why watercolor? Bob enjoys the pace and challenge. “I like to do things fast,” says Bob. “But you really have to focus and think a lot about what you’re going to do. With watercolor, you can’t change things too much.” He adds that it takes experience to be able to paint boldly in the medium.

See samples of Bob’s work below and stop into City Hall during business hours to view the entire collection.