Painting demonstration by Nicholas Oberling

The Montana House in Apgar Village, inside Glacier National Park, is hosting a live painting demonstration by Nicholas Oberling, renowned Glacier National Park plein air painter, as part of its “Look, Listen and Learn” series. A reception starting at 5 p.m. with a demonstration and talk at 6 p.m. is scheduled for Sunday, Aug. 20, at the Montana House Kintla Camp event room.

Oberling is a charismatic speaker who will demonstrate his technique by painting a Glacier landscape in oil from start to finish while simultaneously answering audience questions. Oberling will give the viewer an original and entertaining experience of one artist’s creative process. His presentation is geared to both the artist and non-artist alike. Oberling’s YouTube painting demonstration at the Hockaday Museum has had more than 35,000 views to date.

Plein-air painting has a long history in Glacier National Park and has been championed by such luminaries as Charlie Russell, John Fery and Ralph Earl DeCamp.

Twenty years ago, inspired by a painting trip to Glacier National Park, Oberling moved to the Flathead Valley and has painted Glacier National Park ever since.

His work is represented in the permanent collection at the Hockaday Museum and has been shown throughout the U.S. Currently Glacier Fine Art Gallery in Hungry Horse is home for his paintings, a studio for classes and where he lives with partner Betsy Bittman. His current project is a massive 9-by-14-foot mural commissioned by Freedom Bank in Columbia Falls.

Oberling studied art formally at the Art Students League in New York City. His work has been shown and he was on the Hockaday Museum of Art board of directors in Kalispell for 11 years.

Oberling’s presentation will run from 5 to 8 p.m. The event is free and open to the public, but reservations are required.

Call 406-888-5393 or email 1960mthouse@qwestoffice.net to reserve a seat. For more information, visit http://montanahouse.info.