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Clay Orbesen Named Featured Artist for September Exhibition

By Amy Nichols

The Plateau Creative Arts Center is pleased to announce Clay Orbesen as its Featured Artist for September, showcasing a dynamic selection of work from his remarkable 30-year career as a full-time professional artist.

Known for his extensive knowledge across multiple mediums, his Old Masters training, and his innovative experimental techniques, Clay brings a depth of experience and artistic curiosity that makes this exhibition truly unique.

Gallery Opening Night – September 4, 5–7 PM

Join us for the September Gallery Opening Night reception on September 4 from 5–7 PM at the Plateau Creative Arts Center. This free event offers visitors an opportunity to meet Clay and other local artists while enjoying refreshments, including wine and nonalcoholic beverages.

A Career Built on Mastery and Dedication

For three decades, Clay supported his family solely through his artwork. His early career focused heavily on portraits and animal drawings, earning recognition at shows across the country.

His formal training includes studies at the Art Institute of Chicago, Syracuse University, where he earned his BFA, five additional art schools, and study in Italy. He also apprenticed under a master artist whose lineage traces back to renowned French painter William-Adolphe Bouguereau.

A Multidisciplinary Artist with Unique Techniques

Clay works in pastel, watercolor, ink, acrylic, and oils. Pastels became his primary medium for many years because of their flexibility and reversibility. His watercolor approach emphasizes purity, preserving the white of the paper through masking and negative space, while his work in acrylic allows him to explore on a much larger scale.

Among his experimental approaches are “visualization paintings,” works designed to shift with changes in ambient light, revealing stars, hidden imagery, and evolving tonal structures. He has also explored multiple-armature painting, using both hands and both feet simultaneously as a form of early-stage subconscious expressionism.

September’s Exhibit

The September exhibition highlights work from Clay’s earlier and mid-career periods. Visitors will see a 6-by-8-foot acrylic painting, selected pastel, watercolor, and ink works, along with examples of his experimental multiple-armature pieces.

Clay is currently engaged in a monumental religious life-work, a 40-year project involving multiple canvases, large-scale imagery, and Old Masters techniques. This exhibition, however, focuses on works that represent the evolution of his artistic career.

Art Rooted in Faith, Service, and Vision

Clay describes his art as being driven by faith, service, and purpose. He speaks of his motivation as an “electrical current,” grounded both in caring for his wife and in his spiritual convictions. These influences continue to shape his artistic philosophy and his long-term projects.

Visit the Plateau Creative Arts Center

Clay Orbesen’s Featured Artist exhibition will be on display at the Plateau Creative Arts Center September 4 through October 1. Admission is free, and all are welcome.