"Tyrannosaurus Growling and Squawking" by George Hutson.
Vivid paintings of dinosaurs intermingle with crocheted landscapes in a lighthearted exhibit, The Art of Play: A Father-Daughter Show, at the Madison Senior Center.
The works by Madisonian Nancy Hutson and her father George Hutson are united through their family philosophy — recreational art can be just as pleasurable as expert works. “I love play and think our society needs to incorporate more of it to become healthier and more loving,” says Nancy Hutson, 55.
Growing up in a sleepy Illinois town, Hutson and her siblings had no choice but to make their own fun. George, a factory worker, kept his children — and himself — entertained with outdoor activities and indoor games. He also dabbled in taxidermy and created a model railroad track and town.
“He was a great role model of engaging in activities that brought him joy,” Hutson says.
When George, now 89, moved in 2015 after his wife died, the family rediscovered hundreds of paintings he had created in his 50s and 60s. In these vivid acrylic compositions, various species of dinosaurs stand, sit, run and fight. Pterodactyls zoom through the blue sky and dark nests full of dinosaur eggs dot the sandy ground, lending movement and symmetry. George knew that he couldn’t paint realistic dinosaurs. But no one knew how they actually looked, so he was free to experiment.
“Hugging the World,” by Nancy Hutson.
“This is the playful quality that I see running through both of our works. We just had fun creating and then enjoyed the fruits of our labor,” Nancy says.
Nancy sketched throughout her childhood and began to draw more experimentally in college. She carried that perspective into the art of crocheting, which she took up in her mid-40s.
Nancy started the life-size wire and yarn sculpture “Hugging the World” as a positive diversion during her partner Deb’s illness and death from cancer. In another work, “Jane Frost,” 3-D clouds in different hues of white and gray fill a deep blue yarn frame. “March Sky” is based on a photo of sunlight moving through trees.
Neither artist has a formal education, which Nancy says adds to the playfulness of their work. “I like the fact that we didn’t know what we were doing when starting out, but that didn’t stop us,” says Hutson. “We both learned while creating.”
The Art of Play runs through Sept. 15 at the Madison Senior Center, 330 W. Mifflin St.
