George Botich (American, 1937-) A Chicago native, George Botich is known for his oil and watercolor paintings of Parisian street scenes and storefronts, as well as architectural views of buildings within landscapes. He studied at the Art Institute of Chicago and the American Academy of Art, Ringling School of Art as well as in Greece at the Athens School of Fine Arts.
Annually Mr. Botich travels to Europe, usually to Paris and the Greek Isles. “Paris has been painted so often, and it can be overpowering,” says Botich. “But one day in 1985, I happened to catch a glimpse of the light on a particular building. It just clicked for me.”
”I usually spend three to six hours on location,” says Botich. “But rain clouds sweep through in a flash and I have to work quickly. I try to choose the perfect moment. I always aim for the contrast. And through it's difficult to deconstruct something that comes naturally to me, I feel that a transformation occurs in moving from shadows to light.” Mr. Botich, his wife and their daughter reside in the Chicago area. He works daily in his studio completing paintings from on-site sketches as well as putting the finishing touches on paintings executed primarily in the field. His paintings are not large, usually 20” x 12” or smaller, and usually of a vertical composition rather than horizontal. It's not uncommon for collectors to own more than one painting by Mr. Botich, since the works lend themselves to groupings readily. His works may be found in numerous private, corporate, institutional, and public collections.
(Source: meyergalleries.com; and firstartsource.com)
