Hidden Oaks art exhibit casts familiar birds in a new light

Jeff Zarinelli was only in the fifth grade when he was drawn to artwork by late Renaissance and Baroque period artists.

“The chiaroscuro technique moved me deeply as this was photorealism before photography,” said Zarinelli, who was one of the youngest recipients of a scholarship to St. Louis Art Museum. 

Today, Zarinelli, an artist and actor who lives in Lombard, uses the chiaroscuro technique to paint birds and other wildlife in an Old World style.

About 20 of his paintings will be on display from Saturday, Aug. 1, through Saturday, Oct. 31, at the Forest Preserve District’s Hidden Oaks Nature Center in Bolingbrook.

The exhibit, “Hummingbirds in Motion: Zarinelli Art,” will feature paintings of hummingbirds as well as other flora and fauna, said Angie Opiola, facility supervisor at Hidden Oaks.

“Jeff Zarinelli is an exquisite artist that has the ability to capture the essence and soul of his subject,” she said. “You can't help but stare and appreciate the fine talent that went into the paintings. They truly are stunning works of art.”

The pieces on display are original oil paintings on canvas or board, she added. “Touring Tuscany” is the only acrylic painting and was created in the plein air style.

“You can also take home your favorite,” Opiola said. “We have several options: prints on paper or canvas or the original!”

Dramatic depictions

Zarinelli seemed destined to become an artist from an early age.

While spending a weekend with his grandparents at age 3 or 4, he said he rejected preprinted coloring books because he didn’t want to color someone else’s work. His grandmother responded by making him a book with blank sheets of paper so he could create his own.

In high school, one of his first oil paintings using the chiaroscuro technique featured a hummingbird.

“Chiaroscuro comes from an Italian phrase meaning light and dark,” he explained. “It is the technique of intense lighting and deep shadows which create a very dramatic depiction of a narrative in painting, sculpture and eventually photography.”

Zarinelli said he was inspired by Caravaggio, who is credited with being the father of the technique, as well as Artemisia Gentileschi, Rembrandt and Peter Paul Rubens.

After studying design and illustration at the Kansas City Art Institute, Zarinelli said he felt he still struggled with color mixing.

“Around 2006, I joined a plein air group in the St. Louis area and studied under master plein air painter Shawn M. Cornell and learned how to not only control the oil-pigment ratio, but also paint with a limited palette.”

Zarinelli said he learned to mix primary colors with raw umber and cerulean blue.

“Of course it took time, but I fell in love with color and ‘being true’ to what I see from my subject,” he said.

‘Simply look around’

For his Hidden Oaks exhibit, Zarinelli selected paintings featuring a wide range of birds native to Illinois.

“Many of these birds, like the cardinal, the sparrow and the blue jay, are quite common,” he said. “Because of this, when most people in the Midwest spot them, they barely notice.”

Though common, he added, the birds are still beautiful.

“It is my hope that more people would slow down in their busy lives and simply look around,” he said. “The beauty of nature can be awe-inspiring.”

He also believes hummingbirds “represent today's humans more than any other local bird” because they are always on the go.

“They pollinate our flowers, crops and even fruit trees,” he said. "They are as beautiful as they are delicate. And their plumage can be very iridescent in the right lighting. Personally, I just think they're amazing creatures.”

Zarinelli said he hopes people are inspired by his paintings.

“Not just by oil painting itself, but inspired to slow down, take a moment and watch, observe and study nature of all kinds. We are lucky in today's world that we have such nature reserves that both people and animals can mutually enjoy.”