Sat, Sep 06, 2008
Mirle Freel mats a photo print for an upcoming show as his wife Judy O'Toole-Freel watches. The walls of their home are covered with their artwork.
Photos by Greg Bryan / Arizona Daily Star
More Photos (1):
 
PARKWAY CONSTRUCTION SUPERINTENDENTS Health Care Mountain Land Rehabilitation Physical Therapist Health Care VALOR HOSPICECARE ON-CALL NURSE Construction Green Valley Heating & Cooling HVAC Service Tech Trades/Construction innovative manufacturing CNC LATHE SETUP Production and Manufacturing QUALITY MANAGER General VALLEY PROTECTIVE SERVICES SECURITY OFFICERS NorthwestCouple creates art book for all> 'Aardvark' for children or those who want to learn about art <
FOR THE ARIZONA DAILY STAR
Tucson, Arizona | Published: 05.15.2008
When visitors walk inside Judy O'Toole-Freel's and Mirle Freel's home they are engulfed by all the colors of an Arizona sunset, and then some.
More than 60 paintings, from pink dancing women to green swirling designs, hang on the orange, hot-purple and sky-blue walls.
"It's like walking into an art gallery," said Linda Fernandez, a friend of the Freels.
Among the vibrant walls and artwork is a blue, yellow and red painting of Mirle's, a simple design of color and shape and form. It's one of the most significant paintings in the home, which is in Continental Ranch.
When Judy first looked at it, she saw an aardvark and a young boy in the design.
She wrote a poem about what she saw, and began writing for more of Mirle's paintings.
In March, the couple released "Aardvark, Aardvark, How Do You Do!", an art book for children that features Judy's poetry and Mirle's paintings. It was published by Publish America Inc. and is available online at Barnes and Noble and Publish America.
It's meant to teach young readers about non-representational art, one of the Freels' favorite art forms, which focuses on the elements of art rather than images.
"For me it's the basis of all art," said Mirle, 67, who was an art professor at the University of Great Falls in Great Falls, Mont. "It gives you an awareness of structure, even when looking at realistic objects."
Because not many people know about non-representational art, the book isn't solely for kids.
"It's also great for adults who don't know the first thing about art," said Fernandez, a lifelong artist.
In addition to teaching everything from painting to photography to art history, Mirle Freel was a working artist who exhibited all over the United States and abroad, Judy O'Toole-Freel said. In the meantime, she taught everything from preschool to higher education.
She also taught for 11 years at the Montana School for the Deaf and the Blind.
The couple lived in Tucson in the late 1970s, when Mirle worked at the Tucson Museum of Art and was a well-known photographer.
They moved to Mesa in the mid-1980s, then moved to Montana until they returned to Tucson in 2000 to escape Montana's harsh weather.
After 41 years of marriage, the book was the Freels' first true artistic collaboration.
"It was exciting for us to do something together," said Judy, 67, who has a collection of poetry published as well. "Our lives are really joined, we do things together, and so this was very meaningful."
Especially for a couple who base their lives on their art.
Though they sell some of the pieces, art for them isn't about the money, it's about expressing themselves, like when Judy created a faux fireplace out of wood, paint and candles to make the room look warmer on a cold day.
"(Art) is about learning more about what we are as human beings," Judy said. "I get so excited every day when I do something new."
● Ryan Kraft is a University of Arizona journalism student who apprenticed at the Star. ● Contact Regional Editor Tiffany Kjos at 618-1927 or tkjos@azstarnet.com.
|
|
0 Comments on this story