Artist draws on family history

SHARON — Warren Prindle, a painter and Housatonic Valley Regional High School art teacher, is a natural choice for a show at the Sharon Historical Society. His family has roots in the Northwest Corner going back to the 18th century and the society is celebrating its 100th anniversary.Prindle’s show, Native Son, showcases the work of a man with a truly historic connection to the town.“Artists like to learn from the past,” he said, sitting in his Sharon studio for an interview last week. Like many artists, Prindle has spent time in museums replicating Rembrandt and other great masters.But he also draws inspiration from his own past, specifically from his Scottish-immigrant paternal ancestors, who farmed in Sharon in the 1700s.Anson Prindle, who was born in West Haven in 1781 and lived in Sharon until his death in 1844, planted the seed that would blossom into a deeply rooted local family and eventually translate into his great-great-grandson’s regard for the Nortwest Corner as home and artistic muse. As Prindle describes continually discovering new facts of his family’s history, he excitedly recounts learning of a Rev. Lymon Prindle from North Canaan who spoke at abolitionist John Brown’s funeral in 1859. “There are three groups of people in this area: some who are born here and stay, some who are born here and leave and some who are born here, leave and come back,” Prindle said. “I fall into the last category.” As a child, Prindle developed an interest in art through his love of comic books. His father, Stuart Prindle, an insurance agent, introduced him to one of his clients, an illustrator named Wally Fax, who had his studio on Main Street in Sharon. Prindle credits Fax with introducing him to painting and being an artistic influence and mentor during his early years. Prindle left Sharon to embark on his artistic journey. His pursuit led him to study at The American Academy of Art in Chicago, Northeastern Illinois University and Northwestern State University in Louisiana before returning to Sharon in 1995. He has painted on-location landscapes in more than 30 states, mostly in the Midwest, the South and the Northeast.While the Northwest Corner has been an important place for fostering Prindle’s creativity, his experiences elsewhere are also reflected throughout his work. Prindle describes his current exhibit of 83 oil paintings and one ceramic piece as a “retrospective show” that includes rural landscapes as well as urban and industrial scenes. His painting, “Dark Woods,” offers a snapshot of a classic New England forest scene and showcases a strikingly red maple contrasted with the forest greenery and a purple mountain backdrop. For some, this painting may be reminiscent of a specific stop along a fall hike up Lion’s Head or a walk in a nearby woods, but for all, the painting is a reminder of the beauty of these local surroundings. The piece highlights Prindle’s ability to evoke emotion through something as seemingly simple as a tree in the woods. Prindle illustrates the interplay of nature and industry through several of his other paintings, including “Cheyenne,” painted on location in Wyoming, which depicts a factory among pine trees. Stashed away in his studio is a replica of George Bellows’ 1912 painting of a bustling immigrant scene in Brooklyn. Even when recreating another artist’s work, Prindle is able to draw from his own experiences, noting that his desire to complete this piece is inspired by his Norwegian-immigrant mother, Audrey Olsen Prindle, who lived in Brooklyn’s Bay Ridge neighborhood in the 1930s. Native Son is on display through Sept. 8 at the Sharon Historical Society. Prindle will host a Gallery Walk and Talk on Sunday, Aug. 14, at 3 p.m. All are welcome to attend.