Connecting the Dots: The Illustrations of John Rodak
A series of black-and-white pointillism illustrations
Dates: September 24th – November 7th
Location: The Arts Council 4180 Gallery and Bradfield Gallery of Fine Art
You’re Invited!
Opening Reception
Wednesday, September 25, 2024
4:30-6:00pm
About the Artist
JOHN A. RODAK is an art instructor, illustrator and graphic designer specializing in visual storytelling and creative communications. His pointillist illustrations focus on capturing and preserving images of statuary, structures and sights that have been all but forgotten or soon to be ‘lost’ in this modern age of immediacy.
Mr. Rodak is an expatriated Ohioan born in Elyria and educated at the University of Cincinnati. His career as an educator began in 1972 with the Cincinnati Public Schools, and continued after his move to Houston in 1995 until his retirement in 2012. His first major show, ‘HARVEST: Twilight of the Barn in Ohio’, a series of illustrations that depicted the condition of Ohio barns, toured that state from 2002 through 2004. The exhibits in 2016 (Brenham and Chappell Hill), 2019 (Wayland Baptist University), 2021 (Wynne Home Gallery / Huntsville) and 2022 (Abraham
Art Gallery / Wayland Baptist / Plainview) were an expansion of his work that included Texas themes and images from Asia.
He and his wife, Lan-Hsi Wen, live in Houston amidst an array of books, reference photos, drawing tools, table tennis paddles and guitars. Mr. Rodak has even been known to pick up a guitar and pen an original song or two.
Learn more
Artist Statements
I LOVE TO DRAW. It’s something that I realized when I was 5 years old and my Christmas present was a 25 sheet pad of typing paper that I filled front and back, cover and cardboard backing within a week. This same ‘feeling’ was an attitude that I put forth in my 40 plus year career as an art instructor. Use the talent that you have, express what you feel and, most of all, have fun.
WHY DO I DRAW IN BLACK & WHITE? Good question. Black and white has always been an ‘absolute’ for me – pencil, charcoal, graphite, pen – all applications get you to the ‘true image’ you are trying to capture / create. All these tools allow
you to render in the darkest of darks and every grade of shading down to ‘white’ (nothing). It challenges me to focus on exactly what I believe is essential and necessary. Colored pencils, pastels, markers and paints are all well and good; but for me, black and white works best.
WHY DRAW IN DOTS? Why not? I find it to be the most interesting way to present an illustration, whether that subject is a statuary, a structure, a landscape or even ‘conceptual’ in nature. They have pens available in various nibs, metal points and reproductive friendly. Working in dots is always very relaxing (especially with a thermos of coffee nearby). I guess the ‘dots’ and I have been at it for quite some time and we are most comfortable with one another.