Former MCCC professor Ted W. Vassar made an appearance on campus on Oct. 23 as a Visiting Artist.
Vassar, who retired in 2016 after 47 years of teaching, returned to the college to give a presentation of his artwork at the La-Z-Boy Center and discuss how he became the artist he is today.
Over the years, Vassar has made numerous pieces of artwork that have won many awards.
Vassar has used various mediums for creating pieces such as acrylic and oil paint, and while he states that he does not have a favorite medium of choice, he began to make watercolors known for their organic shapes in the early 1980s.
Known as the Linear Entanglement Series, Vassar creates linear movement watercolors that have a unique twist.
Vassar stated that one day his grandchildren came home from McDonalds and had 3D glasses, so he put them on and decided to look at his paintings.
He noticed the effect the glasses had on his paintings created more depth, so he began painting compositions, toggling back and forth from regular view to checking his work with his new tool.
Vassar even threw in a pair of glasses for the buyer, because he said not all 3D glasses work, the viewer needs a special kind. When asked what kind he would prefer to use, he said the red and green lenses don’t work well, but the cheapest kind you can find do work.
Vassar was elected Board of Trustees to the Ohio Watercolor Society in 1999-2004 and became President in 2004, being reelected in 2006. He is also a member of Toledo Artist Club and Michigan Watercolor Society, where his paintings are signified in many collections.
His Linear Entanglement Series collection is made of many textures fused with watercolor. Some of the various items he uses to get his textures from include kosher salt, bubble wrap, and stencils.
Vassar states that he doesn’t plan his pieces like some artists do. For him, everything is trial and error.
“If it worked, I’ll leave it. If it doesn’t work, paint over it,” he said. “It’s only paint.”
Instead of taking a planned approach to his work, he likes to enjoy the journey and see where his imagination is going to lead him.
Vassar’s artwork is on display in the C Building’s library from Oct. 23 through Nov. 21.
3D glasses are provided and a live demonstration will be held in the A building on Nov. 20 at 5:30