Chicago's Francesca's Forno To Feature Neo-Impressionist Painter Gregory A. Page This Friday

Online, February 1, 2012 (Newswire.com) - This Friday, from 7 to 9 p.m. Chicago's acclaimed restaurant Francesca's Forno will be hosting a wine tasting featuring Neo-Impressionist Painter and Chicago native Gregory A. Page.

The fine dining Italian restaurant first invited Page to be a guest artist last month when they hosted First Friday to provide a venue for local artists to showcase their talents and creations. The response for Page's work was so resounding that
the owners happily invited him back for another exhibit.

"It means a great deal to receive positive accolades for my art," said Page. "Francesca's Forno is one of the most renowned restaurants throughout Chicago, so it's an honor to have been invited back to display my paintings again."

In recent weeks Page has garnered much attention throughout the art world upon selling his original work Cowboy Lips to CFO Shy Anderson of the Dallas Cowboys.

"Art is more important when it influences others; the more people the artist reaches, the better," said Page. "When people see a painting and think a pleasant thought, or are inspired by beautiful artwork, a wave of positive vibes can move through a group of people. I enjoy creating a bit more pleasure or beauty in people's lives. Exhibiting is not only a fun get together but exposes greater numbers of people to the beauty of contemporary oil paintings."

Art has been coursing through Page's body since he was a child, where he was raised in a family of graduate school artists. He went on to independently study art to further his knowledge through high school, college and graduate school.

Although he began full-time painting in 2004, Page has quickly established himself with an impressive portfolio of over 70 original paintings in which he displays his versatility as a painter.

"For me, becoming an artist has never been about worldwide recognition, fame and fortune," says Page, who discourages the sale of original paintings. "It is about tapping into my artistic presence and taking things I love, bringing them to life on a blank canvas, and sharing them with the world."

Gregory Allen Page is a Chicago-born artist who pioneered the artistic movement Chicago Impressionism, a genre influenced and inspired by the impressionist paintings at the Art Institute of Chicago. Painters in this genre study the Impressionist paintings housed in the Art Institute (as opposed to formal art school training) to create art with an Impressionistic influence.

Page formed the school of Chicago Impressionism through thousands of hours of direct study of the art at the Chicago Art Institute and a comprehensive analysis of the sketch books of Renoir, Seurat, Sargent and Monet. A painter in his youth, Page studied anatomy and biology before going on to practice reconstructive surgery. He first created art from early childhood to age 18. His early work was custom jewelry.

"Going forward I plan to continue to exhibit my work, and expand my reach to the public through online and gallery exhibitions," said Page. "I enjoy working with businesses that sponsor exhibitions and I am in contact with interested organizations to create events that expand the reach of art and Chicago Impressionism. Neo-Impressionism has a huge audience worldwide and I have plans and programs in action to build a group of people in Chicago to expand the size of local events."

To truly sum up how he views his work, Page states, "Oil painting is not photography. The soul of the painter is in the freedom of his hand and the brush."

The art exhibition will be held at Francesca's Forno from 7 to 9 p.m. The restaurant is located at 1576 North Milwaukee Avenue • Chicago, IL.

For more information on Gregory Allen Page or to view or purchase paintings, please visit www.chicagoimpressionism.com.

Follow Chicago Impressionism on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Gregory-A-Page-Chicago-Impressionist-Artist/276383822417720.