Expert's Pick
Phil Lear
You've probably seen a Phil Lear painting, whether you knew it or not. The talented artist has left his mark in multiple spots around town, including the "Story of Us," an exhibit that's still up at Colorado Springs Pioneers Museum, and the downtown seafood restaurant Bonny and Read. His haunting and nostalgic images and striking, yet whimsical, characters stick to my bones. Western-themed scenes are filled with cowboys and horses, while seafarers and carnival characters rotate through other works. Check his Instagram account for one of my recent favorites, "Baba Yaga, the House on Hen's Legs," which he completed for The Modbo's October show, "The Mussorgsky Project: Pictures at an Exhibition Reimagined."
— Jennifer Mulson