‘Aphelion’: Abstracts featured in Monroeville Public Library exhibit

Astronomy enthusiasts will recognize July 6 as aphelion, the day when the earth is at its farthest point from the sun in 2023.

“It’s the closest cosmic event to our show opening on the 8th,” Monroeville artist Jay Winter said.

As such, he chose “Aphelion” as the name for his exhibit of abstract paintings that will be on display through July 26 in the Elaine Biondi Gallery Space at Monroeville Public Library. An artist reception is scheduled from 6 to 8 p.m. Saturday.

Many of his works evoke worlds beyond ours, such as depictions of the planet Arrakis from Frank Herbert’s “Dune” book series and of Gort, the laser-firing movie robot of “The Day the Earth Stood Still” fame.

Other paintings are terrestrial in theme, often featuring floral shapes or layered patterns that resemble rock strata, reflecting his former career as a geologist.

As an artist, he drew encouragement from his mother, Joan.

“When she passed away, I was willed all of her art supplies, in a nice artist’s box. So I started doing some oil painting and did some watercolors, and now I’ve moved on to these acrylics,” Jay said about his primary medium for “Aphelion.”

He and his wife, Patty, frequently visit museums during their travels.

“I would see some of these abstract art and modern art pieces. And I said, ‘Maybe I could do that,’” he recalled. “Sometimes I’ll take a picture of something I see in a museum, and then do something similar to it but slightly different. It gives me some inspiration.”

So does what he listens to while painting, usually atmospheric music performed by the likes of Irish singer Enya, German film score composer Hans Zimmer, Icelandic rock band Sigur Rós and electronic mainstay Tangerine Dream.

Winter enjoys working with his hands, which extends to constructing his own canvases and frames.

“I repurpose a lot of found materials,” he said. “For instance, the Gateway High School musicals have a lot of leftover materials. So rather than send them to the landfill, I smooth them out and do paintings on them.”

He has exhibited on the campus of Penn State New Kensington and had a pre-pandemic show in the Biondi Gallery Space, where part of the display area particularly appeals to him.

“I like the stone wall, being a geologist,” Winter said. “A retired geologist.”