The following information was submitted by Steve Repsys, spokesperson for Oakton Community College:

You may never envision nature the same way after viewing Nuances of Landscape: Paintings by Mary Porterfield and Nina Weiss, which features two local painters with very distinct approaches to capturing scenery. The exhibition is on display at Oakton Community College’s Koehnline Museum of Art, 1600 E. Golf Road, Des Plaines, through Friday, Jan. 25.

Porterfield’s works question what makes an act heroic in the midst of circumstances beyond our control, symbolized in her pieces by natural phenomena such as geysers, storm clouds and volcanoes.

Porterfield’s paintings are comprised of hundreds of small figures. Some depict religious individuals and saints whose brave acts involved giving unconditionally. Others represent the struggle to balance such ideals with the need to nurture oneself.

Inspired by the open spaces and far-off horizons of the Midwest, Weiss creates powerful, expressionistic paintings. Going beyond the traditional green landscape, she presents a heightened vision of the natural world, using colors that are intense, lush and dramatic.

Weiss’ paintings capture her travels through the everyday vistas of the Midwest and beyond, teasing out the complexity of nature and creating layers of contrast, line and form.

The Koehnline Museum is open Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Saturday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. For more information, visit the Koehnline Museum’s website.

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