Novembers Are A Blessing At Beauchamp’s Gallery

It was November, 1975. Paul Beauchamp had recently moved his business to the Westboro Mart and was exhibiting the artwork of old friend Bob Sudlow. In those days, teenagers still bought eight track tapes and wore bell bottom jeans. President Gerald Ford lived in the White House and politicians argued about America’s dependence on foreign oil. Earth Day was still a new idea and Bill Gates had just launched a little venture called Microsoft. Things have changed somewhat since then……but not everything. You can still buy those bell bottom jeans. That nasty “oil problem” is still with us and the whole idea of “saving the planet” seems to have really caught on lately.

And something else remains the same- a November exhibit of Sudlow paintings at Beauchamp’s Gallery. At 89 years young, Bob Sudlow’s age is catching up with him a bit. He doesn’t paint as much in the fields as he’d like, but he still paints. That’s because painting is not just what Sudlow does, it’s who he is. And if the weather, (or those damn knees), keep him from venturing into a spring pasture as he would prefer, he can still be found toiling away in his studio; working amidst wafts of oil paint and stacks of drawings. Sudlow is a blessed man and he knows it. After all, how many people discover their calling so early in life and also have sense enough to answer the call? Sudlow did and did. And his blessing has been that for nearly 70 years he has been able to do exactly what he was born to do – paint.

And Sudlow’s paintings have been Beauchamp’s blessing. This November, Paul Beauchamp will once again welcome his old friend Bob Sudlow to an artist’s reception. The two will sit and reminisce. They will talk about the first Sudlow painting Paul ever bought…. over 50 years ago. They will talk about that canoe trip long ago when Paul made the best eggs anyone ever had. Paul will comment about what a great selection of art is on the wall this year and Sudlow will scoff and say he should have done a little better. But regardless of Bob’s humility, Paul will be right. There will be a great selection of art on the wall this November and Bob Sudlow will still be one of the best artists in Kansas……just like in 1975.

This year, the reception for Bob Sudlow will be held in conjunction with the First Friday Art Walk on the evening of November 6th. His show is called Sudlow; Paintings & Lithographs and the public is invited to stop by an visit with the artist. Included in the exhibit will be older ;landscape paintings, newer landscape paintings and a good selection of stone lithograph prints. The show will be displayed through December. Beauchamp’s Gallery is Topeka’s premier provider of original fine art, classic custom framing, art restoration, and repair. Located at 3113 SW Huntoon in the Westboro Mart, Beauchamp’s has been a mainstay of the Topeka arts community for over 35 years.