The Goodyear Gallery unveiled Jon Weary’s exhibit “Thoughts on a Bushel” on Jan. 29. The exhibit features Weary’s recent paintings, including his series “orchards,” which depicts trees throughout the seasons and some of his life studies pieces, such as “table” and “ladder,” which depict what it says on the tin. Weary draws inspiration from his childhood in Carlisle and his observations of Pennsylvanian orchards throughout the seasons, expressing the ‘feelings’ they evoke, such as the solitude of winter and the overstimulation of summer.
When I visited the exhibition, I enjoyed the juxtaposition between the illustrations of the four paintings of trees and the two paintings of linear objects. Weary utilized orthographic projection where he, “use[d] parallel lines to project each shape into a plane, so that scale is maintained from front to back of the composition” (“Thoughts on a Bushel,” Weary 2025).
Seeing abstract trees transform into straight-edge lines feels like aging. The colorful pieces are reminiscent of the seasons, demonstrated by their increasing number of flowers and branches. The more you go back through the seasons, the more years have passed. The contrast of the abstract and realism pieces demonstrate development of conformity.
As one looks at the orchards and the linear pieces, they can be shocked by the difference. No longer look at the vibrant trees, with flowers growing toward you; there are no overflowing borders or blue suns. Instead, you are met with standard colors: burnt umber, raw sienna and titanium white depicting realistic everyday objects from every angle. The way the paintings are on display is perfect, it aptly displays Weary’s artistic talent while providing a different perspective on his work.
I felt quite drawn towards Weary’s bushels — the theme of his exhibit. His bushels were represented by color wheels, which were bright and immediately draw your attention. In Weary’s “Winter Orchard,” the bushels are underground, hidden above the surface but visible to the viewer. They play a key role in invoking emotion. The bushels are then hidden in winter, exemplifying the loneliness of the painting, and are overtaken by the flowers in summer, adding to the heat radiating from the painting.
The best part of the exhibit was conversing with a Carlisle townsperson — whose name I never got. We discussed our favorite artists, favorite Weary piece, livelihoods and our favorite parts of Carlisle. He scolded me for not attending Ice Fest, which is fair, but I’ve had to work every year. Though, he encouraged me in my endeavors. The John Weary had not only had impactful art, but memorable attendees as well. The exhibit will be on display in the Goodyear Gallery until Feb. 20.
