Curtis Rosser's paintings exhibit a rare mastery of technical skill. His adaptation of Impressionism employs brushwork which is fluid and "painterly," yet his art never loses the crispness and precision of a master draftsman. Rosser's true gift, however, lies not in his mastery of technique, but in his poetry of visual presentation. We have the feeling in viewing his work, that it is at once reassuringly familiar and hauntingly beautiful. A street scene; a child at play on the beach; a well tended garden: all begin with the ordinary and are transformed into something far more rare and magical.

A native Texan, Rosser was born in 1927. He studied at the San Antonio Art Institute, and subsequently at DePauw Un...