The Artisans of Mancos Gallery will host painter Hilary Mockewich at an opening reception from 5 to 7 p.m. on Saturday.

Mockewich began his education to become a painter at Burlington Community College in Pemberton, New Jersey. Upon completion, he moved to Florence, Italy, where he received addition training in painting and completed various commissions. According to his Facebook page, he also studied construction and restoration of plaster murals. Upon returning to the United States, Mockewich continued his studies at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, receiving his certificate in 2006.

While in Pennsylvania, Mockewich worked with a fine arts subcontractor for commercial church-painting firms and continued to study classical painting and drawing, according to his website.

After graduating, Mockewich worked at a mural restoration technician in New York City. His website is Studio Hilary Art.

Now living in Shiprock, New Mexico, Mockewich is concentrating on plein air paintings of the famous rock formations in the area. When in his studio, he does portraits of people and animals, often pets, using the classical painting and drawing skills he acquired during his training.

Mockewich is showing framed landscape paintings at the Artisans of Mancos Gallery.