"Sanctuary" show opens Sept. 11

For the month of September rather than showing a visiting artist, I am having a special show of my new body of work from the John Burroughs Sanctuary. These paintings and drawings are all based on the rock formations and their reflections at the pond on the preserve. Though using the visual reality of the site, they are edited and clarified by my own responses to the material. In my artist's statement concerning my work in general, I quote Wilde - "The mystery of the world is in the visible, rather than the invisible", and this is certainly the case in this body of work. The intricate geometry and delicate balances between the structures themselves and the reflected images were a revelation to me. I spent time on location doing small studies and photos, which I then used in the studio to create the larger works.

During one of my visits to the preserve, I was disrupted from my quiet work by a group of lively teenagers. I was particularly annoyed when one started loudly speaking into his cellphone. He was trying to explain where he was and was saying the word "sanc-tu-ar-y" very slowly and loudly,as though it might be a new word to either him or his listener. I now feel it was some sort of providential interference, as it led me to think of the word and all its

many meanings and how aptly they applied to my feelings about these images. The contrast of the immense heavy boulders looking about to fall but remaining balanced and still, and the solidity of the rock against the liquid moving water both speak of the paradoxes in life and the point of balance between these opposites. It seems particularly apt that the opening of this show has fallen on September 11, when we are reminded of the need for sanctuary and balance.

The opening will be Saturday, Sept. 11, from 3-5 (I'll be around for awhile if you want to come late) and the show will be up until Oct. 4.

Look for the next posting about the upcoming visiting artist, Greg Arnett, in October!

Opening in the Gallery- Joan Monastero's Work

The opening reception on July 3rd was a lovely event, with friends arriving from Albany and other areas to view the work. With Joan's water-based imagery and my paintings of the fields at the height of the season, it felt like the perfect summer show for July. We have decided to extend the show through Aug. 14, as I will be away for two weekends in August, visiting the "real" ocean, in Maine and Cape Cod, at the end of the month. Please stop by and catch this show!

Guest Artist in the Studio/Gallery for July

I am beginning a new and exciting addition to the studio/gallery hosting guest artists' work. My own work will continue to be on display, but one wall of the main space and an additional separate room will be for another artist of my selection. With the full force of summer upon us - heat and humidity, as well as blooming gardens - I am happy to announce the July show in the gallery of Joan Monastero, "Related to Water". These works on paper are selections from two different bodies of work that have water as a common thread. The first group are mixed media on old navigational maps ( the above photo is a detail from one of this group) and the second group are inks on paper or "painted drawings" from a residency in the Provincetown dune shacks. These are special pieces filled with both the buoyancy and the depth of water, exploring the spiritual symbolism as well as the natural imagery of the subject.

The opening reception will be July 3rd, 3-5 p.m. The show will run through the end of the month, July 31st.

Sanctuary

This is the latest in my series from the John Burroughs sanctuary that I will be showing in future as a group. This painting is a 30" x 30" oil on canvas. Each painting is preceded by a full scale drawing in my studio and small on-site paintings and photos to document the light and values of the time. These rocks and reflections are a study in contrasts and paradox. There is weight and solidity, but also a sense that at any moment they could cascade into the water. The geometry and hard edges of the rock formations versus the fluidity and softness of the water and the reflections of those edges.There is also a sense of some hidden secure place within the center of these towering rocks and cool water - a sanctuary between.

Summer Classes

Summer is around the corner and here are a few offerings from the studio-

Drawing from the Figure-

Using the forms of the figure to learn the basics of line, space, and values in drawing in charcoal. Not an anatomical orientation, but still true to the figure.

6 weekly classes, Sat. 10 -12, June 5 - July 10, $240.

Landscape Painting-

Using acrylic paint to ease the logistics of painting outdoors, we will spend time both on location and in the studio. This class will focus on "framing" the view to create the best composition and building the painting with an awareness of values and spaces. Some drawing experience necessary.

4 weekly classes, Sat. , 9-12, July 17 - Aug. 7, $200.

Another take on the winter behind us now. During one of the big snowstorms, the tidal creek near my house became an enchanted place of subtle tones, muted edges and quiet stillness.

These are 12" x 12" on birchwood panel.

One more painting that came out of this series, but took a turn in the road. I may continue on a larger scale with this "zoom in" view idea. This, as well as all the other ones in this series (except for the longer rectangle which is larger) are 16" x 20" on canvas.