The first heady bloom of spring is over, and we are getting down to the business of summer. Delicate spring blossoms have given way to sturdy summer blooms, and the steady drone of lawn mowers is almost constant background noise. After a while it becomes almost unnoticeable, but the absence of this noise and the other constants of summer would leave us with the uncomfortable feeling that something is missing or not right with "this picture". I've noticed that it is similar in painting. Having a strong focal point is how the artist engages the viewer, but without a supporting cast of secondary elements of interest, a painting seems unfinished or uninteresting. It is a hard task to keep the focal point strong and attention-grabbing, while at the same time setting the stage with secondary elements that don't steal the show, but add context and support to the star. I think Gavin Brooks' painting, which appears below, is an excellent example of this. Despite the title, the hazy sun is clearly the focal point of the painting, but it's the supporting the cast of subdued trees, earth, grasses and water that provides the context and allows the sun to grab "center stage". Gavin masterfully controls the elements in her paintings to give us her message elegantly and subtly.
It's a show not to be missed, and I hope that you can attend the opening and be here for Gavin's 6 PM talk on Friday, June 1.
Plein Air tickets are selling well ... if you haven't purchased your tickets to the Collector's Party or the Brunch, now is the time!
And now, back to the easel!
Nancy Tankersley Artist/Owner Gallery Hours Wed - Sat 10-6, Sun 12-5 Or by appointment
UPCOMING SHOWS
June 1 - July 5, 2007 Gavin Brooks Opening Reception, Friday, June 1, 2007 5-9-pm. Artist's Talk 6 pm. Morning After Coffee, Saturday, June 2, 2007 10 am-noon. New work by Gavin Brooks, created just for South Street Art Gallery.
July 6 – August 2, 2007 The American Landscape
Opening Reception, Friday, July 6, 2007 5-9-pm.
Morning After Coffee, Saturday, July 7, 2007 10am-noon.
Luscious Landscapes, featuring the 14 gallery artists juried into Plein Air-Easton! 2007.
August 3 – September 5, 2007 The American Landscape continues,
along with Contemporary Life, new figurative paintings by Nancy Tankersley.
Opening Reception, Friday, August 3, 2007 5-9-pm.
Morning After Coffee, Saturday, August 4, 2007 10am-noon.
Bask in the after-buzz of Plein Air-Easton!, see even more luscious landscapes, and enjoy Nancy's latest figurative works, fresh from her studio!
September 7 – October 3, 2007 Ed Cooper - New Works
Opening Reception, Friday, September 7, 2007 5-9-pm.
Morning After Coffee, Saturday, September 8, 2007 10am-noon.
Ed's grand landscapes touch our souls. Painted especially for South Street Art Gallery.
WORKSHOP NEWS
Gavin Brooks, Grand Prize winner of the first Plein Air-Easton competition has just a few spaces remaining in her workshop June 18-22, 2007. Gavin is emphasizing a limited palette, and will demonstrate how she takes her small plein air studies into the studio and uses them for reference, to create very large paintings. Register now to guarantee your space!
Session One of Camille Przewodek's workshops, July 23-27, 2007, has filled, and we are taking names for a waiting list. There are just a few spaces remaining in Camille's Session Two, July 30 - August 3, 2007. Bring your work to the next level! Spend a week painting with Camille at the historic waterfront bed and breakfast, Maple Hal1, in Claiborne, Maryland. Register now!
Our Workshop in Quimiac, France, September 10-20, 2007, with Ed Cooper, Bethanne Kinsella Cople, Sara Linda Poly and Nancy Tankersley has a few spaces remaining for those artists who want to stay in the local two star hotel. Also, in the vacation house, there is one shared room with two twin beds available, plus one twin bed in a shared room. Please call the gallery for details, 410-770-8350. We have scheduled two Quimiac Workshop Information Sessions: Saturday July 14, 10 am, and Saturday August 11, 10 am. These info sessions are for both enrolled students and for those who are thinking about enrolling. Please call 410-770-8350 or email southstreetartg@aol.com if you plan to attend.
Award winning American Impressionist Bill Schmidt's workshop, The Impressionist’s Palette, is October 20 and 21, 2007. Bill takes his students step by step, from blank canvas to finished painting. He gives careful attention to each student, with frequent critiques. Learn how Bill creates a wonderful sense of the light in his paintings, and how he applies his paint to achieve his gorgeous surfaces! Enjoy a lovely fall weekend painting at a private waterfront estate and studio. There are spaces remaining. Please take a look!
NOTABLE QUOTE
Painting is easy when you don't know how, but very difficult when you do. Edgar Degas
Copyright 2007 © by South Street Art Gallery. All rights reserved.
