Cos Cob, CT, August, 2013--The Drawing Room Gallery is
pleased to announce the opening of their Summer Group Show at 220 East Putnam
Avenue, from August 9 through September 17, 2013.
The exhibition compromises of the work of six regional
painters; Peter Batchelder, Darthea Cross, Michele Kishita, Lorraine Lewin,
Hannah Sessions and Karen Schmitz. These artists’ works are connected by a
shared interest in color, impressions of the landscape and nature, and by a
common appreciation for the elements of line and shape. While all six artists
look to the landscape as their primary source of inspiration, each artist’s
approach is unique, resulting in visually striking paintings that incorporate
both contemporary approaches and traditional techniques in painting.
Michele Kishita responds to the wood grain of her painting
surface and the depictions of Katsushika’s Hokusai’s waterfall prints. Her
technical use of layered painting, collage and glimmering gold leaf application
provide surprising juxtapositions. Like Hokusai’s prints, these works reference
the beautiful fluidity and transformability of the landscape and how such
precious gestures evoke an impermanence and transient nature of all things.
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Darthea Cross’ paintings reflect her continued exploration
of silence found within nature and how such moments connect to a deeper
self-mediation of inner quietude. Responding to her direct observation from her
own personal experiences of walking and hiking, Cross provides creates
breathtaking views from mountain tops and valleys, using expressive shapes and
line with subtle color shifts to suggest the inherent qualities of nature which
become less tied to the specific, but rather to a universal experience. Her paintings
serve as a reminder of the dualities between nature’s fragility and magnitude,
and the power of each.
Peter Batchelder’s paintings embody the life that emanates
from the time worn barns and structures found throughout the varied rural
environments within New England. From the coastal landscapes of Massachusetts
to the woods, mountains and farmlands of New Hampshire and Vermont, there is a
rich light and spirit that is clearly apparent from each of these places being
celebrated. This becomes visible through lively color combinations of vibrant
yellows, violets and fiery oranges which make the viewer feel as if they could
almost smell the scents of summer bleached grass and ocean salt in the air.
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Lorraine Lewin’s landscape paintings evoke the fleeting
winds of change in the air, and a real sense of an emotional relationship and
connection with each of her subjects. Swirling clouds in the sky above the
dramatic reflections beneath them, feature her incessant search for personality
and character within each of these places. Inspired by the beauty of nature
that she discovers along the shores of Connecticut or the Island of Nantucket, Lewin
is able to capture and relay to her viewers the unusual light conditions that
can often go unseen.
The vibrancy
in Hannah Sessions’ color palate is verbatim to the colors that surround her on
a daily basis. Sessions’ rendering of luscious landscapes is a direct
reflection of her time spent on a working landscape. As a Vermont goat dairy
farmer who spends her days making artisanal goat cheese and caring for her
livestock, she paints about the unique relationship that a farmer has with her
land and community of animals. Her thick, juicy application of paint renders
early morning or late day light with outwardly swaying trees and sweeping
clouds, which almost pop from the canvas.
Karen Schmitz’s use of expressive brushwork and saturated
color palette excite the eye. Her unmistakable ability to create intense
color relationships of shimmering light and dramatic shadows, transport the
viewer right to the scene. Her interpreted portrayals of New Hampshire,
shores of South Carolina and Costal Connecticut provide the viewer with
provocative scenes filled with drama and delight.
Each of these eight artists, fresh and vibrant paintings
provide the perfect match to the summer season.
The Drawing Room Gallery is open Monday- Saturday, 10am-5pm
and is closed on Sundays. For further information contact:
The Drawing
Room Gallery
220 East Putnam Avenue, Cos Cob, CT 06807
(203)
661-3737
