Susan Powell Fine Art | 7/17-9/26 | Madison, CT

New England Summers

Shorelines and landscapes of New England will take center stage during a new exhibition at Susan Powell Fine Art

The shoreline and landscapes of New England will take center stage during a new exhibition at Susan Powell Fine Art in Madison, Connecticut. Aptly titled Summer in New England, the show will include more than 70 paintings by 20 award-winning artists that range from “traditional realism and impressionism to contemporary styles that celebrate summer moments and the beauty and unique character of New England.”

Among the artists participating in the show are Kathy Anderson, Del-Bourree Bach, Peter Bergeron, Zufar Bikbov, Neal Hughes, Leonard Mizerek, Deborah Quinn-Munson, Jeanne Rosier Smith and George Van Hook.Neal Hughes, Parker House, oil, 12 x 16"

Mizerek’s painting Departing the Harbor shows the mood and atmosphere of a small town’s working harbor, and it includes one of his recurring subjects, wooden boats. “Having detailed knowledge of my subject gives me freedom to concentrate on the painterly effects of atmosphere and light in this painting,” he says. “The overall colors are mostly complements of each other, bringing harmony to the painting. The colorful, open sky gave me an opportunity to create patterns of light and shadow, which reflect throughout the piece. I particularly enjoy the graceful movement of boats under sail, which provides endless inspiration.”Leonard Mizerek, Departing the Harbor, oil, 14 x 18"

Hughes has traveled to Port Clyde, Maine, on several occasions, and on his trips there he passes by the J Parker Boatbuilders property and has always admired its simple, classic architecture. It comes alive in his painting Parker House. “To me the white house is iconic, and I wanted to retain that quality while trying to keep my approach fresh and not predictable,” Hughes explains. “I enjoy trying to interpret the subject I am painting in ways that are visually imaginative but at the same time familiar and true. It is important for me to have that balance between poetry and truth in my work.”Jeanne Rosier Smith, Embrace, pastel, 24 x 24"

For her painting Twilight, Quinn-Munson wanted to capture the late day light at a marsh, with the warm glow of the sky and reflections on the waterway. She describes, “I wanted to convey a meandering path through the marsh leading to the warmth and detail in the distance. After many on location sketches with color notes added,
I created this painting in the studio with an eye for simplifying the shapes and adding texture to the final layer of paint. There’s just enough detail to describe the scene, but I wanted to leave room for the viewer to fill in with memories and experience.”Deborah Quinn-Munson, Twilight, oil, 24 x 36"

Embrace is one of the works in Smith’s newest series where she is “diving deeper, bringing the ocean closer.” She adds, “I want to taste the salt in the air, hear the waves, feel the wind and dive right in. My process begins by close cropping my reference images until they’re blurry. I rely on memory and knowledge of body surfing, as much as on my photos. My painting process begins with wet alcohol washes of dry pastels, then a gradual building of layers of dry pastel on top, some thick juicy swipes, some light, airy glazes, and liquid splatters of dissolved pastel. I drag sticks of pigment across a sanded surface, leaving little crystals of pigment which reflect the light, giving my pastels a unique luminosity.”

Summer in New England will be on view July 17 through September 26. —

Susan Powell Fine Art
679 Boston Post Road • Madison, CT 06443
(203) 318-0616 • www.susanpowellfineart.com