Quidley & Company | 2/17-3/10 | Naples, FL

Summertime

Get a feel for summer in a show of works for TS Harris at Quidley & Company Fine Art Gallery.

We all remember that feeling of freedom when school is over and it’s time to enjoy summertime activities at the pool or the beach. This nostalgic feeling is honored by artist T.S. Harris in her recent collection of work to be displayed at Quidley & Company. While Harris employs themes that extend beyond childhood memories, she enjoys capturing timeless moments, forever to be recalled and appreciated during trying times or even the winter months when we long for warmer days. Hello Lovely, oil on canvas, 48 x 60"

Harris’ work has always explored themes around summer and her new collection has expanded to included scenes involving umbrellas and diving girls. “[The new collection] has a more vintage vibe and it’s having to do more with nostalgia but more timelessness and a classic feel that we can all relate to,” says Harris. “We all remember being a kid at the beach or pool, or a mom with kids, and you remember that feeling of freedom and joy of summer.”

Harris draws on old black-and-white photos to achieve paintings such as Riviera, depicting a woman in the 1940s or 1950s lounging by a pool in a hat and sunglasses. “There’s something poignant working from a photo,” Harris says. “Once, I had run across a photo of a woman with her child at the beach, and I just connected with that and thought, ‘She’s probably older or has passed already and I’m looking at a moment she had that was special to her.’ There’s a deeper connection looking at imagery from the past because it’s gone, they’re older, or grown, or passed on and I’m bringing it back to life again.” Riviera, oil on canvas, 48 x 48"

Viewers will notice a continuation of two different series in the show. One, which she calls Lost Holiday, involves the old black-and-white photographs of other people’s lives, and carries the vintage, classic feel into her work. The second series, Close Up, depicts the era of old Hollywood, where female figures are cropped in closely. This is seen in the piece Hello Lovely, where a woman is in her white bathing suit against a bright blue afternoon sky. “I display the figures very close up, and the paintings have an element of abstraction and mystery,” Harris furthers. Secluded Beach, oil on canvas, 48 x 48"

Harris’ use of contrast and fresh brushwork creates a unique contemporary feel, although her subject matter is garnered from frozen moments decades before, giving her the timelessness she was hoping to achieve. Harris also uses a multi-layered technique involving layers upon layers of oil paint that adds a dimension of depth. In the Clouds, oil on canvas, 30 x 30"

“What sets this show apart,” says Harris, “is that I’m really on my game. I feel like [my work] has reached a new level, although I’ve used similar subject matter. Sometimes you feel like you’re reaching, but not quite there, even if you’re still proud of your work. The new work is fresh and I hope clients enjoy that.”

While there will be no opening reception, Quidley & Co. will be hosting an in-person show from February 17 to March 10. —

Quidley & Company 375 Broad Avenue South • Naples, FL 34102 • (239) 261-4300 • www.quidleyandco.com