Jones & Terwilliger Galleries are pairing two artists that take a dramatically different approach to the exploration of color in a joint show that opens at their Palm Desert, California, location on March 3.
Angus, an ever-evolving “contemporary post impressionistic painter” will show his vibrant floral still lifes alongside the equally color-driven works of abstract expressionist, James Leonard.
Angus, Never too Mellow, acrylic on panel, 30 x 30"“Their work complements each other,” says gallery owner, Patricia Terwilliger. “Angus uses bold colors that almost vibrate and evoke joy with his still life subject. James Leonard’s layered paint technique is sophisticated, filled with a passion for color that dances between bold and sometimes subtle. Both speak with similar colors but in a different language of style.”
Terwilliger adds that despite the obvious differences in style, it is not uncommon for their work to hang in the same room in her clients’ homes.
Scottish-born, California artist Angus utilizes a bold, saturated palette to reach his goal of creating the most powerful paintings possible that are also immediately distinguishable as his own.
Angus, Pomegranate & Iris in Red Vase, acrylic on panel, 36 x 18"He achieves this by taking a fresh, modern approach within the framework of his meticulously planned, traditional still life compositions, which is where he finds his freedom. “I’m always pushing the backgrounds,” he says. “It’s where I feel increasingly free.”
A bouquet of flowers pop with “confetti bombs” of color; bands and blocks of pigment, and dissecting lines fracture and connect areas of the canvas. Each year, Angus likes to introduce one new element to his work. Surprisingly, the devoted colorist is experimenting with gray tones in his latest work.
“If you put in the perfect shade of gray into these colorful paintings, they just sing,” he says. “Every year I’m trying to grow withing this framework I’ve created for myself by bringing another nuanced idea to my paintings. I’m continually looking for ways to be more brave and modern and find new ways to express everything that surrounds my subject. I like to remember that I am creating a painting and I can do anything I want in here—it’s my sandbox.”
Angus, Tulips & Limes over Midnight Blue, acrylic on panel, 48 x 36"Whereas Angus paints his subject matter in a defined style he likens to cloisonné, James Leonard’s works are entirely non-representational. He paints using the impasto technique, by pulling thick paint across the canvas with a large palette knife. Painstakingly building up roughly 40 layers of paint, the finished pieces are rich with a three-dimensional depth and a complex language of color and composition.
“I’m pulling paint, layering one layer at a time, which creates a sense of history in the painting,” he says. “It’s like looking at a fence post that’s been repainted over a period of time. You can see the different colors and layers.”
Leonard further explores this quality of “sculpted paint” in a new body of work inspired by his resplendent garden called Transformational Series, to be unveiled at the upcoming show.
James Leonard, Song Heard Before, acrylic on canvas 48 x 36"“Most artists work from the outside in; the subject is outside of themselves. I work from the inside out,” says Leonard. His powerful paintings can be found in private and corporate collections throughout the world, including at Yale and MIT.
Exploring Colors opens March 3, during First Friday Artwalk with an opportunity to meet the artists from 4 to 7 p.m. Both artists will also be at a second reception on Saturday, March 4, from 1 to 4 p.m. The show will be on view through March 19. —
Jones & Terwilliger Galleries 73-375 El Paseo, Suite A • Palm Desert, CA 92260 • (760) 674-8989
www.jones-terwilliger-galleries.com
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