InSight Gallery sales director Adele Wells calls artists Sherrie McGraw and David Leffel “the dynamic duo, the powerhouse of talent, the transformative twosome.” They’re two of the most collected and influential artists working today, and beginning this March the Texas-based gallery is hosting a dual exhibition featuring their dark and dramatic works.
Sherrie Mcgraw, Songbirds on a Vine, oil, 12 x 18"“With a career spanning seven decades, Leffel’s work embodies the essence of chiaroscuro painting, capturing subjects with smooth brushstrokes, meticulously applied textures and dark backgrounds,” says Wells. “He’s hailed as a modern master and has [inspired] thousands of students.”
Sherrie Mcgraw, Venus, pastel, 25½ x 19½"
Stepping into the art world essentially the first time on a visit to the Metropolitan Museum of Art as a 19-year-old, Leffel says the paintings of masters like Velásquez, Reubens, VanDyke, and especially Rembrandt, took his breath away. “Rembrandt’s use of light, had for me, an inexorable quality, that none of the others achieved,” he says. Ten years later, the artist finally acted upon his desire to paint, with the concept of chiaroscuro as his guiding light. His pieces have a distinctly moody quality to them, with dark and subdued color palettes, reminiscent of paintings of old.
Sherrie Mcgraw, C.W. Copper, oil, 20 x 18"
David Leffel, Winged Santo with Roses II, oil, 23 x 20"
For Leffel, the idea of conveying certain emotions or messages within his artwork is nonexistent.
“Every brushstroke, every piece of paint, color, impasto, is a portrait of one’s nervous system. A self-portrait of each painter—that is what every painting is suffused with and conveys. It cannot be otherwise.”
David Leffel, Phthalo Blue and Clementines, oil, 19 x 15"
Commenting on McGraw, Wells says, “Her work reflects a sensitivity to the abstract beauty of painting, transcending mere subject matter. McGraw works in a variety of mediums: oil, pastel, charcoal and watercolor, each providing the artist with different opportunities to examine and enrich her craft. Sherrie’s journey has been marked by a dedication to teaching, and her teachings have enriched the minds of countless art students worldwide.”
The gorgeous, painterly brushstrokes that come from McGraw’s skillful hands are evident in all of her works, but especially so in pieces like Songbirds on a Vine and C.W. Copper, to name a few.
David Leffel, Two Eggs, A Pear and Rembrandt Too, oil, 13½ x 13½"
“This exhibition is a testament to InSight Gallery’s dedication to showcasing exceptional art as we celebrate the power of artistic expression and the enduring legacy of these two remarkable artists,” Wells adds.
Mystery and Light opens on Friday, March 1, and runs through March 22. Leffel and McGraw will give a lecture and demonstration on March 2 at 10 a.m. Approximately 15 to 20 works total will be on view. —
InSight Gallery 214 West Main Street • Fredericksburg, TX • 78624 • (830) 997-9920 • www.insightgallery.com
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