Based on the simple idea of capturing the beauty of water, “regardless of the environments they exist in,” is the focus of Kyle Stuckey's Principle Gallery show Waterways.The artist presents 12 fresh, large paintings that gallery director, Thomas Provost, describes as “dynamic water compositions that capture [the artist’s] mood,” adding that “there is something about water that calms the mind and relaxes the body.”
Finding Her Quiet Place, oil on panel, 40 x 24"
The other element that is driving these waterway-themed scenes, is the light. “Every painting has its own unique play on interesting and dramatic lighting,” says Stuckey. I want this show to take the viewer on a virtual journey of light and water.”
Stuckey continues to explain that for the new body of work, he was focused on simplified value structures, “but at the same time, expanding color vibration within the proper temperature families, and yet still creating a restful, visual composition for the viewer.” We see this in pieces like Sunset at High Tide—a tranquil marsh and sunset scene that embodies the inspiration the artist finds around his home in South Carolina Low Country.
Solitude, oil on panel, 24 x 48"
“Paintings aren’t just paint," he says. "They are memories and experiences translated by the artist. “This painting was [created] from photos, but the photos were taken when I took my 3-year-old and 6-month-old daughters out to get photo references of beautiful sunsets. I oftentimes take them on photo shoots to hopefully teach them how to appreciate the beauty that this world gives us. The sun rises and sets every day, and all too often we fail to appreciate its existence.”
In other show highlights, Finding Her Quiet Place and The Woman on the Bridge,we experience the artist’s other muse—travel. “I have been living in Charleston, South Carolina, for the last nine years now, and I call it home,” says Stuckey. “However, I have spent many years traveling, and still do, as much as I possibly can. [While] I find inspiration in the beauty of the Low Country, I still thrive off the excitement of visiting new places around the world.”
The Woman on the Bridge, oil on panel, 40 x 24"
About Finding Her Quiet Place—featuring a lone figure on a bridge, seemingly “taking in” the light and mood of the iconic canals in Venice, Italy—Stuckey says, “This painting represents the idea of getting out of the touristy parts of a city and finding its authentic beauty. My wife and I spent two weeks in Venice while I was studying with an artist friend. This gave us the opportunity to see the city in a different way—see it from a local’s perspective. I can’t tell you where this was in Venice, and 'where' does not matter to me. The beauty of the place matters; the feeling of the moment matters. So often when I’m traveling, I’m less interested in knowing where I am and more interested in paying attention to how that place makes me feel. Does it inspire me? Does it give me goosebumps? Is it beauty? That is all that matters.”
Sunset at High Tide, oil on panel, 24 x 31"
Join Stuckey and Principle Gallery in celebrating the artist's new work at an opening reception on October 4 from 5 to 8 p.m. The show remains on view through the end of the month. —
Principle Gallery 125 Meeting Street Charleston, SC 29401 • (843) 727-4500 www.principlegallery.com
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