For husband-and-wife painters Nate Ross and Lindsey Kustusch, “getting lost” in cities all over the world has been the heart of their artistic careers. So, for their upcoming two-person show at Principle Gallery, “we’ve decided to take a walk down some of our favorite streets,” says Kustusch.
Nate Ross, Late Afternoon Sun, oil, acrylic and graphite on panel, 14 x 23"
The artist continues to explain that many of her new paintings for the show are based on one particular city, one of her earliest inspirations and the place where it all began. “At 19, I moved to San Francisco from the Midwest and it shook my entire world,” she shares. “From the culture to the landscape itself, I saw the beauty in the city for the first time, and I made it my goal to capture it. Since then, I’ve explored many other subjects, but I always come back to the urban landscape.”
Because this is a joint show with her husband, Ross, revisiting the city seemed like the perfect theme. “We met at art school in San Francisco more than 20 years ago, and lived all over the world, traveling, working, painting and inspiring each other to make art every single day,” Kustusch adds.
Lindsey Kustusch, Morning Walk Down Lombard St., oil on panel, 26 x 40"
About Ross’ work for the show, he says, “This batch of paintings represents a totally new approach. I am now working with mixed media instead of purely oil paint. Because I am a fulltime animator for Framestore, a company based in the UK, the time I have for painting is relegated to nights and weekends…Waiting for oil paint to dry before working it again makes the whole painting creation process too long, so I needed to find a way to speed it up. I started experimenting with acrylic paint and found that I can work much faster and on a larger scale.”
Lindsey Kustusch, Evening in the Rain, oil on panel, 18 x 30"
While both artists capture moments of city life, they maintain their own style and area of focus. “They each create compositions that immediately strike a chord with viewers,” says Principle Gallery assistant director Taylor Chauncey. “[But] Kustusch encapsulates more of the hustle and bustle while Ross focuses on the quieter areas. It’s a beautiful balance when their work is exhibited together...”
Ross' Late Afternoon Sundepicts a quiet moment in an area called Potrero Hill in San Francisco. He explains “From years of living in the city, I loved coming home after being out and about all day, and you get to this quiet little spot away from the action. These are the paintings I try to make.” Ross adds that the painting includes Kustusch walking up the street. “She finds her way into a lot of my paintings,” he says.
Nate Ross, Sunset on Twin Peaks, oil on panel, 18 x 24"
As for Kustusch’s work, we find a bit more chaos as in the nocturne Evening in the Rain. “I remember taking the photo reference for this piece like it was yesterday,” she says. “It was absolutely downpouring that night in San Francisco. The skies had opened up and everyone was running for cover. I grabbed my camera and headed to Market Street, a main thoroughfare with a historic trolley car line, and an ever-revolving sea of fluorescent lights and moving people. The perfect atmosphere for a rainstorm. I shot a handful of photos and spent the evening playing in the rain, capturing the magic of the night in one of my favorite places in the world. Shortly after that I moved out of the city, so this moment will always hold a very special place in my heart.”
Ross and Kustusch will present their new cityscapes in a show at Principle Gallery’s Alexandria, Virginia, location, that opens November 8 with a reception from 6 to 8:30 p.m. and closes December 2. —
Principle Gallery 208 King Street • Alexandria, VA 22314 • (703) 739-9326 • www.principlegallery.com
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