On view for nearly two months at Susan Powell Fine Art is the gallery’s Annual Holiday Show, a large group exhibition featuring a diverse selection of contemporary realism by today’s finest representational artists.

From November 22 through January 18, 2025, the gallery will showcase 75 large and small-scale oils and pastels by 30 award-winning artists, among them Thomas Adkins, Kathy Anderson, Del-Bourree Bach, Patt Baldino, Nancy Bass, Julie Beck, Peter Bergeron, Zufar Bikbov, Kelly Birkenruth, Tina Figarelli, Vincent Giarrano, Sue Gilkey, Neal Hughes, Tom Hughes, Jim Laurino, James Magner, Christina Grace Mastrangelo, Anne McGrory, Jonathan McPhillips, Cora Ogden, Larry Preston, Jeanne Rosier Smith, Kyle Stuckey and Laura Westlake.

Thomas Adkins, Renegade, oil, 20 x 30"

 

Ogden will be showing her new oil, Cherries and Asters, a tranquil still life that demonstrates the artist’s masterful handling of light, color and texture. “Cherries and Asters is the result of my love for rich color and movement within the picture plane,” says Ogden. “My paintings offer intimate three-dimensional spaces to invite exploration. Color and light interweave, creating captivating patterns that draw the viewer into the canvas.”

Westlake’s charming painting Pepsi Party is a heartfelt tribute to her dad. “Pepsi Party was inspired by my father’s favorite drink from my childhood,” she says. “When I saw an antique crate during a visit to France, I knew it had to become a painting. The five society finches, my beloved pets, naturally found their way into the piece as they often do in my work.”

Laura Westlake, Pepsi Party, oil, 12 x 18"

 

Kelly Birkenruth, Juicy Strips, oil, 12 x 15"

 

In Birkenruth’s still life Juicy Strips, the artist juxtaposes the weightiness of a watermelon with the lightness of newspaper, their correlating bright colors lending cohesion to the composition. Birkenruth says, “I often paint crumpled comic newsprint with a variety of fruit and objects because I love the shapes and forms I can create with just the right turn of the paper or cast shadow on the object nestled inside. There is a slight tension that seems to culminate into a sort of dance between the objects.”

Like many of his paintings, Adkins’ oil Renegade began as a small-scale study executed on location, even in the winter months, as evidenced here. “This piece is all about the reflective, soft, late afternoon diagonal light that happens in January when the sun is at its lowest point on the horizon,” says Adkins. “The lone steer here counterbalances the composition of the New England farmhouse and barn, giving a sense of tranquility.”

Cora Ogden, Cherries and Asters, oil, 20 x 26"

 

Larry Preston, Peeled Lemon on a Tin, oil, 10 x 8"

 

Human connection and the importance of storytelling are at the heart of Stuckey’s impressionistic street scene Tell Me a Story. “This painting depicts the iconic Shakespeare and Company bookstore in Paris, representing literature and the ongoing passing of information and storytelling over time,” explains Stuckey. “But at the same time, the people sitting at the café are in conversation, perhaps telling their own stories in the present moment.”

Inspired by 17th-century Dutch and Flemish paintings, Preston applies the classical technique of building up many thin layers of colored glazes to achieve a similar richness of color and depth, as seen in his show piece Peeled Lemon on a Tin. “The contrast of light and shadow creates a sense of drama that I find irresistible," he says. "In [this piece] I was drawn to the way natural sunlight illuminates a half-peeled lemon resting on a tin, giving it a warm, translucent glow…With its dimpled skin, tiny beads of juice that catch and reflect the light, and vibrant flesh, I aimed to make the lemon feel so real that you can sense the coolness of the citrus and inhale its fresh, zesty aroma.”

Kyle Stuckey, Tell me a Story, oil, 16 x 22"

 

 “This show celebrates award-winning artists and exciting new talent, offering innovative visions and striking, one-of-a-kind paintings that showcase the diversity of realism,” says gallery owner Susan Powell. “From bold statements to subtle details, each work brings something unique—just waiting to become the next standout in your collection.”

The Annual Holiday Show opens with a reception on November 22 from 5 to 8 p.m. —

Susan Powell Fine Art
679 Boston Post Road • Madison, CT 06443 • (203) 318-0616 • www.susanpowellfineart.com

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