In a joint show titled Into the Quiet,Robert Lange Studios presents the complementary visions of landscape painters Ted Walsh and Brett Scheifflee. Whereas Scheifflee’s serene vistas of the natural world, many inspired by the South Carolina Low Country, soothe with their soft beauty; Walsh evokes a sense of quietude and calm through stark yet moving depictions of solitary structures and abandoned objects. Although the aesthetic of each artist is distinctly different, both of their work has a hushed quality to it, with Walsh’s scenes exuding a bit more of the forlorn.
Brett Scheifflee, Dusk in the Lowcountry, oil on canvas, 36 x 36"
“Ted’s work and my own have grown out of the same soil it seems, just the fruit is different,” Scheifflee says. “To me, his work is always trying to find your way back home and mine is often about stepping out.”
To capture the essence of a scene, Scheifflee focuses on the fundamental elements of temperature, key details, color and composition, which have to come together to create the right tension, mood, balance or sense of intimacy.
“When working in a very representational way painting landscapes, you have to know which details matter more as everything in the scene is as complex as nature is,” says Scheifflee. “Generally, those details are the ones that support the subject or narrative, and removing some of the chaotic elements that don’t, is called for. All in all, it’s not possible to faithfully copy nature, you have to interpret and in doing so, we each gain our signature style for painting.”
Ted Walsh, Dream Boat, oil on canvas, 23 x 31"
Scheifflee's choice of subject matter is based largely on memory, nostalgia, interest and ultimately what makes for a good painting. “If a scene is important to you and makes you feel something, more often than not, those feelings will be transferred to the viewer,” he says. “I hope viewers of my landscapes are able to access a place in their own memory through the scene. The familiar ground illuminates something they remember and then they are able to understand the piece fully—or complete it even, through their experience.”
Brett Scheifflee, Morning Formations, oil on canvas, 30 x 24"
Distilling a scene down to its essence—or core vitality—is also the driving force behind Walsh’s creative process, although this doesn’t mean representing a specific location necessarily. “A lot in each of these landscapes is out of my head from my imagination,” says Walsh. “I try to find ways to show a state of mind, a vibe of memory or a spark of fascination.”
Sometimes a scene will catch Walsh’s eye that he knows will make a good painting.Other times, the idea comes first, and he has to seek out the components to bring it to life.
“There are a lot of ways I choose a scene to paint, but, however I go about it, I’m usually leaning on intuition,” says Walsh. “I have a strong sensitivity for pictures that set a scene—home/place, history, architecture, big skies and the feel of an environment. I like buildings, birds, thoughtful figures and meditative moods.
Ted Walsh, Den, oil on panel, 10 x 23"
“I like to think I’m a thoughtful guy, and I enjoy little daydreamy moments of quiet. Those moments when you can focus, listen to the quiet and find a bit of the macrocosm in the microcosm.”
Into the Quiet opens with a reception on March 7 from 5 to 8 p.m. and hangs through March 28. —
Robert Lange Studios 2 Queen Street, Charleston, SC 29401 • (843) 805-8052 www.robertlangestudios.com
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