The Gallery at Tree’s Place in Orleans, Massachusetts, prepares for a mighty celebration of the still life genre in the show Beauty in Stillness,highlighting five of the gallery’s most accomplished still life painters. Collectors will have a chance to see fresh work by Yun Wei, Leah Lopez, Maryann Lucas, Barbara Efchak, as well as available pieces by the late painter Robert Douglas Hunter.
Yun Wei, A Peaceful Afternoon, oil on board, 20 x 20 in.
“Although each is unique in style and approach, they do share a similar thread,” says gallery director Hannah Conway. “Each artist is memorializing a single moment in time to be everlasting. In this fast-track whirlwind time we live in, still-life allows us to take pause and be present. They enable us to appreciate what is directly in front of us, when time stands still. That in itself is a thing of beauty.”
Yun Wei has multiple pieces in the show, including the highly detailed fruit and floral still life, A Peaceful Afternoon. “My work is a reflection of my hobbies and interests,” Wei shares. “The roses and grapes in this painting are the fruits of my labor—I grew them in my garden. I also frequent antique stores for the perfect still life subjects, such as vases. With these foundational items, I then imagine what other objects can be matched with the vase of flowers to compose a painting. In this case, I added texture to the painting using the tablecloth. This process brings me joy and tranquility, allowing me to feel beautiful and inspired for the next painting while I’m taking a break in the garden, so, I [titled] this painting A Peaceful Afternoon.”
Barbara Efchak, Hydrangea, Peacock and Porcelain, oil on panel, 18 x 14 in.
Important to Wei’s style, is her composition, lighting and painting procedures. “Good composition determines whether a painting can go smoothly; light can help the painting be more dramatic, and the correct painting procedure can make the painting come alive,” she notes. “All these contribute to the classic style I desire.”
Artist Robert Douglas Hunter, who passed away in 2014, leaves behind his gorgeous still life collection to the care of Tree’s Place. The gallery is including Hunter’s stunning pieces in the show, including Arrangement with a Water Carrier. “Bob was fascinated by creating an elegant abstract design using both positive and negative shapes, colors and shadows,” says Liz Hunter, the late artist’s wife. “He wanted to assemble objects chosen to contribute to that abstract design, and then to paint them with a naive eye correctly reproducing color, shape and value.”
Leah Lopez, Les Femmes De Limoges, oil on panel, 18 x 14 in.
Liz describes more of his process: “Bob always started to put in [what] was least correct, meaning that on the first day of painting, he would paint those dark notes which were least like the white canvas. As the day progressed, he would continue the process and generally, after the first day, the canvas was completely covered. During subsequent days, he would work to continue to go after the back stragglers—those areas which were least correct when compared to nature (the still life setup). He continued until he couldn’t make any improvements and then the painting was done.”
Robert Douglas Hunter, Arrangement with a Water Carrier, oil on canvas, 20 x 30 in.
To enjoy additional still life show works that vary in style and subject matter, visit The Gallery at Tree’s Place from September 20 through October 21. A reception will be held opening day from 5 to 7 p.m. —
The Gallery at Tree’s Place Route 6A at 28 • Orleans, MA 02653 • (508) 255-1330 • www.treesplace.com
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