Leonard Mizerek nurtured his love of art and nature while growing up in the Brandywine Valley, a bucolic region along the border of southeastern Pennsylvania and northern Delaware. From a young age, he found inspiration in the Pennsylvania Impressionists and Brandywine School of artists, eventually growing into his own style of colorful, luminous seascapes and expressive brushwork. An extensive traveler, Mizerek is drawn to harbors around the world, rendering these maritime scenes in stunning palettes of pinks, blues and beyond.
French Boats in Honfleur, oil, 60 x 40 in.
In an upcoming show at Shaw Gallery, where the artist has exhibited for 25 years, Mizerek will be presenting more than 30 new paintings, many of which touch upon a primary theme in the artist’s work: natural light and its effects on the surrounding environment. The exhibition is titled Dawn to Dusk, perfectly exemplifying this focus on light and atmosphere.
“Through all my travels, the following [artwork] depicts my painting journey with key observations of nature’s light and how it affects all that it touches. I was looking for the dominant color and bringing that into my work. A balance of warms and cools along with subtle changes of light,” says Mizerek. “From ‘dawn to dusk,’ I found myself with a renewed interest, lost in the discovery of how, as an artist, I looked to capture every scene with a unique light in mind.”
Venetian Moonlight, oil, 75 x 108 in.
Currently, Mizerek is working on a series of marine paintings depicting skies with dramatic lighting, along with boats in the harbor or the open sea. “I like the contrast provided by sail patterns on the water and their reflections. I choose the effects of very early or late lighting as it strikes the sails and reflects in the water to heighten the dramatic effect,” the artist explains.
His piece French Boats in Honfleurcaptures a calm scene in which several boats rest in a French harbor. The gentle light dazzling across the water in a multitude of colors suggests early morning. “I’ve painted the lively colorful harbor of Honfleur so many times. I think somehow the good times I’ve had here seem to come through in my work,” says Mizerek. “Having detailed knowledge of my subject gives me the freedom to concentrate totally on technique and the painterly effects of atmosphere and light in this painting.”
Sundown at Sea, oil, 24 x 48 in.
Venetian Moonlight is made up of a primarily cool palette. “When the sky opens up to reflect the luminosity of the breaking light, it touches everything beneath and creates a vista with an overall shimmer. There is nothing like still seas in moonlight to enhance reflections. Viewing this from my hotel balcony gave me the inspiration to capture on canvas this fleeting moment,” he explains. “I was attracted to this scene by the effects of lighting at their extremes. Late day turning into night [is of] particular interest to me when I paint. Things change by the minute, which offers a challenge to an artist. End of day effects on the atmosphere enhances lighting on a natural scene. Untouched and all natural.”
Other new seascapes featured in the upcoming exhibition include Radiant Skies, Sundown at Sea and Misty Skies.Each piece captures a time of day that is particularly striking to behold, be it dawn, dusk or full night.
Radiant Skies, oil, 40 x 60 in.
“I strive to evoke an emotion, a time of day, or that special moment when the light touches everything and changes it,” says the artist. “I want to engage the viewer to be part of the moment and experience it as I present it. I am always challenged to look at a scene and ask what makes this moment special? How can I tell this visual story? Being the artist, I have the means to present that to my viewer.”
Mizerek is a signature member of Oil Painters of America and an American Society of Marine Artists fellow. Dawn to Dusk will hang at Shaw Gallery in Naples, Florida, from February 26 to March 24. —
Shaw Gallery 761 Fifth Avenue South • Naples, FL 34102 • (239) 261-7828 • www.shawgallery.com
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