Susan Powell Fine Art’s New England in Light exhibition highlights original works by 35 esteemed artists, each offering a unique view of the summer season. Pieces in the show capture the distinct character of New England—seascapes, marshlands, shorelines, marine art, shore birds, various landscapes and much more.
“The paintings capture the distinctive light and atmosphere of the shoreline and the enduring appeal of New England in summer,” says gallery owner Susan Powell.
Among the nearly three dozen artists featured in the exhibition are Kathy Anderson, Dennis Sheehan, Jonathan McPhillips, Jeanne Rosier Smith and Del-Bourree Bach.
Dennis Sheehan, Evening Radiance, oil on canvas, 30 x 40 in.
Anderson’s Cosmos at Holbrook Farm began as a plein air painting, as most of her work does, and was finished in the studio. “This is a local farm that I shop at, and they also have this amazing cutting garden,” she says. “When I work from life, I try to capture the essentials first—the light and values—as that’s the first thing to change, and what attracted me to this particular scene. In this, it was the beautiful dark leaves over the house and the white cosmos leading back to the light value of the house. I take good photos to correct my drawing, mostly of the house, which is not my strong suit, especially in plein air. I always get it in the finished painting, but I’ll admit it doesn’t come easy for me. The flowers are the easiest because I paint my garden from life all the time and have a strong knowledge of that subject.”
Jonathan McPhillips, Light Passages, oil on linen panel, 9 x 12 in.
Because Smith doesn’t live on the shore, she makes the most of the short week she spends there each summer. “That means getting up before dawn most mornings to catch the sun first lighting up the waves. Some days unfold with a thousand paintings: everywhere you look, the light is magic. This was one of those mornings,” the artist says of her pastel Morning Clearing, which depicts waves crashing on the shore. “At 6 a.m., heavy cloud cover was just lifting, and rosy light filled the sky and tipped the waves with warmth. This painting speaks of hope, promise and anticipation, and the slow savoring of the unfolding beauty of the day.”
In Sundown Cat,an acrylic by Bach, a lone boat rests on still waters as the day comes to a close. “The quiet grace of the catboat resting at her mooring in the still blue water contrasts with the drama of the exuberant colors as the sun peeks in and out between the clouds. When the sun sinks further, it will dip into the fog which so often obscures the horizon on evenings like this, and the light will quickly fade,” says Bach. “Right now the colors just pop. It is such fun to remember and capture moments like this when I come back into the studio. I do love the lines of these boats, simple and classic, and I enjoy painting them both under sail and at rest, as in the one carefully secured for the night after a great sailing day.”
Kathy Anderson, Cosmos at Holbrook Farm, oil on canvas, 20 x 24 in.
McPhillips brings a painterly seascape to the show titled Light Passages. “This plein air piece was a fantastic way to kick off the spring-time outdoor painting season on the Rhode Island coast. The last days of winter crisp air and clear water collided with a warm snap and emerging spring colors,” he says. “This particular view had been blocked for years by overgrowth, but the blizzard of 2026 knocked down the brush and briar, exposing this view of the East Passage in Newport, Rhode Island, and the light casting across the cliffs of Jamestown. I wanted to share this special place and fortunate day of weather I experienced.”
Del-Bourree Bach, Sundown Cat, acrylic on panel, 6 x 12 in.
Evening Radiance is a gentle, atmospheric depiction of a marsh in the warm light of sunset, rendered in oils by Sheehan, who has developed a distinctive personal style that emphasizes the interplay of light and dark values. “My goal is to have the painting emanate light rather than simply reflect light across the surface,” says the artist. “The light areas become focal points, but the true power of the painting comes from the shadows.”
New England in Light will hang at Susan Powell Fine Art in Madison, Connecticut, from July 10 to August 15. An opening reception is set for Friday, July 10, 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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