Before becoming a full-time artist in her early 30s, pastelist Jeanne Rosier Smith was a professor of American literature. Today the artist lives in Massachusetts, where she walks and paints the same woods that inspired Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau nearly two centuries ago.
Winter Light, pastel, 10 x 20 in.
“They saw infinite possibilities for connection in nature, and emphasized the power of human eye,” says Rosier Smith. “As I walk through the woods with eyes open, I relish the patterns in the chaos, the wild beauty of free growing things, and crucially for me: how they resonate within me. As life becomes more digitized we’ve all inevitably become increasingly separated from nature, but going outside, spending time opening our senses to the living, breathing things on this planet all around us can’t help but renew our sense of joy.”
Exuberance, pastel, 24 x 36 in.
A selection of Rosier Smith’s intimate landscapes, in addition to new Paris street scenes, florals and the powerful seascapes the artist is best known for, are the subject of a solo exhibition at Susan Powell Fine Art in Madison, Connecticut. Seasons of Joy runs October 2 through October 31, with a reception on opening day from 5 to 8 p.m. The title of the show is a reference to the artist overcoming her resistance to the cold New England winters by tuning into the beauty inherent in each season. (“Joy” is also the word that most people use when describing how her paintings make them feel).
Morning Tide, pastel, 24 x 36 in.
“I started to notice how much beautiful light and color there was in the snow,” she says. “Walking through the woods, you can hear the squeak of the snow, you can hear the forest and feel the presence of the trees. Theres a certain peacefulness in how the branches reach out to touch one another…there’s something very communal about them that I find that so interesting and inspiring. I feel like it’s a gift to be able to see that, as the seasons change, things become beautiful in different ways. It’s up to me to notice and express that and record it. I feel like it’s a privilege to express those moment that I see. There are so many things in the world that are not joyful, being able to see these things and share them with other people is something I feel grateful I can do.”
Swimming in Blue, pastel, 15 x 30 in.
Whereas Rosier Smith’s landscapes radiate a quiet serenity, as if we are being asked to hush so we, too, can hear the sounds of the forest, her giant wave paintings roar with the thunderous force of the sea. Rosier Smith’s happiest childhood memories are tied to vacationing on Maryland’s Eastern Shore, specifically the endless, joyous hours swimming and playing in the ocean. At night, when she laid down in bed, she could still feel the motion of the water in her body. Her visceral emotional and physical connection to the ocean, and her intimacy with how waves move from a visual and bodily perspective, imbue her seascapes with a believability and power that has an equally visceral impact on the viewer. Collectors tell her they can feel the sea spray on their faces and smell the salt air. Surfers will say they know exactly how they would approach one of her waves.
Show on the Horizon, pastel, 12 x 24 in.
Summer Light captures one of Rosier Smith’s favorite stretches of coastline in Ogunquit, Maine. “There’s this gorgeous section of beach where you can count on the waves to roll in with the light shining through the waters,” she shares. “It’s always a spectacular display…there is so much speed and power and energy as these gigantic waves pull into the crest. I’m painting them right as they’re reaching that point. It’s the motion, the energy, that draws me in and that I’m trying to get across, that I’m celebrating. It’s moving but it’s also moving me.”
Rosier Smith’s passion for the sea is only rivaled by her passion for pastels, her sole medium for nearly 30 years now. She had painted her entire life in a variety of mediums, but it wasn’t until her uncle, an art teacher, sent her a box of pastels that she knew art-making was going to be her life’s work.
Wild at Heart, pastel, 12 x 16 in.
“What I love about it is its vibrancy and its immediacy,” she says, clearly enthused about the question. “They are sticks of pure pigment with water and a little bit of binder, so it’s closer to painting with pure pigment than anything. People sometimes question whether working in pastel is painting, but for me it absolutely is. I consider my arm to be the paintbrush—the pressure I’m using with my whole arm determines the stroke.
Summer Light, pastel, 12 x 36 in.
“It’s a much more direct way of painting and I love that," she continues. “I love color. I love having sticks of color—I probably have 2,000 of them—arrayed out in front of me and not having to mix color. I’m a quick thinker and having to stop and mix colors always felt like an impediment to my process. Pastels allow me to stay in the flow.” —
Susan Powell Fine Art 679 Boston Post Road Madison, CT 06443 • (203) 318-0616 www.susanpowellfineart.com
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