Happy holidays to all! At Co|So we are in the swing of the holiday season due to our annual Holiday Small Works Show. This year we had an unprecedented number of submissions, over 350 artworks in vary styles and mediums are now on display. With so many incredible and different pieces, we wanted to highlight just a few with a unique point of view.
These six pieces below, give the viewer the ability to walk down a path, gaze from the outside in, and observe still moments often overlooked. Whether it be the swarming sidewalks of Boston, or a neighborhood stroll, we hope these relatable pieces inspire a trip to the Copley Society of Art to admire these outstanding small works in person.
Pictured: Laura Tryon Jennings, CA, Quaintness, oil, 11×11”
Laura Tryon Jennings’s oil painting, Quaintness, allows the viewer to walk down a path of seaside cottages in Nantucket. Jennings received an Award of Merit for this piece, from the Art Committee, noting the paintings exceptional presentation, technique, composition, and style. Awards of Merit truly reflect the effort, talent, and skill of our artist members and we are proud to present them to our artists in every Small Works show.
Pictured: Ana Smyth, Strawbery Banke Snowy Day, oil, 13×11”
In a seasonal departure from Jennings’ piece, Ana Smyth paints the snowy sidewalk near Strawbery Banke. She utilizes wide brush strokes to evoke a nostalgic feeling to the piece. Smyth was interested in taking a plein-air painting of this historic landscape and creating a palpable sense of memory through the work.
Pictured: Kate Sullivan, CM, Walkers Across Copley Square in Winter, graphite and watercolor, 10×10”
Copley Master, Kate Sullivan, paints the typical hustle and bustle of Copley Square by rendering the people in the foreground of the painting in motion. She then dampens the crowds through snow and soft, indirect sunlight, to induce a sense of tranquility within the generally busy square.
Pictured: Cameron Michael Kelley, Greetings From Winter, oil, 12×16”
Cameron Michael Kelley also depicts how snow can change an environment, creating a veil of serenity. In Greetings From Winter, Kelley wanted to romanticize a country snow, rather than the slushy sidewalks of Boston. With small feet imprints in the snow, leading to the red cottage, Kelley is inviting the viewer to imagine the warmth and comfort inside the cottage as well as outside in the snow.
Pictured: Cindy Crimmin, CA, Dusting, pastel, 14×14”
Dusting by Copley Artist, Cindy Crimmin, depicts a fresh fall of snow along a woodsy path. Though the snow has blanketed everything around it, the trail through the trees is still seen. Crimmin uses pastels to allow the subtle color differentiations to really pop.
Pictured: Eli Portman, Beacon Hill Chess Board, watercolor, 12×16”
Eli Portman’s painting Beacon Hill Chess Board illustrates the infostructure of a sidewalk in Boston, possibly waiting for warmer temperatures, so it can be utilized again. With an absence of people in this snowy scene, the chairs seem to burst into action and play the game, while the lamppost, doors and windows, look on in the background.
Happy holidays and remember to stop by Co|So to see these six wonderful works of art as well as a bounty of other incredible pieces on display now through December 23rd. Everything from Holiday Small Works is also available on our website.
We hope to see you soon!