Co|So is excited to bring you our most anticipated exhibition of the year: Holiday Small Works! Open to every one of our artist members and guaranteed to have their work displayed, we receive hundreds of pieces for the show. With a wide variety of mediums, from collage to photography to traditional painting, each patron is bound to find a piece that catches their eye.
While each work is special in its own way, our Art Committee has selected several to bestow with an award of merit. For this month’s blog, we are pleased to share those pieces with you.
William Hays, Incoming Tide, linocut print, 22×18″ framed
In his piece, “Incoming Tide,” William Hays creates a realistic marine landscape through the difficult medium of linocut printing. With details as small as the reflections of light beneath the water’s surface, or the bubbles and ripples of the mellow waves, Hays has meticulously etched each dot, dash, and line of his piece.
Paul Beckingham, St. Nicolas, oil, 11×13″
Paul Beckingham’s “St. Nicolas” portrays a haunting cityscape of a historic church in England. A distinctive turquoise sky glows behind the moody architecture cast in shadow, creating the atmosphere of walking through a ghost town at dusk. Abstaining from intricate detail in the background, Beckingham emphasizes the church subject with stippled stonework and delicately placed highlights.
Oana Lauric (CA), Crisp, acrylic, 13.5×13.5″
“Crisp” by Oana Lauric (CA) is not your typical snow scene. Rather than choosing a muted palette, Lauric opted for vibrant, in-your-face acrylic colors that simply cannot translate through a digital photo. The snow and sky are dynamic–comprised of pinks, blues, and even a touch of green, while the lines of the people and architecture curve and multiply to create stunning movement.
Joe Reardon (CA), Bandon, photography, 12×16″
It’s no secret that Joe Reardon (CA) is a phenomenal photographer, and his piece “Bandon” is an excellent example of his skill. The way the sky glows behind the distant, looming land forms and the light reflecting off the crashing waves and exude a celestial fantasy. The horizontal lines formed by the tide, combined with the vertical markings made in the wet sand, create remarkable geometric features in such a natural landscape.
Janine Robertson, Rising Blue, oil on aluminum, 13×11″
Janine Robertson (CA) brings us one of her signature landscapes with “Rising Blue.” Framed by a vibrant, ultramarine sky, the clouds are the clear subject of the piece. Embellished with blues, tans, and pinks, the expressive sky dances over a more muted marsh. However, a true Robertson fan knows that if you shine a light over the piece, the marsh will light up from the aluminum canvas underneath.
Dave Kaphammer (CA), Winter Shadows, pastel, 11×14″
“Winter Shadows” by Dave Kaphammer (CA) may be a snowscape, but the viewer can practically feel the warmth of the late-afternoon sun. Filtering through the trees, the light casts long shadows across the piece. Utilizing a myriad of blues, Kaphammer impeccably recreates the cold glow of snow combined with the cool light of a lowering sun.
David Wells Roth, Moonlight on Beacon Street, oil on canvas, 15×12″
David Wells Roth creates a winter fairytale in his piece, “Moonlight on Beacon Street.” The softly blended lines and the muted palette create an air of tranquility, and the moon casts a radiant light that reflects delightfully off of the street and buildings. Roth adds a soft haze around the streetlights and receding road, creating the effect of snow or fog.
Doron Putka (CM), Hill Top, collage, 13×15.5″
Doron Putka (CM) takes simple shapes and collages them to create a strong composition in her piece, “Hill Top.” With only a touch of gradient in the sky, she utilizes hard lines, sharp edges, and graphic colors to form an easily recognizable landscape. Despite the simplicity, Putka does not stray from significant details, including the shadows cast on the ground and the trunks of trees.
Debra Keirce, After Hours, oil on panel presented in sculpture, 16x11x4″
“After Hours” by Debra Keirce displays an oil painting in quite a unique way. Cradled in a wooden structure as opposed to a typical frame, the painting emanates the calm-after-a-storm atmosphere found in the after-hours of a bar. Keirce describes the piece, saying, “Have you ever noticed that there is a peace and solitude in bars after hours that eludes you when you are there enjoying your cocktail? There’s something magical that happens when the lights go down and the music stops playing. Suddenly the reflections of the liquids and glass take on a life and a beauty all their own.”
Ellen Hopkins Fountain, Late Day, Lee, watercolor, 15×12″
The watercolor, “Late Day, Lee,” by Ellen Hopkins Fountain depicts a serene sunset framed by dark clouds and a shadowed landscape. The evening light reflects brightly on the road, partnering with the looming clouds to suggest a rainfall earlier in the day. The bare trees create an air of winter, and the powerlines industrialize the otherwise rural landscape.
You can preview the rest of the Holiday Small Works exhibition online here.
We hope to see you in the gallery soon! Now open Sundays 12-5pm through December 22nd.