Written by Caroline Browne
As the temperature drops and the days become shorter, the Copley Society of Art radiates warmth and light from the beautiful depictions of warmer weather and seaside subjects that are hanging in this year’s Holiday Small Works show! There are many pieces currently on view that remind us of warmer and longer days. In this week’s blog, we invite you to set sail with us as we take a closer look at five marine paintings featured in Holiday Small Works!
Del-Bourree Bach, CM, At Sundown, acrylic on panel, 10 x 12”
Contemporary realist, Del-Bourree Bach is known for his striking and almost tactile paintings, many of which are inspired by the sea and the life in and around it. Here, the Copley Master utilizes a juxtaposition of cool and warm tones to immerse his audience in the surrounding landscape. The radiating sunlight encompassing the water below encourages viewers to extend their vision into the horizon past the waves below.
Marguerite Moore, CA, On the North River, oil on canvas, 13 x 16”
Marguerite Moore’s subjects consist of New England elements including seascapes, marshland, sailboats, and native blooms. Her paintings stress a sense of time, place, and perspective. Her decadent oil painting is a masterfully rendered exploration of contrast. The dramatic use of varying textures directs the focus in on the sailboat, whose simple, geometric shape sharply contrasts the organic landscape beyond and before it.
Ana Smyth, Motif #1, oil, 15 x 13″
New Artist Member, Ana Smyth creates a beautiful interpretation of an often-portrayed shack in Rockport, MA that has come to be known as “Motif #1.” She combines energetic and abstract color strokes to create the dynamic atmosphere that she wants to share with her viewers. A native of Venezuela, her art is a medley of her love for classic New England and the tropical color palette of her native country. See more of Ana Smyth’s artwork in the upcoming New Members Show 2022, beginning on January 13th in the Upper Gallery!
Nancy Walton, The Fish Pier, watercolor, 12.5 x 10.5”, SOLD
Nancy Walton’s composition is remarkably detailed and delicately rendered with watercolor. Walton’s representational paintings are notable for her use of light, often taking the mundane and creating something extraordinary and sometimes mysterious. Primarily a watercolorist, she explores different subject matter and technique, depending on what she wants to achieve in any given painting, thereby constantly challenging herself.
Mikel Wintermantel, CM, Thinking Big Series #1, oil, 11 x 11”
Mikel Wintermantel’s small landscapes pack emotional drama through vibrant colors and alluring compositions. He is particularly fascinated by how lighting and luminosity affect a scene’s mood, and is keen on capturing the precise moment before the light disappears behind the horizon line. Based in Allegany, NY, the Copley Master takes inspiration from the area’s natural landscapes to paint his richly-colored “Thinking Big” series.
You can see these fantastic works and more in Holiday Small Works, on view virtually and in the Co|So Gallery through December 24th!