As the summer months come to a close, so does Ship to Shore in the Upper Gallery at the Copley Society of Art. This show has proven successful over its 6-week duration, impressing visitors to the gallery and being featured in magazines such as the Improper Bostonian and Artscope.
The 36 featured works show the comprehensive range of Co|So’s artist members; there is certainly something to satisfy every art lover’s taste. The Copley Society boasts a strong roster of realist painters, many of whom are featured in this show. Timothy Neill and Susanne Taylor’s floral still-lifes show off the artists’ in-depth understanding of light. Each petal is a slightly different shade, emphasizing the different shadows created in the bouquets.
(L to R): Birds of Paradise by Tim Neill, Lilies with a View by Susanne Taylor
Elizabeth Saitta’s black and white work of cut paper, “Marina Bay,” inserts visitors on a boat dock. A city skyline is visible in the distance, and there are boats parked and waiting to take the viewer out on the water away from the bustling city. Page Pearson Railsback’s painting tosses the viewer into a dense “Urban Harbor,” with her abstract shapes and strong color palette. The busy image creates a synesthetic feeling, where the colors and forms are as loud as the scene she is depicting must be. While Saitta gives viewers an escape from the city, Railsback forces them right into the thick of it.
(L to R): Marina Bay by Elizabeth Saitta, Urban Harbor by Page Pearson Railsback
If abstraction is your taste, yet you desire a calmer painting, Ginny Zanger’s “Free Float” is the perfect piece. Tropical fish glide across the paper through brilliant blue water. The dark navy juxtaposed against the cyan counterpart perfectly captures the shades of ocean water and slows viewers down to island time.
Free Float by Ginny Zanger
Whether a childhood memory or a weekend day dream, boats are able to extract people’s playful side. Ruth Rooks and Richard Field both have created playful scenes. Rooks’ colorful tug boat looks like it could fit right onto Field’s toy shelf. From opposite sides of the gallery these two works complement each other, even with their different mediums.
(L to R): Work to be Done by Ruth Rooks, Park and Float by Richard Field
With over 350 artists, Ship to Shore certainly demonstrates the talent housed at Co|So. Ship to Shore avoids being a cliché summer show, by the wide range of subjects and styles. We appreciate all artists who participated, and visitors who admired their work.
By: Madeleine Gauthier