The weather outside may be getting chilly, but we feel warm sunshine every time we look at one of Jeanne Rosier Smith’s lush paintings. Through October 2016, the Copley Artist has four beautiful pastel works on display at the Boston Private branch in the Prudential Center.

The attention to detail is evident in every small splash of water in her wave series, and the way colors are softly blended in her warm marsh scene. Smith depicts both the excitement and serenity of nature. Waves crash wildly onto the shore in Effervescence and Sunsplash, but lap gently at the rocks in Summer on the Coast. The pink dusk of the sky matches the gentle, murky water in Marsh Musings, and the tall grass is flecked with life as flowers blossom in different shades of pink, purple and yellow. Smith’s works instantly transport you to the seaside. Look at any one of her paintings, and you can almost hear the lapping of the waves and the cawing of a seagull!

“Every personality gravitates towards its medium: mine is pastel, because I think in colors and I like to work fast. I want to grab what I need without stopping to mix. I enjoy the vibrancy of visual pigment mixing on the surface that pastel allows; it’s a feast for the eyes.” – Jeanne Rosier Smith

Marsh Musings, pastel, 28 x 16

Sunsplashed, pastel, 28 x 16

Summer on the Coast, pastel, 22 x 18

Effervescence, pastel, 24 x 24

By Erica Evans