August 2012 – The Christina Gallery

An Interview with John C. Traynor

This past week John Traynor visited Martha’s Vineyard. I was able to steal him away from painting for a short while in order to talk to him about his artwork. Traynor has had a successful career as an artist, commemorated by over 200 awards. Read on to hear about John’s affinity for the Vineyard and his inherent ability to capture the splendor of nature.

By Erica Udow, Gallery Associate

You have been visiting Martha’s Vineyard in the summertime for many years. What is it that attracts you to the island?

I like the peacefulness of Martha’s Vineyard. Of course, the past couple of days have been nice with the sunny weather and the light breeze. Like many visitors to the island, I come near the water and immediately relax.

Do you have any favorite spots to go and paint?

I used to like painting Menemsha, but a little bit of the old world feeling is going away. I like the variety of the different towns. We usually go for breakfast out by Gay Head near the Indian Reservation. It’s nice having come here for a while, to have our favorite places that we go back to time and time again.

On the East Coast everyday is different. If you own a house here you can sit in the same spot at the same time each day and see a completely different landscape with a different sky reflecting into the water. That phenomenon is unique to this area. I spent some time traveling on the West Coast this year and was able to experience and paint some striking landscapes in Hawaii and Carmel, California. There are varied landscapes in those areas, but the sky doesn’t change in the same way as it does along the East Coast.

Last summer the theme of your exhibition at The Christina Gallery was “Favorite Places,” based on your travels around Europe. What themes are you developing for next summer’s exhibition?

This trip I’m getting things together. I’ll have some local Vineyard scenes for the exhibition next year. I’ve never been here in August before. We usually visit in July so I’m absorbing different scenery and changes in the landscape. I will be back here next summer when the roses are out; hopefully I’ll include those paintings in the show. I tend to let themes emerge naturally, so I’ll have a better idea of what the exhibition will look like by the spring [2013]. Until then, I will paint whatever inspires me. I have recently become more interested in figurative painting. This trip to the Vineyard I have spent time paying attention to the way people interact and taking photographs when people catch my eye. I’m always thinking about how to improve my paintings.

Is most of your current work done on location or in the studio?

I spend a lot of time painting outside on location. If you’re out for a couple of hours things happen. You meet people. Being outside you have the smells and the sounds…other senses to go by.

When I look at your artwork I’m immediately drawn to the way you are able to depict natural light. Your paintings seem to glow from within and the way sun breaks through the clouds in a natural, graceful way.

When I paint outside, that’s the first thing I think about – the light. The light changes in about an hour to an hour and a half so I try to work quickly within that time frame before the light changes drastically. When painting I learned to use light to help the viewers’ eye move around the painting. Painters that I like from the past do that really well. For me capturing the light is about capturing the feeling of the moment and the scene. I want to share that feeling with the viewer and help them experience my painting with all of their senses.

What artists inspire your approach to depicting light?

Old masters like Rembrandt and more modern artists like George Ennis, who was part of the nineteenth century Hudson River School. As I developed my own painting I became interested in the moment when Impressionism came to America. Frederick Mulhaupt of the Gloucester School was an interesting artist. He was able to capture the complete ambiance of a scene in each painting. I try to do the same in each of my works.

Do you ever paint alongside other artists or do you prefer to work alone?

A lot of the trips I go on, I really just want to paint. Once in awhile I go out with someone else and paint together, but for the most part I work alone.

What is the intention behind your paintings? Clearly, there is a focus on the portrayal of light, but are you also trying to impart a message upon your viewers?

I interpret what I look at; that’s what I want to pass on to the viewer – the beauty of nature and the implications of light. People have told me that they look at my artwork and are immediately able to relax. Today everything is mechanical. When someone has something that is made without technology it is really special. I want to leave my viewers with something honest. I want to share what I see; the spontaneity, the structure and the beauty of what is all around us.

You can find more information about Traynor’s Summer 2011 exhibition, “Favorite Places,” at The Christina Gallery here.

John Powell’s Visions of Paradise

John Powell is a bold artist. He doesn’t shy away from color or detail as is so clearly evidenced in any one of his oil paintings. Powell has an uncanny ability to meld reality with fantasy to create lush landscapes and ornate still-life’s. Perhaps his interpretation of the world comes from his Hollywood roots; John Powell grew up in Hollywood, California. As a young man Powell joined the Navy for a four year stint. Two of those years were spent based in Japan where he developed a deep-seeded interest in the Far East and Japanese culture. Throughout his life Powell has continued to travel and collect objects from around the world. These artifacts feature prominently in his paintings.

"Window Nook" by John Powell — “Window Nook” by John Powell

Powell’s steady hand and vivid imagination lead to incredibly detailed images, both in the foreground and background. Not a single blade of grass or curlicue design on a Japanese vase escapes Powell’s grasp. Incredibly, this inundation of information does not overwhelm the viewer, but rather heightens one’s senses. The viewer is drawn into the scene and soaks up every detail. Nothing escapes Powell’s observant eye. In “Window Nook” we see no fewer than six different vases, four tables, and three ornate textiles portrayed. Those objects only begin to make up the background of painting. The true subject of the painting is the vibrant flowers that seem to grow out of the canvas, blooming in every inch of the artwork.

Powell has often spoken of his intense interest in color that drove him to pursue painting. “I was on a bus going home to Hollywood. The evening was warm and the shadows were strong. Suddenly it hit me – there they were; all the colors my father and Will were talking about.” His father, a respected Californian artist, taught Powell to draw but wouldn’t allow him to paint until he had learned the basics and first became an accomplished draftsman.

At the age of 82, John Powell is still expanding his oeuvre and developing new techniques. Speaking about a recently completed large-scale work “’This was a first for me as far as painting a triptych this size. It presented new challenges as well as new goals and growth for me as an artist.” Not only did Powell tackle an enormous project (the completed work stands at 15’ high and 3’ wide), but the underwater subject was also a departure from the garden-scapes for which he is known. Many of John Powell’s new paintings are currently on display at The Christina Gallery. Come visit us in Edgartown to see these elaborate artworks yourself.

An Art Nouveau Calendar

Art Nouveau, although short-lived, defined the social landscape of turn of the century Europe. The movement sought to socialize all art forms, viewing crafts and decorative arts as equally valuable to what has historically been known as ‘high art,’ painting and sculpture. Artists working within the style created modern motifs blending organic curvilinear shapes with angular designs. Art Nouveau can be seen as a rejection of the ornate art celebrated in the Victorian-era and the patronizing academic attitude often credited for the decline in the prestige of decorative art.

In 1894 the French department store La Belle Jardinière commissioned Grasset to complete a series of twelve original artworks for a calendar the fashionable retailer would then publish. In twelve iterations corresponding to each calendar month, Grasset depicts beautiful young women in seasonal costumes and gardens that incorporate his signature Art Nouveau style into whimsical color wood engravings. In “Octobre” a woman is shown raking leaves in an autumn garden full of green, yellow and brown foliage. Despite partaking in yard work the woman is elegantly dressed, advertising La Belle Jardinière. She wears a long-sleeved yellow dress and a wide brimmed hat protecting her from the elements; her skirt is blowing in the breeze.

Eugène Grasset’s diverse body of work exemplifies the attempt to eliminate the hierarchy of the arts. Best known for his poster art, his career spanned a multitude of different media including drawing, sculpture, architecture, tapestry, ceramics and jewelry-making. Grasset approached each endeavor with the same enthusiasm and did not discriminate against lesser-appreciated craft-art. The 19^th century had been a time of great industrial achievement yet the quality and workmanship of decorative arts was not yet up to par. Grasset, and other Art Nouveau artists, returned the skill to craft-making.

All twelve images can be seen here and at The Christina Gallery. Read more of Eugène Grasset’s biography here.

An “Evening of Fine Art” with Marjorie Mason & Sandi Blanda

This upcoming Thursday evening, August 9^th, will be the second “Evening of Fine Art” of the summer 2012 season. Here at The Christina Gallery we will be featuring the work of island favorite, Marjorie Mason. Mason has developed an impressive following of patrons since her graduation from the prestigious Rhode Island School of Art and Design in 1981. Her body of work is composed mainly of beach and landscapes from around the Vineyard.

Sailors’ Valentines by award-winning artist Sandi Blanda will also be highlighted during the evening stroll. Read more about the maritime history of Sailor’s Valentines here. Blanda will be running her annual workshop from August 7 – 10, 2012.

"Crimson Tide" by Sandi Blanda — “Crimson Tide” by Sandi Blanda

Join us at The Christina Gallery from 6 to 8pm on Thursday August 9^th as we open our doors to the public for the opening reception for Marjorie Mason and Sandi Blanda. We look forward to seeing you here!

August 2012 Archives