Summer Art Happenings at The Christina Gallery
Summer is finally in full swing here on the Vineyard. It was a bit of a late arrival for most people because of the extended school season and snow days that needed to be made up. Outside of the uninvited Hurricane Arthur over the 4th of July holiday weekend, it has been a most delightful summer so far. The Town postponed the holiday celebration by a day and it was certainly worth it, the fireworks were spectacular!
New paintings are continuing to arrive daily and we are enjoying the return of Igor Galanin works to the gallery. For those of you familiar with our gallery, you may remember Igor’s work from the past. Very playful and oversized animals and people are the focus of his whimsical and surreal paintings.
[Read more…] about Summer Art Happenings at The Christina Gallery
Plein Air Edgartown 2013
The Christina Gallery, North Water Gallery and Pik Nik Art & Apparel are pleased to announce Plein Air Edgartown 2013 during the week of September 9 – 14, 2013. Artists from each of these three galleries will be out and about on the streets of Edgartown painting each day during the week. This will be a wonderful opportunity for art lovers to see the artists at work and watch them paint.
Artists participating include David Bareford, Traeger di Pietro, Herb Edwards, Lillia Frantin, John Hagen, Marjorie Mason, Anne McGhee, Brandon Newton, Marilyn Simandle, Jeanne Staples, John C. Traynor, Dan VanLandingham, Christie Velesig, Ken Vincent and Wendy Weldon.
An Evening of Fine Art with Island Artist – Marjorie Mason
Tomorrow evening, August 8th, will be the second Evening of Fine Art of the summer 2013 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.
Join us at The Christina Gallery from 6 to 8pm on Thursday August 8th as we open our doors to the public for the opening reception for Marjorie Mason. We look forward seeing you here!
To view new works by Marjorie Mason please click here.
February 2013 – The Upcoming Season
It’s hard to believe it’s already the middle of February because before you know it the daffodils will be blooming around here! We’ve had a little snow here and there, and then of course, there was the blizzard of 2013 which really was a major event here in New England. We received about a foot of snow on the island and it was very pretty, like a winter wonderland!
I have been spending my time preparing for the summer 2013 season and have a great schedule of events. First up, will be an exhibition of paintings by long time gallery favorite, John C. Traynor. We will be displaying works from his recent travels, including Scotland, Ireland, France and maybe even some of Italy, if he makes the trip as currently planned for this Spring.
“Menemsha Harbor”
by John C. Traynor
“Home & Abroad”
June 27 – July 7, 2013
Lillia Frantin will be present for our July gallery stroll event and we will feature her wonderful modernist paintings. She was new to the gallery’s collection last season and her colorful and spontaneous paintings were very well received.
by Lillia Frantin
“In a Summer Light”
July 11 – 18, 2013
During the August gallery stroll, island artist Marjorie Mason will be on hand to talk about her recent paintings of Martha’s Vineyard. As always, that is a popular event!
by Marjorie Mason
“Vineyard Landscapes”
August 8 – 15, 2013
And stay tuned, in September we are planning a “plein air” painting event with one of the other galleries in town. You will be able to watch many artists around town painting and interpreting what they are seeing. More details to follow as they become available.
An “Evening of Fine Art” with Marjorie Mason & Sandi Blanda
This upcoming Thursday evening, August 9th, 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.
Join us at The Christina Gallery from 6 to 8pm on Thursday August 9th 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!
The First Gallery Stroll and an Interview with Lloyd Kelly
Last night’s reception of Lloyd Kelly’s “Paintings of Provence” coincided with the first Gallery Stroll of Summer 2012. The gallery was filled with visitors from all sides of the island. Guests enjoyed drinks and conversation while looking at paintings by artists such as William Davis, John Traynor, Russell Gordon, Lillia Frantin and four generations of the Pissarro family.
After viewing “Paintings of Provence,” I was able to enjoy a conversation with the artist Lloyd Kelly. He talked candidly about his inspiration for the show, his approach to painting in general, and his interest in the Far East. – Erica Udow, Gallery Associate, The Christina Gallery
An Interview with Lloyd:
The theme of this exhibition is Provence, France. Many artists in history have embraced this subject. What inspired you to continue the tradition?
“Impressionists called themselves Japanesists because they were so influenced by the Japanese. The South of France is inspirational because of the food, the wine…magic light there. It is still a big influence on artists today. There is such diversity of landscape; nature is so present. It energizes the artist and inspires…”
Speaking of inspiration, you have spoken of the influence the eighteenth century Japanese artist Ito Jakuchu has had on your work. How did that develop?
“First of all through textbooks and also through my interest in martial arts and Tai Chi starting as a child. My father was in the military and travelled to Japan. Because of things that my father brought back, I started becoming more and more interested in China and Japan.”
What about Jakuchu’s work appeals to you?
“The specific influence of Ito is that he incorporates asymmetric balance that for the time was very unique. He really is arguably one of the greatest artists of all time.”
Are there other artists whose work you find to be particularly influential?
“Do you know the artist Morandi? Giorgio Morandi was from Bologna. He was very influential on people like Rothko. You name the big artist and they were all looking towards Morandi. He has always been an artist’s artist. He takes very simple objects that are conventional so that [the object], be it landscape or still life, is not about the subject matter at all, it just becomes a way into the subject matter.”
In “Arts & Ideas” you mention that your work is abstract and not only about the obvious subject matter of the painting. Is Morandi’s approach what you are referring to?”
“For example the Chinese and Japanese will paint the same peach blossom for generations. It is not about the peach blossom [itself], but what each artist brings to the peach blossom. Morandi lived with his mother and painted the same objects over and over…dealing with abstract and contemporary issues… moving around space, and color. [He made] the subject matter accessible to the viewer. It is really about something else even though the subject matter is traditional and conventional.”
I read about your use of bourbon as paint thinner in a series of equestrian portraits you painted a few years ago. Have you continued to use this technique in your recent works, or was that an one-off experiment?
“I use lavender oil in the paint. Sometimes, in fact, the UPS people will ask ‘what is this I have in my truck!’ Spike of lavender was used during the Renaissance… It causes the paint to flow. It slows down the drying and one can really draw with the paint. I use it in small passages, often in the lavender blossoms themselves. I sometimes use bourbon or cognac or calvados. I go to the distilleries and they give me the designate, which is completely clear, and does not contain the chemicals and tannins and so forth. It disperses the pigments differently than chemical mediums.”
How did you come up with the idea to use unconventional mediums?
“After school I [completed coursework in] Museum Studies at The Louvre and The Tate. I collected [indigenous materials]. I think it is fun. I think it’s interesting. There’s some sort of an authenticity to it. It is kind of like living off the land. I think that the source is from my museum education at the Louvre.”
Your oil paintings demonstrate an adept ability to manipulate color…
“You can only get about 170 colors [readymade from an art store]. The human eye, untrained, can see up to 700 with no problem. With a little training [it] can see up to a few thousand. The interaction of colors is something that interests me a lot. That is why I do so much under painting. The viewer’s eye mixes the colors. The colors that I mix are [just the first step in creating the final product]. The viewer’s eye brings it together to another place.”
Four Generations: Camille Pissarro & Family
Born on the island of St. Thomas in 1830, Camille Pissarro became a master of the Impressionist movement whose influence extended to not only his contemporaries in Paris, where his career blossomed, but also to his own immediate family. Pissarro learned to paint by carefully observing the changing light during different times of day and different seasons, a legacy he passed on to all those who studied under him.
Of Pissarro’s seven children, four of his sons grew to be respected artists in their own right; Lucien, Ludovic-Rodo, Georges Henri and Paulémile. Lucien, the eldest, was skilled in a variety of media, ranging from oils and watercolors to engravings and lithographs. Aside from studying under his father, he also surrounded himself with such figures as Paul Signac and Georges Seurat. The pointillist style practiced by these two masters affected Lucien’s style, as well as his father’s.
Though Lucien eventually moved to London permanently, playing a large role in spreading the Impressionist movement in Britain, the majority of Camille’s other artistic protégés remained closer to home. Georges Henri, who went by the alias “Manzana” in his earlier years, was a prolific painter and decorative artist who regularly exhibited paintings in the avant-garde galleries and exhibitions across Paris, including but not limited to the “Salon d’Automne” and the “Salon de Independents.”
Georges Henri’s next closest brother, Ludovic-Rodo, was a figure in the anti-academic Parisian art world; his first woodcuts were published in the anarchist journal Le Pere Peunard. Rodo and the youngest Pissarro brother, Paulémile, lived in the Montmarte region and frequented the nightlife and cafe scene there, coming into contact with such Fauvists as Maurice Vlaminck, Kees Van Dongen and Raoul Dufy.
Paulémile’s oldest child, Hugues Claude, who was named after his godfather, Claude Monet, was born in 1935 and is still actively painting. Initially taught by his father, Hugues first exhibited his work at the age of fourteen. He subsequently studied art in Paris at prestigious establishments such as Ecole du Musée du Louvre and, in particular, at Ecole Normale Supérieur, a unique French institution dedicated to the pursuit of achievement and excellence to which only the academic elite have access. Hugues youngest child, Lélia was born in 1963. She has been painting since she was four and was educated by her grandfather, Paulémile. Her interest in drawing and painting was nurtured by her grandfather, who taught her the fundamental impressionist and post-impressionist techniques.
“Paintings of Provence” by Lloyd Kelly
Lloyd Kelly is internationally renowned for his landscape and equestrian oil paintings. He has exhibited at The Christina Gallery since 1994 as well as at galleries and museums around the world including the United States, Mexico, Japan, China, France and Italy.
Kelly’s works are often celebrated for their bold use of color and unique asymmetrical balance. High horizon lines simultaneously provide the viewer with both an interesting focal point and an entryway into the canvas. Diagonal lines extend off the canvas out into the viewers’ space, resulting in the dissolution of barriers between reality and the world created by the artist’s brush. This technique allows the viewer to become a part of the painting.
A consistent thread seen in Kelly’s work throughout his career is his use of complementary colors in the fore and background of his paintings. He places great importance on the under-painting of his canvases. The contrast that his layering creates adds dramatic tension to the deceivingly simple compositions and subjects. His selection of beautiful and serene subjects such as lush lavender fields and floral still-lifes are familiar to viewers. Kelly himself frequently reminds the viewer that his work is abstract and that diverse and unexpected meaning can be found in even the most seemingly innocuous subject matters. The painting is not only about the object itself; conventional subjects become a way to express other ideas.
From July 5-19, 2012 The Christina Gallery will have on view an exhibition of original oil paintings by Lloyd Kelly entitled “Paintings of Provence.” Inspiration for the works in this show comes from Kelly’s travels to the south of France. Many master painters in history are either from, or travelled to, Provence. The rolling hills, impressive architecture and surreal natural lighting provide a rich subject matter for this collection of paintings. As Kelly explains, “The south of France is inspirational because of the food, the wine, and the magic light there. It is still a big influence on artists today. There is such a rich diversity of landscape; nature is so present. It energizes the artist and inspires…”
We hope to see you at The Christina Gallery for our first show of the 2012 Summer Season!
January 2012 – The Upcoming Season
Happy New Year! We found 2011 to be a very optimistic year for the gallery. The economy is starting to improve and more importantly art patrons are once again purchasing. We want to thank all of you who passed through the gallery this past year, it was a pleasure to work with you, we appreciate your business and we look forward to seeing you again this season.
Last season’s exhibitions featuring four generations of Camille Pissarro’s family was a resounding success, as was “Favorite Places” featuring the work of acclaimed artist John Traynor. Sandi Blanda held her first workshop on Martha’s Vineyard on how to make Sailors’ Valentines. Everyone who took the three day workshop had a wonderful time with her. One of the participants even entered her completed valentine at the Agricultural Fair in August and won second place for her creation! More recently we exhibited at the 15th Annual Boston International Fine Art Show which proved to be a very interesting weekend meeting new clients and catching up with our colleagues.
This can be considered a quiet time on the Vineyard, but we are very busy planning the upcoming season and talking to artists about their works. And we do have artists sending new work now. We received this painting by William R. Davis last week and it’s absolutely stunning!
Our website is a current representation of the gallery’s inventory and as new works become available they will be added.
We will be traveling to Paris at the end of this month to see several dealers for our Works on Paper collection. We recently sold La Danse a la Campagne by Pierre-Auguste Renoir and Histoire Ennuyeuse by James Jacques Tissot; and find our collection of works in need of some new acquisitions. This season we again will feature an exhibition of the Works on Paper, which will include the Pissarro family, as well as other notable modern masters.
We also have an exhibition planned for early July with Lloyd Kelly featuring paintings of the French countryside and other interests. Lloyd is a very accomplished artist whose paintings have hung in many of our American embassies abroad, as well as, many private collections in this country. The last exhibition we did with Lloyd was at the National Arts Club in New York City in 2004 so we are very much looking forward to sharing with you his new works this July.
There will be two gallery strolls this summer, the first taking place on Thursday, July 12th and the second on Thursday, August 9th. Sandi Blanda will be back for another Sailors’ Valentine workshop the second week of August. This summer’s workshop will include an advance class for those who took last summer’s workshop.
We will keep you posted on the gallery’s news and happenings throughout the winter. If you find yourself on the Vineyard over the next couple of months please stop by and say hello as we are open year round.
Our best to you and yours and wishing you all a happy and healthy new year!
Sailors’ Valentine workshop with Sandi Blanda
Last week award-winning artist Sandi Blanda was on the island to teach a workshop on how to make Sailors’ Valentines. Sandi is very well known for her own work and has been teaching workshops for several years, though this was her first workshop on Martha’s Vineyard. The workshop was filled to capacity and it was a tremendous success! It took place over the course of three mornings and was held at the Boathouse, here in downtown Edgartown.
Thirteen people signed up for the workshop, four participants had taken a workshop in the past, and the other nine people had not. So understandably there was a little hesitation on their part, but once Sandi got everyone involved the group moved right along and most days stayed later to ask questions and continue their creations.
On the first day everyone learned about the different shells supplied by Sandi and the other materials they would be using to create their valentines. They learned the basics and then were assigned homework which entailed coming back in the morning with an idea for a design. Which everyone did and began to layout the different shells and other components to create their valentine.
On the last morning, the group started to permanently assemble their creations, some of whom finished and others whom had a beautiful work in progress. Sandi had a wonderful time getting to know her new friends and is looking forward to next summer’s workshop. To view more photographs and a video of this summer’s workshop please visit the gallery’s Facebook page.
“En Plein Air” with Jan Pawlowski
Jan Pawlowski is known internationally for his impressionist seascapes, landscapes and city scenes. Sunday the 24th of July marked the opening of the Polish artist’s one man show here at The Christina Gallery. Pawlowski has been a frequent visitor to Martha’s Vineyard since joining the gallery in 1996.
This exhibition of his work highlights these visits as he displays views of the island. The paintings displayed in the show demonstrate Pawlowski’s confident and quick brushstrokes as well as his sensitive understanding of color and form. Pawlowski’s followers appreciate his bright and serene palette.
Paintings such as “June Afternoon, Edgartown Yacht Club” capture the essence of the Vineyard. A light wind blows causing the American flag to flutter in the wind and a cluster of sailboats breeze by in the distance. Pawlowski manipulates the oil paint masterfully, transforming a few simple brushstrokes into light and fluffy clouds gracing the otherwise clear afternoon sky.
Jan Pawlowski paints en plein air or ‘in the open air.’ This technique of painting was advocated by the Impressionists of the late 19th century. In 1841 tubes of paint were invented, allowing artists to easily transport their materials and paint from life wherever they were inspired. Prior to this invention, artists and their assistants hand ground pigments and produced their own paints. Many art historians and critics credit the creation of tubes of paint for the development of Impressionism for it was the ease of movement that allowed artists to paint outdoors. Pawlowski embraces this technique and can often be found along the beaches and waterfronts of Martha’s Vineyard capturing the jovial atmosphere of the island with his expressive brushstrokes and pleasing palette.
Pawlowski has been recognized for his oeuvre of artwork by the Polish government; in 1979 he was awarded the highest honor given, called “Authorization and Certification.” His work was also in the collection of Pope John Paul II.
