Whitney Knapp Bowditch’s exhibition ‘Island Light’ shines at the Jessie Edwards Gallery from July 10 – July 22nd.
Whitney Knapp Bowditch is well known in the gallery for her beautiful works of all the places, moods and times of day we love on Block Island. In this new body of work there is much to calm our souls and open our hearts. She shares with us 25 pieces of Block Island we will want to take home with us.
This show is mostly smaller works, comprising of oil on paper works ranging in size from 7 x 11.25” to 10.75 x 13.25”. There is also a larger oil on canvas piece, a large pastel on paper and three smaller oil on cradled wood at 5 x 7” and one 8” round painting on wood. There are sunrises and sunsets; cloudy days and sunny ones. There are representational scenes along with some more abstracted work of places that feel familiar. Most of them, though, carry the element of light and this is a central theme in Whitney’s work.
Light is felt more acutely at night and this is exquisitely portrayed in ‘Constellations over Fresh Pond’. This painting reminds us of the magic a starry night on Block Island offers, especially when the moon is obscured by passing clouds. This painting draws the viewer into the perfectly reflected light on the pond, beckoning us to linger just a little bit longer.
The beauty of ‘Moonlit Path’ is its seeming simplicity. It is a calm and welcoming vista, so much so that we can feel ourselves being drawn down the path towards the water. It is a perfect night to quietly explore this path and place. The way the light is rendered is sublime and the artist uses the nuances of light to perfectly capture the feeling of a night like this.
The theme of light, and lightness of joy, carries through a couple of her paintings incorporating fireworks. The blaze of color in ‘Island Fireworks’ is magnificent. We can feel the collective ‘oohs’ and ‘ahhs’ that this scene would have evoked for the onlookers. Pure colorful magic!
Pastels are a true love of the artist’s and her uncanny ability to capture light and movement are seen in ‘Suspended Tide’, a vertical pastel on paper (24 x 34”). The whole piece is captivating in its dance between light and shadow, sky and sea. It feels like a breakthrough moment, which would change completely if the sun should appear. That we are witnessing this moment is truly breathtaking.
‘Sunset over the Oar’ (5 x 7” oil on cradled wood) packs so much into its small size. The light and color, movement and stillness all delight the viewer. It is the perfect end to a perfect day in this beautiful place we love.
Please join us in the Gallery, upstairs in the iconic Post Office Building in Old Harbor or online at www.JessieEdwards.Gallery.com. We are open everyday, except Tuesdays, from 10am – 5pm and by appointment at other times.