Kate Knapp takes us on a journey in her upcoming show at the Jessie Edwards Gallery July 24 – Aug 5th
Kate Knapp knows Block Island and her latest exhibition at the Jessie Edwards Gallery is poignantly named ‘The Great Adventure of Painting Block Island’. Her love and sense of this place is keenly felt in these 10 new works that will be on display from July 24th – August 5th. Her use of color and place do truly feel like she is taking us along on a great adventure that she is curating. Her unique vision and expression of places and views evoke an emotional and inspired response in her as well as the viewer. For Kate, van Gogh encapsulates what she is trying to convey with her work in this quote attributed to him: “But I find in my work an echo of what has inspired me after all. I see that Nature has told me something, has spoken to me, and I have put it down as best I could…”. She sees a scene, responds to it by painting it as best she can, hoping it leaves an echo of her experience of that place and feeling she gets from it for the viewer to incorporate when they see the painting. We truly do get a sense of that in this show.
Many of these works, all oil paintings, have an actual or imagined sense of being on a porch, ocean somewhere in the distance, anchoring us to the place. If you’re at home viewing this exhibit online, we invite you to grab your favorite beverage, find a comfy place to sit, and come with us as we begin the journey.
We start the adventure with ‘Bouquet on the West Side Porch’ (20 x 20”), a favorite place and view for the artist. The day is calm and captivating. It reminds us of the beauty of summer and the bounty of seasonal flowers and how it feels to have a cherished place to sit and enjoy this place and magnificent day, surrounded by simple pleasures and a beautiful view.
Next stop on the tour is ‘Southeast Light BI’. The lighthouses on each end of this island are crucial parts of the landscape and the artist’s portrayal of the one that protects mariners to the south is inviting. The structure itself is interesting and Kate portrays the intricacy and warmth of the lighthouse, giving the viewer a different perspective on this somewhat stark landmark. The red brick against the perfect blue sky is captivating.
Kate takes us to ‘East Side Bluffs’ and shares a hidden treasure on this part of the island. It’s an unusual spot we don’t often see and this quintessential day offers us blue sky, ocean breezes, beach roses and a view that is unencumbered. What a spot to look out upon from our tucked away house above the bluff.
There are places hidden away in the new harbor and the artist uncovers a sweet one in ‘Rowboat at the Dock, Evening Light’. The deep colors of a solstice sunset lend a depth to this work that would be so different in the brighter light of midday. Being shown a glimpse of this scene, an echo if you will, of a well-used boat in a quiet part at the end of a day leaves the viewer with a serene sense of time and space.
This tour ends at ‘Sunset, Great Salt Pond’. It’s been an adventure-filled day and a perfect way to end it, is sitting on a porch, overlooking the pond as the sun sets beyond to the west. This painting really does encapsulate the van Gogh quote because Kate, having seen this gorgeous end to the day, has painted it in a style reminiscent of van Gogh. It does leave an echo of the actual day. What a gift we are given to have that echo shared with us by such an accomplished artist who loves this island as much as we do.
If you are lucky enough to be on Block Island please stop by to see this show, upstairs in the iconic Post Office Building in Old Harbor.