Something unique and not before shown at the Jessie Edwards Gallery on Block Island is the upcoming exhibition by Kate Knapp titled ‘Dories Rock as Artist’s Muse’ opening in the gallery and online from September 21, 2024.
Kate Knapp is a familiar and revered artist on Block Island and her work has been exhibited at the Jessie Edwards Gallery for many years. Throughout this time, there has been a rock at Dories Cove which often makes an appearance. The difference in this upcoming show is that all twelve 24 x 24” oil on canvas works are of the same rock, painted in different light and at various times of day, over many seasons and years. Knapp’s love of water, light and the island comes through over and over again in each piece. What makes this interesting for the artist is the way she has to paint: rapidly and without ego. Kate paints en plein air and to capture the light and feel she needs to work quickly. There is no time for contemplating brush strokes or placement, she must make decisions on what to capture as the light changes every few minutes. Each of these paintings is done in a short time frame. Her desire is to capture the rock and water and sky as it is in that brief time because as anyone knows, light and mood and feel changes quickly on the island.
The artist says she must be completely focused on the view in front of her as she makes decisions on what to capture. Each work is a study in how she responds to the light at that time of day. Although she knows what it is she’s coming to paint as she sets up her easel and oils, she’s been doing it for decades now, the scene is never the same. She loves all of these paintings because she doesn’t have to be in control of it: the colors and movement flow as each study represents a spontaneous response to something she loves. The rock stands steady through it all as the weather and light change around it.
While many of the paintings capture the late afternoon or evening, there are some which portray the early morning such as ‘Dories Rock Morning Light’. The colors of the water at this time of day are deep and varied and Kate captures the nuance of the sun higher in the sky reflecting off the ocean. The rocky foreshore balances with the focus rock to create a piece that is vibrant and engaging.
In ‘Dories Rock High Seas’, Knapp has captured the colors of a stormy sea as it moves around and envelopes the rock. The light helps to make this painting full of a complement of stormy weather hues which create a mesmerising visual tableau.
‘Dories Rock at Sunset with Path of Light’ is a vibrant capture of what could only have been a magnificent late afternoon sky. This painting reminds the viewer what it is to be on Block Island watching a sunset at the end of a perfect Block Island summer’s day.
Please stop by the gallery, in person or online, to view ‘Dories Rock as Artist’s Muse’ by Kate Knapp. The fall hours at the gallery, upstairs in the iconic Post Office Building in Old Harbor, are Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Monday 11-4 pm and Sunday 11 – 3pm and by appointment at other times.