The 26th season of the Jessie Edwards Studio opens with an exhibit of art by gallery artists Heidi Palmer, the late William Skardon, Tom Martinelli, James Kimak, Jessie Edwards, Stephan Haley, and others. The exhibit runs from May 28 to June 14 on the second floor of the Post Office Building. The Annual Memorial Day Weekend Open House is on May 29 and 30 from 11-5pm.
These pieces take us through the seasons beginning with Edwards’ “Winter Shadows,” a small sepia ink with watercolor. A pale winter light falls on several sheds and outbuildings. Long, bare branches from a tree in the right foreground cast shadow across the white sides of the sheds. Behind, the sky is filled with clouds with a touch of blue which repeated in a glimpse of the blue waters of a pond beyond the sheds.
Heidi Palmer’s two oils-on-canvas could be any season but the light in her scenes of the interior of the ferry with views of the water suggest an off-season journey, perhaps spring. In “Heading Out,” an early morning sun lights up four empty seats and also the surf splashing against the breakwater as the boat heads out to sea. The light is a bit hazier in “Return to Your Car,” which captures the familiar moment when the boat is nearing the harbor and car passengers are told to get ready. A paper cup sits on the table of a booth by the window, left behind by passengers heeding the captain’s remarks.
William Skardon’s large ink with water color of a baseball game is untitled but he dated the piece June 9, 1968. Neither the teams nor the stadium is identified. Skardon brings us into the action just as the pitcher is about to throw and a runner is about to sprint from 2nd base to 3rd. The field is a vivid green, the fans are quickly drawn shapes filling the stands and the bleachers, and the players are poised for action, sketched in quick, energetic ink strokes.
Tom Martinelli experiments with different techniques in his two pieces. In the oil-on-copper “Summertime,” In the foreground, a long band of revealed copper suggests the warm sands on the beach. Beyond the gently foaming waves, more streaks of copper suggest either a shoreline or light from a thin layer of clouds in the blue sky. “Dusk,” Martinelli’s oil and cold wax on canvas, shows the light fading from the sky and falling the surf, which has a translucent quality to it. Oil and cold wax is a complex blend of techniques that belies the simplicity of the scene.
Similarly, James Kimak’s large oil-on-canvas “Late Afternoon” shows the many striations of color on a beach with light and shadows created by the waning sunlight. Clouds are piles of white suffused with pink and grey tones that are reflected in the tidal pool in the foreground.
Stephan Haley brings us into the fall with his monoprint drawing “Cold November Morn.” It is a view of hayfields with a distant pond and sky in greys and white, suggesting a chilly morning. Yet, the warm yellow tones of the field and the light falling on the hay rolls conveys a warmth to come later in the day.
In addition to new works of art, there will be new pottery, new jewelry, and other artful items.
During the week, gallery hours are Thursday through Saturday 12-4 and Sunday 11-3.
Private appointments can be made by calling the gallery at (401)466-5314 , texting or calling (401)301-5591 or e-mailing info@jessieedwardsgallery.com.