As we are blanketed in snow and buffeted by high winds, we take refuge in the quiet of our homes and studios and spaces we hold as sacred. Come with us on a journey through three more artists we love at the Jessie Edwards Gallery in Old Harbor on Block Island. So why not grab a warm beverage and enjoy looking at what’s currently on the easel.
Kate Knapp paints bold and beautiful and brings the viewer into her art through showing us what calls to her. While most of the year she paints en plein air, here we are treated to seeing her working on a triptych in her studio. The scenes she paints evoke in us a special remembrance. Her paintings are full of life for the ordinary, and extraordinary, in our lives. In ‘Cyclamen in Studio’ we see so much of what we love about her work: flowers, bold colors, everyday scenes. She reminds us of the seasonality of gardening with ‘Tangerines in Blue Box’ as well as ‘The Last Apples From Our Trees’.
We are treated to a small glimpse into William Sommerfeld’s life (1905-1998) in this sweet photo of him playing with his grandson. His art, like the photo, portrays ordinary parts of daily life with subtle and beautiful arrangements. There is so much joy in that simple photo of a time long past. There is also something beautifully simple about his ‘Bag of Onions’, ‘Lemons’, and ‘Three Fish Unwrapped’ that speaks to us of simpler times. As we navigate our way through winter, these paintings offer us a hope of springtime and gardening and preparing meals from fresh produce we have grown or caught.
There is something so inspirational about Sandra Swan being 91 years old and still creating her art every day. Her passion for her subjects has always been forefront in the work we have loved over the years. So much of what she has given us through her long career has stood the test of time and still resonates today. The woodblock prints she is well known for are too strenuous for her to do now but she is still enthralling us with her drawings of nature, in particular here, ‘Goldenrod’ (graphite, pen and watercolor). She captures their essence in different stages of growth, each stage just as exquisite as the last and the next. Aging is natural and she shows how beautiful it is.
Spring will arrive and you can find us in the Gallery on the second floor of the Post Office Building. Please come see us when you’re on island. We are open limited hours in the winter and always by appointment.