Here we are, in the beginning of March and finally able to get back into the Jessie Edwards Gallery after the biggest winter storm the island has experienced in our memories kept everyone off the roads and snowed into their houses. We had plenty of down time to think about spring and new work and what beauty there is in the creations that come from quiet winters and introspection.
We are pleased to share with you some of our wall artists but also our studio artists: those who create pieces shaped by earth elements and capable hands. Many of these artists are familiar but grab a delightful beverage, get comfy and let us introduce you to some new work that is available through the Gallery.
Elizabeth Pannell is well loved and respected for her paintings of Block Island. The saturation of color in her works, which we can see so perfectly in the 18 x 24” oil on canvas, ‘Facing South, Andy’s Way’, lead us to feel we are in that place, walking along the waters’ edge, listening and feeling into the perfect day on this island we love.
Sarah Bird creates such realistic tableaus, often of ordinary objects, the viewer might catch themselves from reaching out to touch the painting, just to see if it’s real or not. In ‘Obsidian and Beach Rocks’, an 8 x 8” oil on panel, the placement of these found objects, along with the striking colors of the flowers, has a slightly surreal feel. We all probably have similar effects on a table near the door: our treasures placed there after we’ve come back from a walk, simple reminders of our journey out in nature.
John Warfel is a local artist, well known for his beautiful raku pieces. The vases he creates through this unique and time intensive process are unique and take on a story each their own. The 7” tall vase has a clear crackle glaze and the copper glaze band at the neck lends a gorgeous green splash to this beautiful piece. The 12” tall vase showcases a poured clear crackle glaze, along with a brushed copper and red glaze plus reduction, giving a completely unique color palette that makes this piece truly stand out as an original.
Stephen Haley is dedicated to his craft, and we are the beneficiaries of this dedication. His work is intricate and intimate, a private look into the landscape he creates in, which we can perfectly see in ‘Big Snow At The Ducktrap’, a 30 x 31” framed pastel on paper. He draws us into nature and asks us to look closely and be immersed in the beauty that is all around us.
It is said that doing what you love keeps you young at heart, and helps us age well, and this can absolutely be seen with Helen Frank, a print maker and painter who is still working into her 90’s! One of her most recent works is ‘Red Roofs, Block Island’, a 10 x 10.5” monoprint available matted and ready to frame. Her subtle strokes evoke a different time and place, a reminder that often the simple things add color, and a bit of sparkle, and are the best parts of life.
Being in the presence of Ben Anderson’s ceramics is pure joy and delight. He captures so much in his work and witnessing the intricacies of what he achieves with clay is mesmerizing. ‘Seabass with Spidercrab’, a glazed red earthenware platter, measures 16 x 15 x 2”, is a tactile, gorgeously rendered look into two species in our waterways. They live symbiotically in their ecosystem as well as on this plate.
Visitors to the Gallery are struck by James Watkins’s Pate de Verre trio of vases that adorn a pedestal in the front entry area. These three pieces, at 15”, 12.75” and 11.5” high, are beautiful examples of the method that created them. The ancient technique, using kiln-casting of finely crushed glass packed into molds, creates delicate and often translucent objects which are all unique and distinctive. The pieces James creates are stunning, their subtle colors full of depth and warmth.
We are looking forward to spring and welcoming you back to share our space and stories from winter. We are open most weekends, and always by appointment on the second floor in the Post Office Building overlooking Historic Old Harbor.