Opening November 11! I'm very excited to have a show at this wonderful gallery at 359 Commercial Street, adjacent to the Harbor Lounge. I will be posting more information about the opening as it evolves, so stay tuned!
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| Patty Deluca Gallery |
Crashing the Party
Sorry for being out of sight recently--I suffered a hard drive disaster with my Macbook crashing completely. I lost a lot of data, both images of paintings and images to create paintings. Coming back online now with more disc space, improved software and a reliable backup system.
NEW PAINTINGS
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| The Boating Party 24 x 12, casein on muslin covered plywood |
This is the most recent of my Boston Esplanade paintings. On a gorgeous summer evening, when all of Boston seemed to be enjoying the balmy waterfront, the sunlight lingered late with a palpable golden glow. The idyllic scene inspired a classically referenced treatment of sky, clouds, and trees that merges into the 21st century architecture along the Charles River. I intended some gentle irony in depicting the partiers with a certain posed revelry, reminiscent of a liesure-class tableau in a painting from the romantic era. But there is definitively a democratized modern American twist. Interposed between the figures and the verdant natural background are the ubiquitous machinery and toys of our western consumer society.
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| Merrimack Through Pines 36 x 24, Casein on Muslin Covered Ply |
This is a view from Maudslay State Park, outside Newburyport MA. Overlooking the Merrimack River, the land was a large estate originally built in the 1840s, replete with a huge mansion, guest houses, extensive landscaping, formal gardens and elaborate greenhouses. The mansion was demolished in 1955, and now only some outbuildings, skeletal garden walls and pathways still exist. The rhododendrons and a few other surviving horticultural specimens have melded into the native plantscape. The sweep of land cleared for the riverview is still discernable, though pine trees have sprung up where the bank descends steeply. They now filter the afternoon sun into a deeply shaded glade along the old carriageway.
I loved creating a deep toned painting with intense, rich colors that still conveys a bright sunny day beyond, and ruby patches of sunlight filtering through blue-green pine boughs. I hope it conveys a certain moody sense of granduer that haunts the place.
Frame Art
My frames are made of architectural moldings, so they always convey a sense of mass, but the latest design goes a step further. It references a classic perspective-angle frame in burnished gold, but reduces it to a wide angular tray fold with unmistakable presence. I will experiment with different metallic colors and edge patterns that compliment specific paintings as the technique evolves.
Homeresque (no, not Simpson)
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| Homer's studio on the cliffs |
Weekend trips have lately yeilded some great material for future art. My friend Miranda Barrett spent the summer fixing up a newly aquired cottage in Old Orchard Beach Maine. It was wonderful to visit, see her project, and hang on the beach, but I also had a chance to visit an amazing nearby venue. Prout's Neck is a stubby peninsula just across the cove, and the site of Winslow Homer's studio. Homer created amazing iconic landscapes and figure studies in the late 19th century. He retired to a converted carriage house on the cliffs of Prouts Neck in the 1880s, and did some of his best and most mature work painting the surrounding rocky seascape. It is easy to see what attracted him to this place. There is a cliff trail that winds along the Atlantic, where the views of the rocky shore, barrier islands, and turbulent New England sky is stunning. I'm very excited about creating my own paintings from the images I collected.
Portland Maine is just a short drive north. If you didn't know, this great little city has a thriving art and restaurant scene. We had dinner at a fantastic place called "Local 188". Thanks much Miranda for a wonderful and productive weekend getaway!
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| Local 188, part of Portlands great restaurant scene |
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| Bruce and Miranda, end of a wonderful meal |
Frame Art
My frames are made of architectural moldings, so they always convey a sense of mass, but the latest design goes a step further. It references a classic perspective-angle frame in burnished gold, but reduces it to a wide angular tray fold with unmistakable presence. I will experiment with different metallic colors and edge patterns that compliment specific paintings as the technique evolves.
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