David Bareford’s seascapes effortlessly capture the spirit of summer. His plein air oil paintings are beautiful renditions of sunny beaches and elegant sailboats. He paints each scene with a loose brushstroke and a palette dominated by sea-foam greens and cerulean blues. It is rare to find a gallery visitor looking at Bareford’s paintings without a smile crossing his or her face. His blue skies are simple and succinctly portrayed, yet they effuse connotations of heat, sun and sand and the happy memories that accompany those images. Bareford plays on the viewers’ nostalgia as he portrays faceless families gathered on beaches and majestic sailboats gliding across the water. These are all scenes that strike a personal cord for many viewers. The graceful sailboats muster up thoughts of afternoons out on the water; the children splashing about in the ocean remind us of mornings on South Beach.

David Bareford was born in New Jersey and has been painting in New England throughout his life. He began his artistic career working in watercolors, but moved into oil paint to expand his vision. Bareford is part of a long-standing tradition of marine artists working out of Rockport, MA. He is an active member of a number of artistic societies including the Rockport Art Association and the Copley Society. You can see a selection of Bareford’s oil paintings online here or in person at The Christina Gallery in Edgartown, MA.