Contemporary Paintings – Page 2 – The Christina Gallery

An Afternoon in Edgartown with Kate Tortland

At the end of June, we had the pleasure of talking to the gallery’s youngest artist, Kate Tortland, while she spent a few days here on the Vineyard to paint. This day she was painting the Edgartown Lighthouse from the front lawn at the Harbor View Hotel. She took some time to let us know about the start to her career, her supporters, inspiration and current work.

Kate painting at the Edgartown Lighthouse

When did you start painting?

“I started painting technically when I was about fourteen years old with a woman named Catherine Elliott who was, and still is, a local impressionist landscape painter in Connecticut. She inspired me in many ways, and it wasn’t until then that I had worked with oils, and I found myself painting constantly after that point. I worked with her for many years, and we even ended up going to Ireland together and painting. At first, I wanted to be exactly like her, but eventually after many years of exploring my own methods, I came to understand my own approaches and developed a unique style that is influenced by her, but could never be mistaken for her work. Even though I began painting with her as her student, now we’re colleagues showing in equal level galleries, plein air painting together as friends, and I still am inspired by her every day.

William R. Davis – Marine Master

Every time I speak about the marine paintings by William R. Davis, I point out that he is a self-taught artist. As I am saying the words and looking at his paintings, I say to myself ‘that cannot be’, but it is true. Davis was born in 1952 in Somerville, Massachusetts, and grew up near the shore in Hyannis where he enjoyed a love of sailing that still is with him today. He has spent much time studying the works of the 19th century masters and has amassed an impressive library that he references to achieve historical integrity in his paintings.

Over the nearly twenty years that we have represented his work, I have most enjoyed Davis’ attention to detail, regardless of the size of the painting. To me there are little paintings within the larger one. Clients and those new to his work have also marveled at his detail.

"Yachting Under Blue Skies" by William R. Davis — “Yachting Under Blue Skies” by William R. Davis

Marjorie Mason – Artist who loves the Vineyard

Marjorie Mason’s Vineyard Landscapes opened on Thursday, August 6, 2015, at The Christina Gallery in historic downtown Edgartown. Mason has developed an impressive following of patrons since her graduation from the prestigious Rhode Island School of Art and Design in 1981. “Just before I graduated from art school I happened upon a printmaking technique that guided me out of my major in Illustration and into the world of oil painting the landscape.” Mason would spend the next twenty years perfecting that technique of monotype oil painting where the finish work takes on the softness of a pastel. During this time she also evolved as a plein air painter working consistently with other Island artists who shared the same passion to explore Martha’s Vineyard through direct or alla prima painting.

Menemsha Morning Rose Dune by Marjorie Mason — Menemsha Morning Rose Dune

Lillia Frantin Exhibition at The Christina Gallery

Lillia Frantin’s “Island Colors” exhibition opened last Saturday evening with an artist reception hosted by The Christina Gallery. Frantin has been exhibiting with the gallery for four years and this is her second solo exhibition. The collection has been very well received by her admirers, as well as first time visitors to the gallery.

Morning Still Life 30 x 40 oil on linen — “Morning Still Life” 30 x 40 oil on linen

Duane Alt: Contemporary Master French Impressionist

When I view one of Duane Alt’s paintings, I find myself wistfully thinking of taking a trip to France. Duane’s use of jewel toned hues in his paintings remind me of the sparkling Mediterranean Sea, the enchanting city gardens and the sun-drenched fields of flowers and lavender of the countryside. During his lifetime, Duane has traveled extensively through the region, including both the French and Italian Rivieras. It’s Duane’s fondness for all things French that one might think that indeed he is a native, but that is not the case.

Walking Home in Portofino by Duane Alt — “Walking Home in Portofino”

The Fall Season on the Vineyard

This is indeed the most delightful time of the year to spend on the Vineyard. The days are warm, nights are cool and the air is very refreshing. The Islanders you haven’t seen all summer are milling about now that the crowds have somewhat retreated back to the mainland. We already miss visiting with our summer clients; however it is kind of nice to take a step back to enjoy this beautiful island we live on.

"Last Leg of the Race" by William R. Davis — “Last Leg of the Race” by William R. Davis

The Striped Bass Derby started over the weekend and every other car that drives by the gallery has at least two or three fishing rods on their roof rack. In some respects Island life seems to come to a complete stop for people who enjoy fishing. And with this beautiful weather it’s hard to argue with taking a day off to do so.

"Along South Water Street" by David Bareford — “Along South Water Street” by David Bareford

Next month, the Martha’ Vineyard Food & Wine Festival will take place October 16 – 19, 2014. There is an extraordinary line up of culinary events and yet another wonderful reason to visit the Vineyard. And though the summer season is behind us, we continue to receive in new works from our artists, including those featured here by William R. Davis, Mitch Billis and David Bareford.

"Fence Lined Rhodies" by Mitch Billis — “Fence Lined Rhodies” by Mitch Billis

Happy Fall!

Our 38th season is just beginning here on the island of Martha’s Vineyard!

Our 38th season is just beginning here on the island of Martha’s Vineyard! With the extremely long winter finally behind us, it has been wonderful to see everyone walking around town and stopping by the gallery to say hello. It’s always nice to catch up with friends and clients and hear about what has been going on in their lives over the last few months.

The gallery is displaying two new artists this season. Kate Tortland just graduated from Gordon College where she majored in art education, as well as, studio art. She has a lovely sense of color and approach to her impressionistic paintings. Kate says “my goal in creating works of art is to call attention to all the wondrous beauty that surrounds us – beauty that is so often ignored or forgotten.” She loves to travel and in addition to painting, she enjoys writing and illustrating books. We are very excited to have her work in the gallery.

"Martha's Hydrangeas" by Kate Tortland — “Martha’s Hydrangeas” by Kate Tortland

Painting En Plein Air

Plein air painting was first popularized by the impressionists in the 1870s. For centuries artists have been painting outdoors on location, but it wasn’t until the advent of metal tubes of oil paint that painting en plein air truly became a movement. Finally, artists were able to easily transport their supplies to whatever location they chose and paint on site. Prior to the introduction of paint tubes, artists had to mix their own pigments individually each time they desired to use a particular color. Paints would dry out quickly and so it was simply impractical to attempt to move a palette and supplies outdoors, far away from one’s studio.

Impressionists fully embraced plein air painting. This method was directly in line with their goal of capturing the magic of light and the essence of the landscape. Painting on location encourages the artist to work quickly to capture the mood of the setting. This can often account for the energetic brushstrokes seen in Impressionist canvases. Artists of all time periods and styles worked outdoors from life, but often they would only sketch or draft the composition they saw before them. The final paintings were reserved for the shelter of the indoor studio. Impressionists such as Vincent van Gogh challenged this method.

When inspired by an environment, he would often work fastidiously to render the scene in paint right then and there, such as in “The White Orchard” (1888). These spontaneous paintings by van Gogh and other artists like Claude Monet and Camille Pissarro define the oeuvre of the Impressionists.

Today, Jan Pawlowski works in a similar manner to many well-known masters. “A Day for Sailing” was painted from the beach on Chappaquiddick overlooking the harbor and Edgartown lighthouse. Pawlowski was inspired by the beautiful sunny blue sky and gentle wind to capture this image of sailboats keeling in the wind in front of the lighthouse.

"A Day for Sailing" by Jan Pawlowski — “A Day for Sailing” by Jan Pawlowski

Many artists that we represent here at The Christina Gallery paint en plein air. Stop by and ask us to point out some paintings for you or see if you can pick out which paintings were painted en plein air on our website!

Russell Gordon: A Contemporary Realist

Russell Gordon’s realist still-life paintings are, at first glance, reminiscent of 19^thcentury still lifes. Take a moment to really absorb the scene before you; however, and Gordon’s charming sense of humor and lighthearted attitude burst forth off the canvas. Gordon designs traditional compositions of objects such as fruit, mussels, and books then infuses them with his own unique brand of wit. Examine his paintings closely and you are sure to notice nuances such as a ladybug perched atop an otherwise unblemished flower or a water droplet sliding down a dewy mussel shell.

Gordon’s use of chiaroscuro heightens the drama of his compositions. He uses a very traditional, richly colored palette that lends itself to the theatricality of the seemingly simple arrangements that he portrays. Vividly colored lemons, or other objects, pop against a background of brown and burgundy. A single light source is frequently used to illuminate the foreground and provide gleaming highlights.

"Shell Collection" by Russell Gordon — “Shell Collection” by Russell Gordon

“Shell Collection” is a 22” x 27” oil painting of a curiosity cabinet filled with seashells. True to his nature, Gordon has included humorous references and objects such as the crab in the center of one of the bottom ‘cubes.’ The crab’s claws hang forward, moving into the viewers’ realm of reality. His eyes glisten as they stare directly ahead, watching us look at him. Gordon signs the work with a playful business card pinned to the center of the display case. The card reads, “Shell Shop / Seashells of Unique Beauty / 19 Ocean Drive / ask for Russell W. Gordon.” The detail that Gordon captures, just like in all of his paintings, is incredible. The viewer can practically count the threads that compose the green string tying the key to a nail.

Come visit us at The Christina Gallery in Edgartown, MA to spot more of the tongue-in-cheek details in Gordon’s original oil paintings, or view them here on our website.

Carol Fortunato: Vanitas Still Lifes

Carol Fortunato’s oil paintings are reminiscent of works by 17^th century Dutch masters. Like the Baroque artists, Fortunato employs chiaroscuro (an application of intense light and dark) to add drama to her still lifes of flowers, fruits and vegetables. Her muted tones and dark palette contrast with the bright light sources that she arranges, and lends an air of mystery to her paintings. Dutch artists of the baroque period often experimented with vanitas painting. These still lives were quiet reflections on mortality. Food and flowers were used as metaphors for the fragility of life. Fortunato’s work reflects this interest in evolution, “Perhaps I focus on most things edible because at the peak of their ripeness, their fullness and vibrancy is made all the more precious by their transience—whether it’s because they are about to wither or to be eaten.”

Young White Peonies” by Carol Fortunato

A lush bouquet of white flowers blossoms out of a clear glass vase in “Young White Peonies.” Fortunato depicts the flowers at different stages in their lifecycle. The white peony in the left is in full bloom. Its petals open up, embracing sunlight and perhaps emitting a light fragrance into the air. To its right, we see another blossom lying at the base of the vase; petals strewn about in a mark of decay. These memento mori serve as reminders of the beauty of life. Fortunato’s renditions of vanitas painting are beautiful, elegant and even joyous celebrations of the value of life.

Carol Fortunato graduated with a BFA from the School of Visual Arts in New York. It was during her post-graduate training with the Art Students League under David Leffel and Greg Kreutz that she developed her interest in chiaroscuro painting, which is so dominant in her work today.

To view more original oil paintings by Carol Fortunato please visit us at The Christina Gallery on the island of Martha’s Vineyard, or here on our website.

David Bareford’s Seascapes

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.

H Class Racing off Edgartown by David Bareford — “H Class Racing off Edgartown” by David Bareford

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.

American Folk Art by Ted Jeremenko

It wasn’t until his mid-twenties that Ted Jeremenko discovered his love of painting. While working in the computer and banking industries, Jeremenko began his artistic career as a hobby. After the success of his first show at Jay Johnson America’s Folk Heritage on Madison Avenue, NY Jeremenko followed his passion and became a full-fledged professional artist. “I paint primarily for myself,” he explains, “but it is very gratifying to know that my artwork touches other people.”

Jeremenko’s work is very unique for its simple, geometric forms and raw view of the world. His oeuvre is very much a part of the folk art tradition. He paints landscapes scattered with houses and other architectural buildings including lighthouses and churches. Jeremenko approaches each painting with a goal of simplifying the view. Each plane is painted with a solid color, breaking down entire scenes into a handful of colors. This stylistic representation of architecture works in harmony with Jeremenko’s pointillist-inspired landscapes to create striking compositions.

“Along the Pond” clearly demonstrates the dualistic technique of pointillism and abstraction that Jeremenko employs. He uses color to define light, form, and a sense of space. The focal point of the painting is the red house slightly to the left of center, but the viewers’ eye moves easily around the canvas to the stark white church and on to the dark green mountains in the background. The multi-hued leaves on the trees seem to move in the breeze and it is easy to imagine each individual blade of grass that grows in this thriving landscape. Jeremenko helps the viewer see beauty in every scene. His stylized methods create a serene world filled with greenery, blue skies and composed buildings.

Jeremenko was born in Yugoslavia in 1938. He moved to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania at the age of twelve. His carefully arranged compositions and beautiful renditions of space allow us, as his viewers, to see the world through Jeremenko’s eyes.

View more acrylic paintings by Ted Jeremenko here or visit us in person to see his works for yourself.