Current Exhibition
The Painterly Hand
August 21st – October 2nd
Artists’ Reception
Saturday, September 11th from 7-9 p.m.
The Painterly Hand, an exhibition at Gallery Seven featuring paintings and drawings by Kate Gardner, Susan Spellman and John Wood celebrates the timeless beauty of works created by hand. In this day and age with so much digital and computer generated art, it’s important to remember that when an artist picks up a paintbrush or pencil something truly remarkable can happen. Something that cannot be duplicated with modern technology. This is evident in the artwork created by all three artists in this exhibition.
In Kate Gardner’s work we not only see a compelling representation of light and a sophisticated division of space on the two dimensional plane, but the surface of the paintings themselves also becomes important. The texture and dimension of the paint and the beautiful lines evoke a harmony that can only be created by the human hand. In John Wood’s work one sees an artist who works deeply with the graphic elements of two dimensional design. The lines, shapes and values displayed in his work are so elegantly constructed that if the subject matter was unrecognizable the paintings would still be engaging works of art. John works with his paints rather thin, allowing the surface of the canvas itself to add a textural element to the work. In Susan Spellman’s drawings we see the power of a superbly drawn line and a rare combination of a loose free feeling underscored with great precision. In her paintings we see a masterful use of the brush with subtle modulated colors and values. Susan’s work is a powerful reminder that art made by hand has a unique and timeless quality.