Opening tonight: Still Life Invitational at Susan Powell Fine Art

March 26- May 2, 2010

Opening Reception: Friday, March 26, 6-8 pm. All are invited to meet the artists.

Susan Powell Fine Art is pleased to present Still Life Invitational, a diverse selection of 75 oils, pastels and watercolors by contemporary still life painters Kathy Anderson, Stephanie Birdsall, Deborah Chabrian, Grace M. DeVito, Lisa Gloria, Vincent Giarrano, Rosemary Ladd, Paul Lipp, Richard Murdock, Susan Nally, Michael Naples, Cora Ogden, Tony Pro, Diane Rath, Andrea Scheidler, John Smith, Elizabeth L. Strazzulla, George Van Hook and Melanie Whaley.

Nineteen superb draftsmen and masters of color harmony conjure unique ways of bringing light to the canvas. “There’s a richness in the unexpected beauty of the familiar,” says Susan Powell, Director, Susan Powell Fine Art.

An avid gardener, Kathy Anderson paints her flowers from life bringing a vivid palette to her scenes. She finds a musicality in her color compositions and invites the viewer to step into the painting and experience a richer view from the expected one. A four-time finalist in International Magazine- Floral and Garden Competition, Kathy has had two solo exhibits at the National Arts Club in New York City where she received the President’s Award.

Stephanie Birdsall has garnered 30 awards in national and international juried exhibitions including the Degas Pastel Society Exceptional Merit Award and the Grumbacher Gold Medallion Award. Rich overlays of color give her pastels the richness of oils.

Deborah Chabrian is a master of Watercolor: she breaks all the rules to create paintings that are richer and denser than one would normally expect from watercolor painting. She was one of 10 artists to win the American Artist National Competition to paint at the Forbes Trinchera Ranch in Colorado.

Cora Ogden’s strong background in sculpture and her mastery of drawing gives crisp clarity to her subjects which share a kinship with 17the century Dutch painting.

Shell painter Elizabeth Leary Strazzulla focuses on the textures, forms and translucence of sea shells in their natural habitat. Each shell is an individual portrait that recalls that wonderful feeling of relaxation on the beach and the heat of the sun radiating off the warm sand.

Grace M. DeVito gives her subjects a sense of place and atmosphere, a feeling that the subjects really inhabit the air around them. DeVito wants viewers to come away from her still life paintings with the feeling that while the works are grounded in the past, they are still reflective of a contemporary aesthetic.

Paul Lipp’s meticulously detailed still life compositions combine elements of trompe l’oeil - water droplets glistening like jewels on freshly washed fruit and vegetables; a weathered texture of hand-woven baskets and the paint peeling from antique tables and benches remind us of an exquisite time and place.

Richard Murdock finds startling contrasts in theatrical chiaroscuro summoning Caravaggio and the exquisite detail of the Dutch Masters. His still lifes are becoming more personal the more he paints, yet are still centered around his attraction to beautiful and simple things. His art swirls with images of Old Master and contemporary art, classical and pop cultures.

A nature lover, Rosemary Ladd’s finely detailed renderings reflect the transcendent beauty she sees in simple scenes and objects. She invites us to take in the parts and she creates interior light through the reflections on shells, nests, flowers and petals.

Lisa Gloria’s paintings are a blend of realism and expressionism. Emerging out of the shadows, Roses and Brass Bowl has a quiet stillness. Soft edges give life and movement to her classic, yet contemporary compositions.

In her new series of still lifes, Susan Nally paints simple objects and fruits with unique viewpoints. She builds her forms with textured brushstrokes and carefully considers the space between objects; when is close too close and how far away suggests isolation. Grayed blues dominate the color palette relieved by warm lights and edges are lost in the lengthened shadows. Her bird’s eye views with rich, patterned color are fresh and modern.

Californian Tony Pro combines luscious effects of light with bold, buttery brushwork. His deft brush gives eloquence to his subjects. Pro has received the top prize of the National Exhibition of the Oil Painters of America. He has been featured in Fine Art Connoisseur Magazine - Artists Making Their Mark: Three to Watch. Pro has also been honored by the Portrait Society of America who selected one of his paintings for their “Top Ten” list.

John Smith paints an intimate view of fresh cut apple blossoms from his garden- northern light in his studio adds flickering light and shadow to enliven his subjects that emerge from dark backgrounds.

Vincent Giarrano, best known for his New York City scenes, painted Three Dresses for the show and wanted to paint something beautiful that is also a shared experience. Giarrano is a gifted draftsman and enjoys painting objects and subjects that deal directly with “real life.”

George Van Hook’s painterly style follows in the tradition of the impressionists. Van Hook paints with gusto and passion, bringing a fresh immediacy to the rural scenes where he lives in upstate New York. Textured brushstrokes add an energetic surface quality to his dynamic still life compositions which sparkle with exuberant color.

Melanie Whaley lifts her subjects out of the literal and into the realm of the poetic, using light and shadow. Whaley states, “My paintings are light caught and held. The energy is trapped, concentrated.”