JO HARRISON
June 8th to June 20th.
Opening Reception Saturday, June 17th from 6-8 PM
“Blackfish Creek” Oil on Panel 24 x 30” $1,200
"I paint to experience the beauty of nature more deeply."
“These works are about the gesture of light - capturing the moment when light and shadow become shape, moving between representation and abstraction. The show is about light and paint, and how they react on different surfaces.
All winter long, in my studio in the Berkshires, I surrounded myself with vibrant images and memories of the landscapes of Cape Cod. This created in me an attitude of connection and play - light particles dancing on the water or across slanted roof tops.
“Noon” Oil on Duralar 7 x 5” $250
“Quiet in May” Oil on Board 6 x 6” $300
“Off Season” Oil on Board 6 x 6” $300
And who wouldn't want to play with colors of the outer Cape? My palette is full of brilliant and saturated hues indicative of this place. I use palette knives and brushes, but my favorite is a guilder's tool which I use to scrap and draw back into the paint, hoping to create a joyful energy within the surface.
My fascination with light is kin to that of the Venetian painters, who also lived on water. The ever-changing facets or minuscule planes of light's energy are called, in the scientific realm, Photons. Photons and reflective light create movement, and
shadows made of color.
Early on, this fascination with photons led me to paint with gold and silver leaf, and now on shiny surfaces of aluminum and mirror. Although difficult to work with, they accentuate the compelling properties of oil paint - its juicy luscious texture, how it glides on smooth surfaces, the marks of the brush, and the full intensity of its colors. Reflections peek through unpainted areas.
“First Swim” Oil on Canvas 22 x 28”$900
“White Crest” Oil on Duralar 5 x 7” $250
“Moonlit, 2.0”Oil, Mirror and Leaf on Panel 5 x 7” $300
In several paintings, I explore faceting the subject to create curiosity, memory, or a visceral aspect of experience. The reflections of exposed area of mirror are different for each moment or wall. These paintings embody aspects of nature such as the sense of wind across the water, the tide, stillness at dawn, the heat of an afternoon.
“Twilight” Oil on Aluminum 5 x 7” $250
“Last Lights” Oil on Duralar 6 x 6” $250
“Starry Night” Oil on Mirror 8 x 8” $350
My background is in Art History. I became a working studio artist in 2019. Fairfield Porter, Wayne Thiebauld, Stanley Bielen, and Peter Hocking are my primary artistic influences. John MacDonald and Bob LaFond are so helpful to me. I am grateful for the artistic community on the Cape and my teachers Alana Barrett, Peter Hocking, and Laura Shabott, and for all our friends. I am grateful to Anne-Marie Zehnder - what a fabulous gallery and opportunity!”
“October” Oil on Panel 18 x 24” $750
“Signs of Fall” Oil on Duralar 16 x 12” $450
“Wellfleet” Oil on Panel with Mirror and Leaf 5 x 7” $300
“October, Harbor Dawn” 8 x 8” Oil on Mirror $350
“3 Illuminations” Oil on Mirror 8 x 8” $350
“Wellfleet Tides” Oil on Aluminum 5 x 7” $250
“Nikki’s Buoys” Oil on Duralar 16 x 12” $450
“Mirrored Twilight” Oil on Mirror with Mirror $350