Opening Reception/Meet the Artists
Saturday, March 30 – 5:30 pm – 7:30 pm
Scenes of farms, streams, gardens, ocean dunes familiar to Tribury area residents and beyond painted “en plein air” will be the theme of the current show hosted by Arts Escape, 88 Main Street South in Southbury. Six artists, members of the Artists Discussion Group, all seasoned professional outdoor painters, have traveled from the banks of the Pomperaug River to the shores of the Thimble Islands, Cape Cod and beyond with their easels to capture the beauty of the landscape. The exhibit will run from February 26th to April 25th.
A reception with light refreshments will be held on:
Saturday, March 30th from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
General gallery hours are Monday to Thursday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
The following artists are represented in the show: Thomas Adkins, Zufar Bikbov, Ellie Boyd, Lorraine Chapin, Linda Marino, and Betty Ann Medeiros.
Why “plein air”? The French coined the term when they abandoned the strict rules of painting taught in the classes of the academies. They left the studio, and went outside to capture the fleeting effects of light on scenes of the country, city gardens, and street scenes. The challenges are the same today as they were back in the 1890’s. Only today there is a massive movement of plein air painting, with more people than ever trying their hand at painting and attending plein air shows, competitions, and conventions all over the country and internationally. Plein air has been termed “the new golf”.
Tom Adkins www.thomasadkinsfineart.com
Thomas Adkins, is a resident of Southbury and Maine. Most of his paintings begin with small plein air studies. He then develops larger works in his studio from additional studies and from memory. “My paintings spring from a lifelong fascination with the outdoors. The moods, mystery, atmosphere and inherent design of nature intrigue me.“ www.thomasadkinsfineart.com
Zufar Bikbov www.zufar.com
Zufar Bikbov, a Russian artist and physician, describes his work as “plein air with moderate landscape abstraction, constantly searching to express on canvas, things essential to life and human experience.” www.zufar.com
Ellie Boyd ellieboydstudio.com
Ellie Boyd, known for her expressive portraits and luminous plein air paintings, maintains a studio in Southbury, primarily painting commissioned portraits, and landscapes “en plein air”. Ellie founded the Pomperaug Outdoor Painters, and paints regularly in and around Southbury. ellieboydstudio.com
Lorraine Chapin lschapin.com
Southbury resident Lorraine Chapin, a UCONN-trained fine artist, has taught and painted for 30 years. Lorraine says “I love to paint—I can’t stop—it’s something I was born with. I try to convey the feeling for my subject, not just record the details—I want my viewers to feel like they are there with me. ” Lorraine is an artist/member of the Board of Directors at the Fine Line Art Gallery in Woodbury and has won numerous awards in shows throughout the Northeast. lschapin.com
Linda Marino www.lindasmarinoart.com
Award winning artist Linda Marino, of North Haven, seeks to “interpret the world in a way that will not only inspire others but to evoke or suggest images, memories, and emotions.” Currently working in oils and acrylics, Linda seeks to capture her surroundings or subjects with the use of expressive color, bold, confident brushwork with a fresh perspective. Her subjects vary from coastal scenes to farms, floral still life paintings to cityscapes. www.lindasmarinoart.com
Betty Ann Medeiros www.medeirosstudios.com
Betty Ann Medeiros, of Danbury, is a landscape and portrait artist known for her sweeping compositions, and depiction of light utilizing a keen sense of color. She uses brushstrokes to show movement, wind and atmospheric elements. In both Betty Ann’s watercolors and her oil paintings, she paints in a realistic fashion, rendering her figures and landscape elements with equal attention to detail. Betty Ann is an alumna of Western Connecticut State University, where she received advanced degrees in fine art and illustration. www.medeirosstudios.com
A portion of all sales of paintings will help Arts Escape fund ongoing programs.
