Triple Vision: Three Artists Interpret the Landscape opens Sept. 7 at Peninsula Gallery
The opening of the September exhibit at Peninsula Gallery will be Saturday, Sept. 7. The show will present the work of three artists working in the plein air tradition: Meg Walsh, Vincent Hughes and Jason Tako. Walsh and Hughes have exhibited at the gallery in the past, but this is the first time Tako will be showing his work in Lewes.
Known for landscapes drenched in light and color, Virginia artist Walsh is equally at home painting outdoors or in the studio. The Potomac River, Blue Ridge Mountains, Chesapeake Bay and Florida panhandle are frequent subjects for her work. Walsh’s landscapes have garnered numerous awards at juried exhibitions and national plein air competitions. In 2007, her painting “Belted Cows” was purchased by the Academy Art Museum in Easton, Md. Her work can also be found in the permanent collections of the National Institutes of Health, Georgetown University Hospital and Martha Jefferson Hospital in Charlottesville, Va. Walsh is a member of the Washington Society of Landscape Painters, Mid-Atlantic Plein Air Painters Association, the Alexandria Art League, and the Loudoun Sketch Club. In addition to the Peninsula Gallery, Walsh is represented by Main Street Gallery in Annapolis, Md.; and R.H. Ballard Fine Art in Washington, Va. IN her artist statement, Walsh writes, “I try to translate the landscape, emphasizing what interests me most about a specific place at a moment in time. Painting outdoors forces me to focus on the essence of a scene, and I like the sense of immediacy it lends to my work. Values are my most important concern, and I often simplify to make a more forceful statement.”
Hughes captures the unique light and texture of a particular moment in a remote location. Painting en plein air is not just a visual experience. All the senses take in the scene: fragrant vegetation, a warm breeze, the chatter of birds and buzzing insects, a distant foghorn, the rising tide lapping at one’s feet. It is hoped that these sensations somehow find their way into each painting. After receiving his BFA from VCU, Hughes put aside fine art to pursue a career as an art director in Washington, D.C. Living in Rome in the '90s, he was inspired to take up painting once again and now creates landscapes and figurative works in watercolor, oil and encaustic. His artwork has been exhibited at the Warehouse Gallery and Results on Capital Hill in Washington, D.C., The Gunpowder River Artfest and Galleria Don Bosco in Baltimore, Md., the Peninsula Gallery and St. Peter’s Art Show in Lewes, and the Rehoboth Art League.
Specializing in wildlife art, landscape art and plein air painting, Dover, Pa. artist Jason Tako is passionate about his work. A observer and recorder of his images from an early age, he painstakingly worked his way from pencil to watercolor while using nature and wildlife as his subject matter and teachers. His love for wildlife and landscape came naturally; he was born and raised in rural Minnesota. Tako has a degree in applied visual arts and was encouraged by his teacher Bara Arens to pursue a career in fine art. He furthered his studies under renowned landscape artist Scott Christensen, fueling his passion for plein air painting. Direct experience is the primary inspiration for Tako's work, which blends impressionism and realism. Usually he will seek a location or subject matter that interests him and create field studies and take photographs on location. Back in the studio this reference material is used to create a final painting. At other times, Tako will complete a painting on location. He has won numerous national awards and recognition for his work. He has also been featured in the editorial sections of Plein Air Magazine and Western Art Collector.
More complete biographies of each of the artists are available at the gallery. The exhibit will extend through Sept. 30.
The Peninsula Gallery, at 520 E. Savannah Road, is currently in its 17th year and presents the work of more than 20 local, regional and international artists. It also provides fine art framing and restoration services. Hours of operation are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday, and 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., Sunday. The gallery is closed on Monday. Phone 302-645-0551. Visit www.peninsula-gallery.com.
