Peninsula Gallery May exhibition to present a Meditation on Light Reflected

Beginning with a reception Saturday May 3, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., the Peninsula Gallery will present its May exhibition of six artists in a meditation on light, and its reflections. The artists in the show include Al Barker, Doris Ingram, Julie Molyneux, Damon Pla, Nick Serratore and David Terrar.

A resident of Bordentown, N.J., Barker began his career in forestry education and his paintings and drawings were initially used in teaching his curricula. Now an award-winning artist for over 40 years, he shows at several galleries throughout the East Coast and his works are in the permanent collections of several private and public institutions, including the White House. This year, as a member of the prestigious Salmagundi Club, he was awarded the Alden Bryan Memorial Prize for Traditional Landscape in Oil for his painting “Tidal Marsh Colors.”

Ingram is a longtime member of the gallery and well known for her views of Lewes and the surrounding area. She has lived in Lewes for over 20 years. Usually working in watercolor she often captures views of historical Lewes. She travel extensively, living in Vermont for part of the year, and travels to France. At every location, her brushes and paint box find a local scene to record.

Molyneux, a long-time resident of Lewes, has been painting for 25 years and professionally since 2000. Her work depicts the shoreline, woods, marshlands and farms found locally. She paints with a distinctive style highlighting a foreground with almost hyper-realistic detail while the background provides less detail, but strength in color. The effect is a sense of calm, an instant in time captured.

Pla of Dagsboro works with acrylic paint and is known for his murals for a variety of settings, both commercial and private. He has done large illustrations for the Delaware State Park system. His paintings capture a variety of landscapes including the ever changing light on the marshlands and sea shore of coastal Delaware.

Serratore, a resident of Lewes, and known for colorful pastel studies of landscapes and flora, graduated from the Hussian School of Art in Philadelphia Pa. in 1990. He is a member of the Pastel Society of America. In 2012, he was recognized with an Individual Fellowship Grant for an Emerging Artist from the Delaware Division of the Arts.

Terrar is a new artist in the gallery. He has been a painter for over 35 years. His work presents a modernist impressionism. He has worked with gold leaf in the past and has incorporated its use in his painting. As a student he studied impressionist art at the Jeu de Paume Museum in Paris.

"My ideas for paintings come from observing rural Maryland and the Chesapeake Bay region, particularly late in the day as the sun is about to go down. When I am alone in solitude near the bay, I feel the presence of a creator. We have been given a brief glimpse of beauty.  It is our duty to share the beauty," he said. He and his family live in Gaithersburg, Md. He works from his small studio in his home or on location near the Chesapeake Bay.

The exhibition will extend through May 30. The Peninsula Gallery, located at 520 E. Savannah Road, is currently in its 18th year and presents the work of more than 20 local, regional and international artists. They also provide 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. Call 302-645-0551 or go to www.peninsula-gallery.com.