Celebrating the Still Life to open at Gallery One Nov. 3

Celebrating the Still Life, the next exhibit at Gallery One in Ocean View, will open Wednesday, Nov. 3.

This month the Gallery One artists pay homage to the classic still life. Still life is defined as a collection of inanimate objects arranged together in a specific way. The magic of still life paintings is that they can show viewers a new way of looking at the ordinary objects around them. Andy Warhol’s soup cans are perfect examples. Once the objects are placed into a specific arrangement, and captured in time on the canvas, they also begin to create their own narrative.

"Seafood Chowder," an oil painting by W. Scott Broadfoot, depicts in exquisite realism, the ingredients for a classic winter soup. Each element becomes synergistically more than just an illustration, together they tell a story, and bring back memories.

The objects chosen for a still life often have a special meaning, either on a personal, cultural or religious level. These are sometimes designed to provoke introspection or emotion. The viewer is invited to ask, “What does this mean?” While it may at first seem to be a simple floral, the addition of an extra element can add mystery.

In Marybeth Paterson’s oil painting, “Morning Coffee,” she is sharing her morning ritual. “The mornings are the best time for me to paint. It's quiet and calm, the light is often at its best and I have a clear head with new ideas about what I want to explore on the canvas. And then there is coffee. That combination came together for this still life of lilies and lemons, with varying brushstrokes, the slightly off-balance composition using cool colors in contrast to a warm cup of coffee,” said Paterson.

In “Sunflowers and Apples” an acrylic by Dale Sheldon, one sees a treasured family wedding gift. “Sunflowers in a vase with a variety of fall apples around them create a colorful autumn still life. In the foreground sits a fruit knife, a treasured family heirloom,” said Sheldon.

In Cheryl Wisbrock’s, “Stems and Roses,” and Mary Bode Byrd’s, “Paper, Posies, and Pears,” the flowers and their vases conjure multiple meanings. Among them are the fleeting beauty of a cut flower,  the changing seasons and the significance of different shapes.

In Lesley McCaskill’s acrylic painting, “Delights of Fall by the Kitchen Window” in acrylic, Michelle Marshall’s “The Window” and Laura Hickman’s pastel "Summer Zinnias," the window plays a role in the still life’s narrative. McCaskill’s flowers and fruits of autumn share the stage with birds heading south for the winter, while HIckman’s zinnias are the quintessential story of a summer garden. Marshall’s window flowers are a slightly edgier bunch, their harder edge painting style illuminated by early spring light, while the eager plants look forward to spring.

The exhibit runs through Wednesday, Dec. 1.

Always staffed by an artist, Gallery One is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. every day at 32 Atlantic Ave., Route 26, in Ocean View.

For more information, call 302-537-5055, email art@galleryonede.com or go to galleryonede.com.