Delaware artist Ellen Rice to discuss new paintings July 7

Internationally collected local artist Ellen Rice will debut two very different new paintings of the ocean in print at her gallery in Ocean View Saturday, July 7. She will use the pieces to show the differences between pastels and oils when painting the ocean.

Rice’s talks and open discussion periods will be hourly from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and from 2 to 5 p.m. Light summer refreshments will be served in the morning hours, and wine and cheese will be served starting at 1 p.m.

“A Moment in Time” is a quiet evening scene created by Rice in pastels, depicting glowing skies and water. “Wild Horses” is an energetic oil with large waves breaking on the Bethany shore. The two paintings will be released at 11 a.m. with introductory prices on each of the signed, numbered limited-edition fine art giclée reproductions. A handful of small proofs will also be available.

“There are both different and similar techniques I utiilize when painting with oils and with pastels,” said Rice. “There are pluses and minuses to each medium. Oils are more durable, but there are special effects you can get with pastels that you can’t get with any other mediums.”

Rice’s new “A Moment in Time” pastel is her first pastel in about 10 years, though she is a prolific painter. “I put away my pastels because of the mess they make and the fact that when working with them you’re breathing in toxic dust, but I was inspired to paint this one scene and it cried out for the softness and luminescence pastels can achieve, so I got them out again.”

Rice will show a number of works done in each medium to demonstrate their differences. Questions are welcome, and they can also relate to other mediums Rice has used over the 50-some years she’s been painting professionally along the coast of Delaware.

The Ellen Rice Gallery is at 111 Atlantic Ave., Ocean View. For more information, call 302-539-3405 or go to www.ellenrice.gallery.