Gallery One artists to host Coastal Colors exhibit reception July 1

To live on the coast of the Atlantic Ocean is to live in the colors of the sea.

Artists Lesley McCaskill, Dianne Shearon and Dale Sheldon paint to the theme of Coastal Colors in July’s special exhibit to be shown Tuesday, June 30 through Saturday, July 31, at Gallery One in Ocean View. An artists' reception will be held from 5 to 7 p.m., Wednesday, July 1, at the gallery in Ocean View.

Each of their paintings celebrates the blues and grays of the ocean and bays, the golden sun on the umbrella-filled beaches, the greens of the scrub pines and marsh grasses, and the mixed flower hues of cottage gardens.

Watercolorist Lesley McCaskill paints on location in coastal Delaware and on the Gulf Coast of Florida. Painting outside allows her to immerse all of her senses in her surroundings. “It seems when I paint directly, magic happens. The emotion I feel, but can’t put into words, I can translate with my paints onto paper. With immediacy I can capture the sense of the place,” she said. This gives McCaskill’s paintings an easy, free freshness.

On both coasts the waters and wide-open skies intrigue and inspire her. The movement, the reflection, the transparency, and the wildlife inhabiting the canals, ponds and harbors are the subjects of her paintings. Florida has the wild and warm lushness of its tropical foliage and also the muted colors of the dry inland ranch country. Delaware is ordered and pristine with its furrowed and planted farm fields, meandering cool marshes and the coastline with color-filled beaches. Both give her the feeling of quiet. That’s what her work reflects.

Watercolorist and acrylic painter Dianne Shearon said, “I am always thinking - what am I going to paint next? I am looking and watching for a perfect subject. I take lots of pictures and use them to paint from my studio. I may take a sunrise or sunset from one photo and colors from another and then add what looks good to me. Living in coastal Delaware is like a book with lots of pictures to pick from.”

Shearon paints the sweep of the Delaware area from bay and beach. She is particularly drawn to the soft colors of pinks and blues and touches of yellows and greens in the landscape. Her signature is her landscapes of pinks and lavenders mingling with the blue of the sky and water, and her still life paintings of flowers. “Life as an artist is wonderful. Sharing my paintings has been a real joy,” she said.

Dale Sheldon works in water media. She loves the subtle, exciting movement of pigment and water on paper. She creates that special flow with her watercolor palette. With acrylics she can change direction and paint rich, bold images. In Sheldon’s paintings the viewer can observe dabs of red and turquoise that add an understated sparkle.

“Art is my passion. I find inspiration everywhere. I paint the landscape - the dunes, the ocean, the bays. I see the work boats that ply these waters. I observe people interacting with each other," she said. "I seek both the familiar and the unexplored to paint. I am drawn to the fields and farmland of the Delaware region with the constantly changing light. I love to paint the shadows of old beach cottages with doors and windows that speak of days gone by. The sparkle of sunlight on the ocean’s waves and the reflections on the quiet waters of the bays and the diversity of shorebirds, with their quiet elegance inspire my work. When I travel I paint these same subjects.”

Gallery One is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., daily at 32 Atlantic Ave. (Route 26) in Ocean View, 1.5 miles from Route 1 on Route 26. For more information call 302-537-5055 or go to www.galleryonede.com.