November 2014
Haynes Galleries presents “A Treasure Trove of Real Art”
November 21 to December 20, 2014
Reception: Friday, 5 p.m. to 7:30 pm, November 21, 2014
NASHVILLE— Small in scale. Big on impact. To kick off the holiday season Haynes Galleries presents “A Treasure Trove of Real Art,” a show that will focus on relatively smaller pieces that are still grand in their design and execution. This assortment of still lifes, portraits, and landscapes will be on view from November 21 to December 20 at Haynes Galleries on the historic Music Row Roundabout. An opening reception will take place from 5 to 7:30 pm on November 21. Both the opening and exhibition are free and open to the public.
While highlighting smaller works, the show will also be a celebration of fine American and Contemporary Realism for which Haynes Galleries has come to be known. Works from three centuries—the 19th, 20th, and 21st— will be on display to mark the variety of the gallery’s roster of artists. Legendary names like Sargent and Wyeth will appear next to the upcoming artists of today like Zoey Frank and Candice Bohannon.
“Works like these really remind you that a picture doesn’t have to big to be memorable,” says gallery founder Gary R. Haynes. “The smallest pieces are sometimes the ones that stay with you the longest, like a treasured jewel or memento.”
Like a jewel, the work in “A Treasure Trove of Real Art” shines. The high gloss perfection of Nancy Depew’s floral still lifes— usually of a single flower and stem dramatically lit— beckon viewers to consider the simple but profound beauty of nature.
New York based artists Justin Wood takes perfectly ripe clementines and a single blue and white porcelain bowl and crafts a still life reminiscent of the finest Dutch master works. A recent finalist in the Grand Central Academy’s prestigious Still Life Painting Competition, Wood takes great joy and care in selecting the unique objects for his arrangements.
Stunning landscapes can be small, too. E.P. Lewandowski’s vivid landscapes of waterfalls and rushing streams captivate the eye with their photographic realism and interesting perspectives. Lewandowski’s skill with colored pencil, his preferred medium, will bewitch viewers.
Figurative pieces include the work of Casey Childs, whose subjects seem to glimmer in the light, and Candice Bohannon, whose portraits infuse emotion into beautifully painted scenes.
A beloved children’s toy is the perfect subject for a small oil from Chattanooga-based artist Cindy Procious. Her image of a Raggedy Ann doll— half portrait, half still life— is treated with all the skill and sincerity of Procious’ award-winning larger works but still maintains the playfulness befitting the subject.
The great names of American Realism can be found in this sampling of small work, too. A Norman Rockwell portrait of a woman in profile, quickly captured with long brushstrokes, will have viewers seeing the American icon in a new light. A sketched charcoal portrait from John Singer Sargent reveals why Sargent is a legendary portraitist and still an inspiration to contemporary artists.
Though the works in “A Treasure Trove of Real Art” are petite, each is a celebration of realist art. An appreciation of tradition and the little things in life, which are sometimes the most lasting.