April 2016

Haynes Galleries presents “Traditional Favorites,”
“Stories in Paint,” and “Luminous Light & Reflections”
Through May 28, 2016

NASHVILLE— In addition to presenting “Teresa Oaxaca: Exuberance,” Haynes Galleries has several vignette shows on display that showcase the diversity of traditional and contemporary Realism. Some of the most well-known artists of the genre are included in “Traditional Favorites.” “Stories in Paint” explores narrative-inspired paintings while “Luminous Light & Reflections” presents land and seascapes that capture the beauty of nature. All three vignette shows and “Teresa Oaxaca: Exuberance” are on display until May 28 at Haynes Galleries’ location on Nashville’s historic Music Row Roundabout. All shows are free and open to the public.

The great American artists— John Singer Sargent, Winslow Homer, Andrew Wyeth and more— are the stars of “Traditional Favorites.” Drawings, etchings, and paintings by these masters shine in this vignette. One of the highlights of “Traditional Favorites” is Eight Bells, an etching by Winslow Homer. In it two sailors aboard the deck of a ship use their navigational instruments as rough waters splash around them. The short, energetic lines of the etching relay the swirling, unfavorable conditions at sea but the solidity of the men anchors the scene.

With more contemporary works in “Stories in Paint” guests can experience the narrative & emotional possibilities of figurative paintings. Burton Silverman’s Before the Race contemplates the anxiety of a cyclist just before he begins a daredevil, mountain race. In Zoey Frank’s Girl in Striped Shirt a young girl sits at a simple desk that faces a wall but she turns in her chair so the viewer can see her profile. The scarcity of the room and her hunched posture lend a melancholy mood to the scene, as if the girl is in the midst of a troubling time.

Capturing the mesmerizing effects of natural light on the land and sea can be excruciatingly difficult for painters. But in “Luminous Light & Reflections” it has been done with expert flair. Joseph McGurl’s Sunlight, Monhegan positively glows with the light of the setting sun. It bounces off the water and rocks creating a dappled effect and capturing the texture of the scene. A more subdued approach is seen in Gary Akers’s Autumn Light. An even light falls across the small buildings and shoreline of a humble waterfront. It casts a serenity and familiarity to the landscape as if it is a place you once visited and loved.

These three vignettes are not to be missed. They are diverse additions to the already stunning exhibition of Teresa Oaxaca’s work currently on display at Haynes Galleries. So whether a fan of figures, nature, or the great Realists of the past, there is something for everyone right now at Haynes Galleries.