Show Preview | West Wind Fine Art: A Return to Understated Elegance

Woods Hole, MA, July 6-8

Clyde Aspevig, Moonrise Over Vineyard Sound, oil, 24 x 30.

This story was featured in the July 2012 issue of Southwest Art magazine. Order the Southwest Art magazine July 2012 print edition here, or purchase the Southwest Art magazine July 2012 digital download here. Or simply click here to subscribe to Southwest Art magazine and never miss a story!

Take the natural beauty of Cape Cod and combine it with the manmade beauty of paintings and sculpture by some of the top artists in the country, and you have the makings of a memorable event. This month West Wind Fine Art offers just such an occasion—a multifaceted visual feast. Curator Kristen Thies has organized a stellar presentation that features works by Richard Schmid, Nancy Guzik, George Carlson, Clyde Aspevig, Daniel J. Keys, Carol Guzman-Aspevig, Judy Stach, and Douglas Reichwein. And from her personal collection, Thies is showcasing paintings depicting Cape Cod by her late husband, Timothy R. Thies.

The event takes place at the Clark Carriage House on the grounds of the J. Erik Jonsson Center, a former private summer residence with magnificent views of Quissett Harbor—a quiet refuge dotted with sailboats during the summer months. Thies says she chose the location because of the harbor’s pristine beauty as well as the carriage house’s 19th-century architecture. Both seemed to exemplify the show’s theme of understated elegance. “When I first entered the grounds of the Jonsson Center and saw the panoramic views of the harbor, I knew that I had found the perfect place,” Thies says. “Much has been said about Cape Cod’s views and light, but with this gathering of artists and art, I want to share something that goes beyond these visual qualities. To me, Cape Cod offers a sense of timelessness, an opportunity to step back in time to an era when life was slower and people felt a stronger connection to each other and to nature.”

For his work in the show, MOONRISE OVER VINEYARD SOUND, Aspevig says his inspiration sprung from the peaceful evening solitude of Naushon Island off the Cape. “As I looked across the sound to Martha’s Vineyard, the moon was directly above the end of the boardwalk,” he says. “I thought to myself, what kind of invitation is this?”

Judy Stach, Falmouth Perfection, oil, 12 x 14.

For Stach, the show allowed her a chance to revisit a treasured place where her life as an artist began more than 50 years ago. When she was growing up, her family often vacationed on Cape Cod. “There was no television, just paper and pencils to entertain kids when we were not clamming or building sandcastles,” Stach says.

When she visited Quissett Harbor last summer, she was reminded of how often she drew and painted boats as a child. And she reflected on how the nearby town of Falmouth was where she first saw time stand still. “I set up my pochade box next to the road and worked out a small painting of a scene that became FALMOUTH PERFECTION,” she says. “The water, the wind, the sky, the reflections and laughter of the people involved in boating were what I wanted to put in this painting that is now in the show. A perfect summer morning.”

A Return to Understated Elegance opens with a reception for the artists on July 6 from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. On Saturday, July 7, from 7 to 9 p.m., Richard Schmid presents a digital show of his paintings and also signs copies of his popular book, Alla Prima: Everything I Know About Painting. —Bonnie Gangelhoff

contact information
508.566.9463
www.westwindfineart.com

Featured in the July 2012 issue of Southwest Art magazine–click below to purchase:
Southwest Art magazine July 2012 digital download
Southwest Art magazine July 2012 print edition
Or click here to subscribe to Southwest Art magazine and never miss a story!