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Art: Out of the blue
September 22, 2005
"Fiona" by Frank Brunelle.
Photos courtesy of Louisa Gould
"Shenandoah and Tisbury Fuel Dock" by Frank Brunelle.
Featured artist Frank Brunelle (left) and Frances Griffin at Louisa Gould Gallery.
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By Amy Simcik Williams
The artist isn't new and the venue isn't new, but the marine paintings that entice viewers to linger in blue, are. These are the newest works of long-time Vineyard Haven resident, Frank Brunelle, and you can see them at Louisa Gould Gallery on Beach Street Extension in Vineyard Haven through Oct. 7.
Of the eight paintings on display, six are weighted in rich hues of blue, from the color of September on the sea to subdued shades of winter. These blues blend in "Owen Park Dinghy Dock," a painting whose pale, cool light reveals seagoing companions afloat, huddled, awaiting sailor or fisherman to skillfully employ them.
Royal blue and navy run deep in "Running Home," which according to the artist became a study of sorts for the larger version "Running Home (Alabama)," a loose, beautifully back-lit painting that takes center stage on the gallery wall currently dedicated to Brunelle's art.
Then there is "Shenandoah and Tisbury Fuel Dock," as slick as water. Unlike some of Brunelle's other paintings, on which the artist applies a combination of poppy oil, Demar varnish, and paint thinner to produce a luminous finish, only thin layers of paint suffuse the surface and deepen its fluidity and reflection.
Just when viewers are immersed in blue, the "Edgartown Lighthouse" appears. Here the primary color yields to complementary peach, and softness reigns. Though the painting has a dreamy quality, it is not hazy or washed out. Strokes of teal are blades of grass, cloud bottoms are flat and dark, and the lighthouse beckons visitors from across the room.
Frank Brunelle studied oil painting in college, but painting was an episodic experience for him until recently. Retirement has changed how he spends his time. In previous works, Brunelle explored abstract, figurative, and conceptual art. Now, he has charted a different course, and his marine paintings mark this change. Interestingly, some of his paintings were three years in the making. Others, only two weeks. The confluence of time, observation, effort, emerging artistry, and, in this work, the color blue, effect a satisfying glimpse of this artist's renderings.
In addition to Frank Brunelle's paintings, the gallery also is exhibiting the watercolors of Leslie Miller and Emilie Krueger, works on paper by Island artist Jon Kinzel, oil paintings by Gloria Burkin, and limited edition photographs by Louisa Gould.
Images from the show are
also online
at www.louisagould.com. For more information, call 508-693-7373.
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