An Unexpected Antidote
My residency at the Vermont studio Center during Vermont Week in 2018 was a gift on many levels. Chiefly, it provided attendees with the time and space to concentrate solely on our work, each in our own spacious studio, with complete freedom from life’s usual responsibilities. I found an unparalleled sense of camaraderie being in the midst of a community of people who invariably wanted to talk about some aspect of art whenever we were together, but who also fully understood and accepted the desire to work long hours in solitude.
© Walter Newman Dinosaurs and Vines, oil/canvas, 20” x 20”
Aside from that, a large part of the genius of Vermont Week is you have to be a Vermont resident to attend. Therefore, it’s an opportunity to meet and rub shoulders with folks who will still remain within reach after the week is over and everyone has gone home.
I feel very fortunate to have had my studio across the hall from a painter who has become a good friend. He lives an hour or so away, but he and I and another artist friend who also attended that week manage to get together at least a couple of times a year to catch up over a meal and, when possible, to attend each other’s openings.
That brings me to what this post is really about. Walter Newman’s current exhibit of 25 paintings, which just opened at the Tunbridge General Store Gallery, is a true delight. Please don’t miss it if you are anywhere in the vicinity. And if you don’t happen to be close by, it’s well worth the drive.*
© Walter Newman Beetle and Lizard, oil/canvas, 24” x 24”
As a gatherer of eclectic objects which reflect a broad range of interests, Walter combines them in environments that are believable and fantastical all at once. “Quirky” in the best sense of the word, his paintings straddle an impossible line between serenity and humor while making one feel just slightly, not at all unpleasantly, unsettled. Simultaneously, a deft hand with color accentuates the mood and the imagery.
Walter is a retired art conservator and many of the objects which populate his paintings were gleaned on far-away travels. He is also an animal lover and has been caretaker to a wide range of pets who all make appearances in his work — among them an armadillo, alpacas, lizards, and of course the dogs one might more readily expect. More often than not a dinosaur is lurking to keep everything else company, or is it to keep everything else in line? And it will surprise no one who read my last post that his use of pattern captivates me. Somehow he is able to bring all these disparate elements together in a way that makes perfect sense.
© Walter Newman Orisha and Triceratops, oil/paper mounted on panel, 20” X 16”. Not in the exhibit, this beauty is part of my own collection.
Final thoughts? This show is a gem filled with joy. One might even say it is a bit of an unexpected antidote for these crazy times. Head to Tunbridge to see for yourself.
© Walter Newman Teeth and Armadillo, oil/canvas, 20” x 20”
*Don’t be off-put wondering how the work could possibly be displayed in a general store. The gallery is upstairs, with a cozy atmosphere that in no way sacrifices a professional presentation.
