Making an Impression
“For an Impressionist to paint from nature is not to paint the subject, but to realize sensations.” ~Paul Cezanne
April showers bring…impressionist painters? Actually, we’ll be hoping for sunny skies when Anderson Fine Art Gallery hosts the 8th Annual Impressions Small Works Showcase for the American Impressionist Society (AIS) from April 23-27. This is an excellent opportunity to bring that breath of fresh spring air into your home with some new art. With good framing and attractive lighting, you can create an eye-catching little “gallery” that doesn’t require a great deal of wall space. Smaller works like those featured in the upcoming showcase can be displayed on a shelf or mantle or collected and hung together salon-style on a single wall.
The impressionist works included in the showcase give art collectors a wide variety of subjects and mediums from which to choose. Painting mediums include oil, watercolor, pastel, gouache, and acrylic. “There were 1,808 images submitted by 778 member artists and from those submissions this group of paintings were chosen. It will be an outstanding showcase,” according to Mary Anderson, owner of Anderson Fine Art Gallery. An additional 20 paintings from AIS Masters, Board, Officers and Founders will be on display. There will be even more paintings to see following the Paint Out portion of the event.
American Impressionist Society (AIS) was founded in 1998 to promote the appreciation of living American Impressionist artists through exhibitions and educational programs. They are a nonprofit organization with over 2300 active members across the United States. An opening reception for the showcase that will feature 160 works of art selected by a five-member jury will be held on Friday, April 26 from 4:00-7:00 p.m. Everyone is invited to come meet the talented AIS artists participating in the showcase. All paintings are now available for sale through Anderson Fine Art Gallery and can be viewed under Exhibition at the gallery website at AndersonFineArtGallery.com.
The Paint Out will consist of more than 40 artists coming to St. Simons Island from across the country, from California to New York to Florida, to capture the beauty here and display it from their own unique perspectives. Each day, beginning Wednesday, April 23, each artist will begin with a blank canvas. They will be painting at various locations around the island including the site of the former Mildred Huie Museum (no parking on-site) and the grounds of Musgrove Retreat and Conference Center. On Saturday, April 27, all the paintings will be dropped off at the Anderson Fine Art Gallery Studio (Annex) where they will be judged and hung for exhibit. Over $20,000 in prizes/awards will be presented during the showcase.
“AIS is pleased to present our annual event on the beautiful St. Simons Island, and at the well-established Anderson Fine Art Gallery. The Paint Out will feature over 40 artists painting in the Golden Isles area from April 23-26. Their paintings will be on sale for one day only on Saturday, April 27 so we highly encourage visitors to look for the artists as they capture the barrier island environments,” noted Liz Ahrens, AIS Executive Director.
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The Awards Judge will be AIS Master Signature Member, Dan Beck. Anderson Fine Art Gallery is thrilled to welcome Dan back, as he was the Gold Medal recipient of the Oil Painters of American Eastern Regional Exhibition that was hosted by the gallery in 2017. In addition to judging, Dan will be teaching a 2-day workshop during the week. On Saturday, April 27, Dan will be giving a demo from 2:30-4:00 p.m. at the Anderson Fine Art Gallery Studio. The demo is open to the public. Space is limited, so please call the gallery to reserve a seat if you’d like to attend.
Following the demo and judging of the wet-paint submissions, those paintings will be on display and for sale at the Anderson Fine Art Studio Gallery, from 5:00-6:30 p.m. There will also be an extraordinary collection of local paintings by exceptional artists. If you happen to be following an artist and love their painting, let them know or contact the gallery for a pre-sale. All sales will go through Anderson Fine Art Gallery.
For more information about the showcase, workshop, demo, or paintings in the exhibition catalog, contact Anderson Fine Art Gallery at 912.634.8414 or mand@AndersonFineArtGallery.com.
