On October 12, the Grenning Gallery in Sag Harbor opens an exhibition featuring the work of Viktor Butko, Kelly Carmody and Maryann Lucas. Keeping with the gallery’s classical tenants, the three artists paint only from life and their work reflects their experience of direct observation.
Butko was born into a long line of artists and has been painting since childhood. He is at the forefront of contemporary Russian Impressionism. This show displays his natural ability to observe nature honestly and without bias. In Afternoon Shadows, Butko pays homage to the carefully manicured landscape surrounding the Customs House in Sag Harbor
Carmody is an award winning, classically trained painter with works in some of the top classical-realist galleries along the East Coast. Her work is usually filled with soft hues, depicting wholesome subjects, and leave the viewer completely at ease. She was drawn to paint the Sag Harbor Historical Society in the springtime this year, once she saw the yard filled with unique, funny-looking flowers called Alliums. The finished product reveals a composition dominated by these sunlit flowers, Annie Cooper Boyd’s rustic style house, and an American flag posted on the front porch.
Lucas is a Sag Harbor resident who delivers a series of great locally painted works from her studio, with several breakthrough paintings in this show. “Glow Up” is a poetic take on a subject she painted in a larger format years ago. The elegant observations of the light in and around the flowers, and the equal attention to the negative space make this a true gem of a painting.
The exhibition opens with a reception on Satruday October 12 from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Grenning Gallery is at 26 Main Street, Sag Harbor. For information call 631-725-8469.