The Grenning Gallery opens its new spring exhibition on April 24 with work by five artists — Amy Florence, Maryann Lucas, Tim McGuire, Tina Orsolic Dalessio and Rachel Personett. The buoyant works celebrate the impending joy of the season. This exhibit will explore the cheerful subjects, joyful colors, and vibrant brushstrokes that portray better days ahead and remains on view through Sunday, May 2, in Grenning Gallery’s newly renovated space at 26 Main Street, Sag Harbor.
London-born Amy Florence doggedly pursued her career in painting by pursuing her dreams of studying in Florence, Italy, an epicenter of art education for many of the Grenning Gallery artists. By the age of 17, she secured the funds for this undertaking and by 25 she had her own studio and a teaching position in Italy. Florence lives in the historic town of Tavarnelle Val di Pesa with her partner and powerhouse of a painter, Ben Fenske. The two are inspired by the location of their home positioned in the Chianti Valley with its rolling hills and romantic views of olive groves and vineyards.
MaryAnn Lucas, a Long Island native, is an active and dedicated member of the East End artistic community. Equipped with a sensitivity to and natural sense of color, Lucas, a self-taught painter, depicts plein-air scenes, seascapes, and still-lifes with increasing knowledge of art theory and thoughtfulness.
Tim McGuire lives and paints in Nova Scotia, Canada. The former kindergarten teacher moved to Florence at the age of 31 to pursue his passion for painting and study at the city’s renowned Academy of Art. This life-changing decision was a belabored one, yet when made, allowed him the ability to live as he wanted and express himself through the medium he most desired.
Rachel Personett was born in Hawaii and raised in Colorado. She is an artist who pays homage to nature by exclusively painting from real life. She enjoys the challenges of capturing ephemeral subjects in their natural environs.
Croatian-born figurative painter Tina Orsolic Dalessio packs a powerful punch in this exhibition with included works “Gladioli” and “Abandoned Church.” A keen and perceptive observer of nature, she proves herself to be a painter who both competently captures the essence of a scene and imbues in her rendering a poetic, lyrical element which allows the viewer the opportunity for deeper connectivity.
For more information about the show, visit grenninggallery.com.