Sailing Away with the Dreamy Work of Laurie Johnstone

A Stonington CT native, Laurie's work is intimately tied to the landscape of the place she calls home. One in a long line of sailors and lovers of the sea, Laurie finds inspiration in the ever changing weather and the temperamental sea which she can see out her studio window. Laurie didn't discover her talent or drive for creativity until later in life, having already had a successful career as the manager of an art gallery. It was while working at the gallery that Laurie began to study art academically and with an eye for technique. Her appreciation for art drove her to, finally, pick up the brush herself.

"Off Shore" 12x36

Learning and growing is a part of Laurie's process; as her skill and taste changes she will revisit old subjects over and over again, gleaning new insight each time, fleshing out her understanding of not only the technique but the world around her. Her work is almost meditative in approach, the painting and repainting of similar views and stretches of coastline like a mantra - a revisiting of the familiar until it becomes near abstracted.

"Block Island Bluffs II" 8x8

Her work is characterized by low horizon lines, and smoky atmosphere, often a lone white sail of a boat the only thing to indicate life within the vista of the overwhelming blue. The true wonder of her work comes through in the colors, the way she plays them off of one another. Through her careful layering she brings to life the intricacies of the coastline, stratification of sand and trees all silhouetted against a dreamy blue-grey sky. Recently, Laurie has been playing more intensely with texture, building up the coastline into an almost three-dimensional element, building upon layers of acrylic to create an almost topographical landscape.

"Off Newport" 8x8

Painting is Laurie's meditation, an escape from the ravages of the every day. It is about the process and the journey rather than the destination in her works, an examination of the intricacies of the landscape seen through the eyes of someone who loves it.

How to Capture Something Light Moves Through? The Photorealistic Still Lifes of Mark Brown

Plying his trade as a professional artist since 2000, Mark Brown is considered an artist at the forefront of the movement for contemporary realism. An artist since his youth, Mark painted regularly and passionately - cars, animals, things from his imagination which he would breathe to life with his steady hand and keen eye. Visiting museums as a child, Mark was constantly fascinated by the detail and rich coloring of the works of the Dutch Masters. It was this fascination that inspired him to practice more, work harder at his craft, in an attempt to mimic that intense, lifelike, beauty.

"White Rose" 25x35

If the Dutch Masters of the Renaissance were the driving inspiration behind Mark's pursuit of perfection in still life, it is both the wonder of modern techniques and Mark's own exacting temperament that allowed him to surpass them. He attended the prestigious Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, joining the ranks of such notable alumni as Mary Cassatt and Maxfield Parrish. While at the academy he continued to hone his craft, focusing on form and light, perfecting the process of layering glaze upon glaze to capture the light reflection off the canvas surface.

"Conch Shell" 12x12 "Nautalus" 12x12

Mark's work has won many awards from many prestigious organizations including the Oil Painters of America, and he has been selected as a finalist three times for the Artist's Magazine annual competition. He and his family travel regularly, exhibiting his work at shows and artists salons across the country. With such a busy schedule of exhibitions, it's a wonder that Mark is able to take the time to paint at all much less engage in his lengthy process of observation and reflection before he even puts brush to canvas. While he does enjoy the freedom of plein-air painting, the majority of Mark's work is done in a studio under carefully controlled conditions. It is these conditions that allow him to take his time with the work, truly engage with the objects he is painting. There is a spirituality to Mark's work which he admits is an important part of the process, the engagement with the intricacies of creation and the dignity and beauty of everything in the world.

"Apple Picking" 18x24

Neil McAuliffe

"I always wanted to be an artist. I was pretty determined that that was going to happen somehow"- Neil McAuliffe

Born and raised on Cape Cod, Neil McAuliffe always knew he wanted to be an artist. In his youth he recalls being struck by the character of the old buildings and quaint village roads that were slowly being replaced and built over; he longed to capture these old things that make New England unique. Overtime Neil's work took on a romantic realism that he continues to embrace to this day, a sunny, pleasant world that is at once a look back at the past and removed from it.

"Garden View" 18x36

Neil studied illustration at the Massachusetts College of Art before returning home to the cape and taking up the life of an artist full time. He transitioned away from pen and ink and watercolors and toward oil paints around fifteen years ago, teaching himself the ins and outs of the medium which ne now uses exclusively. His style is soft and recognizable, a storybook like feel to it undoubtedly influenced by his time studying illustration. He writes that he wants to produce something realistic but retain some of the beauty of the medium - his works strive to look like paintings. It is precisely this painterly approach which endears him to so many collectors.

"Waterfront Reflections" 24x36

In 1991 Neil was commissioned to paint images of famous New England sights including Augusta National Golf Course, Pebble Beach Golf Links, Harvard University and the villages of Hyannisport and Osterville. The limited edition prints of these works were extraordinarily successful and helped launch Neil's career as a professional artist.

"Easy Street Basin" 24x36

Neil's work has wide appeal across many collector bases. He is a celebrated member of Cape Cod art society and has shown in many galleries and museums all across New England. Far from a one-trick pony however, Neil finds inspiration in the tropical landscape as well. He regularly visits the islands of the Caribbean and finds the change in scenery a welcome break and an enlivening exercise. Known as he is, Neil has completed several commissions for large resorts and businesses there such as Sandals Resorts, Jablum Blue Mountain Coffee Co. and Caribbean Utilities Inc.

Neil lives and works in New England.