Peninsula Gallery Presents...
Artists depict both metropolitan and seaside landscapes
Showing August 2--31
Many residents of Sussex County consider the beach and the city their home, so we are celebrating both locations with our August exhibition! “City to Sea” brings together three artists — Cathy Abramson, John Aquilino, and Jack Robbins — to depict both metropolitan and ocean landscapes. While the artists share a contemporary realism style, they all express the theme in their unique perspective. Cathy, John, and Jack have each produced 10 artworks in various sizes and shapes, with half the pieces being nautical and the others urban.
An opening reception will be held on Saturday, August 2, from 5 to 6:30 pm, which is free and open to everyone. Enjoy a night out on the town with complimentary food and drink, basking in beautiful landscape paintings.
Cathy Abramson is a Maryland-based artist inspired by the city and its constant fluidity. She explores the urban environment through the more painterly aspects of her subject matter; the linear quality of buildings under construction and the effect of light and shadow on the geometry of the built environment. She sees poetry in the ordinary, and her local paintings of Washington, DC, and the DMV resonate with everyone. For this exhibit, Cathy has included scenes of modern urban living: strangers in a cafe, windows dressed in the latest fashion trend, a man taking his best friend out on an evening walk. But the concept of “City to Sea” pushes Cathy beyond her metropolitan comfort zone, inviting her to showcase more traditional marsh and seascapes that reflect the quiet stillness of natural waterways.
Born and raised in the New York City area, artist John Aquilino has been a working artist for 20 years. He is intrigued by the endless patterns of colors and shadows produced by the changing light throughout the day and even at different times of the year. His goal is not to document a particular city or view, but rather, he manipulates shapes and shadows to create striking compositions. The colors are exaggerated, the surfaces are simplified, and architectural features are rearranged or eliminated. John’s cityscapes are graphic and geometric, creating an intimate connection with buildings through intense precision and detail. Meanwhile, his beach scenes, which capture the crowded shores during summer vacation, are freer in design while still embracing a graphic nature.
For Jack Robbins, painting is storytelling — creating an image that sparks the imagination and makes you want to spend time with it, writing your own narrative. His mid-century modern, acrylic paintings take you someplace new or remind you of a favorite place from long ago. The joy of art is the connection between the creator and the viewer; each pair of eyes sees something different, and each experience is unique. Jack’s “City to Sea” images are atmospheric and evocative, with simple shapes and high-contrast shading. Through his brush, he transports the viewer to a specific moment in time, taking you from stormy evenings on the beach to sun-soaked afternoons in a modern museum.
Hours
Tues - Sat 10 am - 5 pm
Sunday 11 am - 3 pm
Monday closed
framing consultations Tues - Sat only
Peninsula Gallery Presents...
Stylized Contemporary Florals
Showing September 6--28
Opening Reception: Saturday, September 2, 5:00-6:30pm
We are sending off summer with an explosion of colorful petals for our September exhibition, “Modern Bouquets.” Blooming on the gallery walls from September 6th to the 28th will be a collection of stylized contemporary floral paintings that will transport viewers to a lush botanical garden right here in downtown Lewes. This new show brings together perfectly pristine perennials from four artists: Allison Cosmos, Charlene Jobe, Lisa Katharina, and Cindy Kaufman.
An opening reception will be held on Saturday, September 6, from 5:00 to 6:30 pm, which is free and open to everyone. Enjoy a night out on the town with complimentary food and drink, basking in beautiful floral paintings.
Allison Cosmos, a resident of Hockessin, DE, is a visual artist and designer known for her richly layered compositions that blend natural history, storytelling, and the decorative arts. She holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the Ringling College of Art and Design in Sarasota, Florida. Over the past 30 years, her work has gained global attention, appearing in Elle Decor, House Beautiful, Veranda, HGTV, and Architectural Digest. Allison’s contemporary bouquets include hyper-realistic acrylic paintings of native plants. Her work employs smooth, solid backgrounds that lend a contemporary clarity to the pieces, striking a balance between tradition and modernity.
Charlene Jobe is an artist who specializes in plein air landscapes, florals, and image-based abstracts. She studied at the Norton School of Art, the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, and the Wyomissing Institute of the Arts. She has exhibited in art shows up and down the East Coast and is a member of Oil Painters of America and the Mid-Atlantic Plein Air Painters. For this exhibition, Charlene is exhibiting five blooming pieces, crafted in acrylic and grounded in an abstract expression. Her brush strokes effortlessly blend bold, contrasting tones to create lively, flowing petals.
For 15 years, Lisa Katharina taught art in the classroom and at The Philadelphia Museum of Art and The Barnes Foundation. She worked at The PMA as a Museum Educator and a Facilitator in the museum’s Teacher Resource Center, where she assisted classroom teachers with incorporating art into curriculum development across diverse subject areas. Like Charlene, Lisa also crafts her contemporary florals with expressionistic marks. Her paintings — which are presented in pastel, ink, and acrylic — are abstract with large swaths of color evoking the movement and texture of flowers.
Cindy Kaufman worked in architecture and interior design for three decades before moving into art. With design, she was rigid and detailed, meticulously planning every aspect to create a harmonious environment. But in her art, she breaks free from the constraints of design guidelines and expresses herself in a new way. Cindy sees her art as a reflection of her personality: filled with joy, whimsy, and a love for nature. Cindy’s “Modern Bouquets” collection features 15 illustrative floral scenes that depict sun-soaked blossoms. Her acrylic paintings appear to be alive, virtually jumping off the canvas and immersing the viewer in a magical world.