Be reminded of the simple joys of childhood and elicit fond recollections from your past with our July exhibition, “Nostalgia.” From June 29 to July 28, Blanche Guernsey, Karen McCool, Nancy McIntyre, John Schisler, and Sharon Strine will display a collection of playful artwork that takes you down memory lane. 

 

     Molly Honey King, co-curator at Peninsula Gallery, says of “Nostalgia”: “We hope this exhibition hits a sentimental note with our clients, allowing them to feel a sense of familiarity and warmth with the pieces on display. This showcase is all about finding a likeness in the images to your own youth.”

 

     Blanche Guernsey is a Wyoming-based self-taught artist. She considers her artwork a voice reflecting her experiences and surroundings. Family, traditions, and that sense of belonging are depicted throughout her work as she uses bold brushstrokes in oils to create still-life paintings that inspire a universal feeling of nostalgia. For this exhibit, Blanche will showcase eight oil paintings of novelty children’s games. Legos, Uno, Yahtzee, Scrabble, and more serve as the subjects of her images, reverting viewers to more innocent times full of play and imagination.

 

     Residing in West Chester, PA, Karen McCool is a self-taught artist who began her formal practice in 2019. She’s interested in exploring the concepts of memory and human connection. She was so moved by her mother’s reaction to old photos (her mother had dementia), that she began using them as reference. Karen seeks to illustrate connection through nostalgic vignettes of daily life. Characterized by humor, the light-hearted renderings are created in an alla prima style with bold color. Karen’s style inherently captures the essence of this exhibition, as her retro paintings provide the perfect throwback to moments past. Her scenes feature backyard barbecues, energetic beach days, and chilled beverages consumed straight from the bottle.  

 

     Nancy McIntyre attended the Rhode Island School of Design and found a passion for the silkscreen printing process from Art Wood. Her silkscreens have depicted man-made places, like storefronts and porches, as well as natural subjects, like skies and birds. She tries to persuade viewers to find beauty in the ordinary, even in the shabby, especially when the light is right. Nancy has also taught art for many years, working in both schools and art leagues. Using multiple layers of color on each image, Nancy’s silkscreens are intricate recreations of vintage storefronts and signage. She showcases her compositional skills — particularly in her ability to capture light — through her artistic replication of glass reflections, giving her paintings an almost photographic quality.  

 

     John Schisler is an award-winning painter living in Georgetown, Delaware, who takes much of his technique and inspiration from classical masters, such as Maroger, Titian, Rubens, and Rembrandt. Keeping with the tradition of the old masters, he makes the black oil that is then used to make medium, as well as oil paint by mixing with powdered pigments. John takes the historic style of still life painting and replaces the scene’s objects with wistful contemporary icons like American flags, baseballs and bats, and sunflower seeds. There is a grandness to his images, which gives importance to the everyday objects he depicts. 

 

     A native Delawarean, Sharon Strine now resides in New York City. Her artwork has appeared in solo and group exhibitions, galleries, and art fairs up and down the East Coast of the U.S. Although living in the city provides a bombardment of inspiration, Sharon will always long for the beach. In an instant, she can be transported to her childhood summers spent in Lewes, playing in the dunes, crabbing, and sailing. In her artwork, she uses the sights and feelings of our shared human experience to make meaningful connections. For “Nostalgia,” she reminisces on her life at the beach with her portraits of women enjoying the sandy shores, dressed in classic bathing suits and cat-eyed sunglasses.