Block Island Plein Air 2019 will show pastel paintings by seven artists from a five-day landscape workshop organized by Brooklyn artist/instructor Enid Braun. The group spends each day painting a different view or location on the Island in an intensive workshop that includes critiques and field lunches. This is the third year Braun has organized the workshop on Block Island, and the third time Spring Street Gallery has welcomed them in an exhibit of some of the work as a one-day pop-up show.
Enid Braun uses urban and nature landscape imagery in mixed-media drawing, pastel, and oil. She currently teaches private figure drawing classes in her Brooklyn studio and pastel and drawing classes at the Brooklyn Botanic Gardens. She was a visiting artist at the Brooklyn Navy Yard, and was awarded a pastel fellowship to the Vermont Studio Center. She received a BFA from the San Francisco Art Institute and MFA from Pratt Institute. Check out her website for more information.
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Ted Merritt will launch his annual art show at the Spring Street Gallery on Saturday, September 14 with a wine and cheese opening party from 5-7pm . All are invited .He will share space with Enid Braun and her art students. Cameron Greenlee will entertain on the keyboard.
It is at this opening reception that Ted will debut his new book,” My Love, My Art and Block Island.” The book is how Ted sees Block Island through his poetry and art. Metaphorically, the book’s cover is of a painting of Crescent Beach with its seagull “guardians”.
Islanders are familiar with Ted’s interest in maritime painting and his support for various Block Island sailing organizations.
A portion of the proceeds from the sale of his book and his paintings will go to various community organizations, including:
Block Island Community Sailing
The Block Island Club
The Block Island Yacht Club
Of special interest in the show include paintings of Town Beach which are actually photos taken by Ted and enhanced with acrylic paint. They are printed on fine art paper and overpainted with quality acrylic paint. It is a very interesting technique and often difficult
Ito tell whether one of his paintings is an enhanced photo or an acrylic original!
The show will also feature several large gallery wrap maritime acrylic paintings such as the one shown below. They all highlight value differences in color so common to the Block Island maritime environment.
