Thomas Connolly is a realist painter known for his architectural paintings of Portland, New York City and beyond. His work is featured in a solo exhibit at Greenhut Gallery from Oct. 8 to 31.
The gallery will host an online artist talk at 7 p.m. Oct. 13, streaming live on Greenhut Gallery’s Facebook page.
Connolly participated in the Maine College of Art Baie Ste. Marie residency program in New Edinburgh, Nova Scotia. He was juried in to the 2011 Portland Museum of Art Biennial Exhibition, and the 2010 Center for Maine Contemporary Art Biennial Exhibition. He is the recipient of a Pollock-Krasner Foundation Grant and the Sheldon Bergh Award. Connolly’s work expresses a strong sense of mood through subtle use of color that adds a richness to the subjects he chooses to paint.
In the words of the artist:
These paintings are snapshots of scenes that I have come across over the past year or so. I usually have a camera on hand, photograph something if it appeals to me, and use this photo to get a start on a painting. Regardless of the imagery, I rely on colors to describe a feeling. Adjusting these colors is where I find a challenge and also joy in seeing different parts of the painting work with each other to create a unified effect.
The larger paintings are painted in a studio and require a bit of patience to describe all of the small details. These studio pieces are carefully crafted and methodical. Other pieces are painted on site, outside, and adjusted pretty quickly. Typically, they are painted at the end of the day, the light is changing, and I need to make decisions without a lot of thought. This adds an excitement and spontaneity. Of course, sometimes I would like a slower pace to adjust these pieces, but often the day is turning to dusk, and I have to wrap it up. Both the view that I am depicting and the painting go through many changes over the course of the hour that it takes to finish. With luck, I can get the two to agree with each other.
View the show online at https://www.greenhutgalleries.com/exhibitions-events/thomas-connolly-solo-exhibition.
Greenhut Galleries is at 146 Middle St., Portland. Hours are 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday. Call 207-772-2693 or email info@greenhutgalleries.com for more information.
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