‘Following the Light’ features recent paintings by Paul Batch at Sylvan Gallery

Sylvan Gallery welcomes back artist Paul Batch for the exhibit “Following the Light,” featuring his most recent landscape paintings, with many focusing on the Maine coastline and marsh.

An opening reception was held on June 29, and the exhibition will remain on view through July 30.

Years of direct observation of nature’s transitory effects have lent Batch an understanding in capturing the essence of the light at various times of day and weather conditions. He brings the colors of a sunrise or sunset to life on his canvas, and much like the 19th-century artist George Inness, Batch emphasizes atmospheric effects over naturalistic detail. Paul usually focuses on a single motif and everything else in the painting is subordinate to it.

The subject of “Hillside, Spring” is a central grouping of trees in silhouette against a sky of bold and radiant colors. The beautiful tone of blue at the zenith quickly transitions to the blazing colors of a dramatic sunrise: vermilions, dashes of orange and a brilliant band of orange yellow near the horizon. Cool gray-violet clouds provide a perfect contrast with some catching orange and red wavelengths of color. It looks swiftly painted with energetic brushwork, perfectly conveying how quickly the magic of a sunrise happens.

In “Reflections in the Sand,” the early morning atmospheric haze of rose, violet and blue tones are reflected throughout the painting. The ocean acts as a reflecting surface where all the colors of the sky intermingle, and the crest of a gentle wave picks up the golden glow of the sun. Streams of water amid granite rocks in the foreground, lead the viewer’s gaze back to the ocean and then up to the sky. In this painting, Batch creates a world of light where the mood is one of tranquility and peace. The brushwork is less lively than in many of his works with more blended passages, further creating the impression of a serene moment in time.

“Shinedown” is the largest painting in the exhibit. The sky comprises almost three quarters of the painting. Beams of sunlight break through the gathering clouds illuminating the distant surface of the water. Tones of blue and red violet are used throughout, unifying and bringing a coherence to the painting. Off to the left, pine trees on a rocky bluff are sensitively captured. The painting is a perfect example of how, through the use of color and light, a painted landscape can transcend being a mere description of a place and can affect our emotions and move us to a feeling of hope and peace.

A few of his other new paintings that are striking for their lush painterly brushwork include “Moonbeam,” where the rising moon’s reflection is cast over a lake with marsh grasses and lily pads; “Crashes” and “Evening Surge,” which depict crashing waves illuminated by the late rays of the sun. Both are examples of how different the quality of light and colors of a sunset can look with differing weather conditions.

No two sunsets are alike, and Batch loves capturing the heightened special effects that occur with the sunset’s reflection on the water. The light of the sky harmonizes all the elements of his paintings.

Batch conducts monthly Zoom painting demonstrations running an hour or longer, designed for beginner and intermediate painters to learn more techniques and become more confident with their painting. Narrated throughout by Batch, he always discusses the palette that he uses to capture his subject matter, brush sizes, mediums, and the design of the composition. With almost 40 demonstrations available for replay, topics have included Painting Waves at Sunset, Painting Reflections, Values and Depth, Composing from Multiple Reference and Painting Sunlit Grasses. 

Batch is also available for online mentorship. For more information, see www.paulbatchpainting.com.

Batch received his MFA from the Hartford Art School where he studied under the late great Stephen Brown. He is an award-winning member of Oil Painters of America and Portrait Society of America. His work has appeared in numerous publications including the Artist’s Magazine, Fine Art Connoisseur and International Artist. Paul was selected as one of “Three to Watch” in the February 2021 issue of Fine Art Connoisseur.

A selection of new work by the gallery’s other contemporary fine artists will also be on display, including Peter Layne Arguimbau, Joann Ballinger, Al Barker, Angelo Franco Jr., Susannah Haney, Neal Hughes, Heather Gibson-Lusk, Stan Moeller, Robert Noreika, Crista Pisano, Ann Scanlan, Polly Seip, Laura Winslow, and Shirley Cean Youngs. Work from the estate of the late artist Charles Kolnik will also be on view.
In conjunction with this exhibition, the gallery will display work from its regular roster of contemporary fine artists.

Sylvan Gallery is at 49 Water St., Wiscasset. Hours are 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday. For more information, call Ann Scanlan at 207-882-8290 or go to www.sylvangallery.com. Find Sylvan Gallery on Instagram and Facebook.