BRATTLEBORO — On Thursday, Aug. 3, from 5 to 7 p.m., Mitchell-Giddings Fine Arts invites the public to the opening reception for “Oils and Watercolors,” side-by-side solo exhibitions by the gallery's founding artists, Petria Mitchell and Jim Giddings.
The exhibit will continue through Sept.17, with an Artist Talk on Saturday, Aug. 19, at 5 p.m.
Mitchell will show a selection of new oil paintings that continue her investigations in color and atmosphere. Her exploration of the ethereal world of light and ambience through the use of tonal gradation and converging lines are signature elements in her work.
“Using nature as an initial reference point allows me to play with limitless possibilities while embracing a thorough appreciation for abstraction,” she said.
After his studio and a lifetime of paintings and drawings were destroyed in a fire last fall, Giddings has begun to paint in his rebuilt studio. His presentation will include new watercolors as well as salvaged, reworked, or revisited oil paintings.
For Giddings, an exploration of the richness of painted surfaces is an important aspect of his work, and he “continue[s] to believe that beauty lies in small things."