A collection of small paintings by Old Lyme resident Catherine Christiano that feature the cottages of Old Lyme’s beach communities will be exhibited at George Billis Gallery in Chelsea, New York location. The Summer Group Show will run from July 10 through Aug. 4.
The opening reception for the public will be held tomorrow evening, Thursday, July 12, at the George Billis Gallery located at 525 West 26th Street between 10th and 11th Avenues from 6 to 8 p.m. Gallery hours are Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
This latest series of paintings was created this past winter in a temporary studio at Hawk’s Nest Beach in Old Lyme.
Ever drawn to the character of the homes and the pictorial possibilities presented by these structures and their interplay with light, Christiano has returned numerous times to Old Lyme’s seasonal beach communities perched on the edge of the Long Island Sound.
Most of the paintings are an intimate 4 ¼ x 6 inches, the size of a standard postcard. While the paintings are small, each is a carefully painted arrangement of design elements that also convey a sense of the inner life of the place.
Christiano notes that while working from the Hawk’s Nest studio, “I was able to observe the ever shifting light day after day, sunrises to sunsets, and finally understood first-hand its qualities that drew the Impressionists to Old Lyme so many years ago.”
A painter known for creating detailed representational works, Christiano has been a studio artist based in Old Lyme for over 20 years. She was classically trained at the Lyme Academy of Fine Arts during the time that it was an intensive program focused on working from nature and the human figure.
Past local projects include the illustrations for the Old Lyme Historical Society’s memoir Poverty Island and the seal for the Town of Old Lyme.
The George Billis Gallery marks its 23rd year in the Chelsea Art District and opened a second gallery in the burgeoning gallery district of Culver City in Los Angeles.
For additional images and information about Christiano’s works in this exhibition, contact the Gallery via email at [email protected] or phone at 2120645-2621.