Morris and Whiteside & Larusso

An email from Morris and Whiteside and Red Piano Galleries arrived this week with an invitation to view the works of Joseph Larusso which have recently been put online. http://www.morris-whiteside.com/Lorusso.htm

I had been intrigued by his work when visiting the gallery last month. It has an old-fashioned feeling about it and I was curious about his age. I had remembered to search the Internet for Larusso when I returned home. I was pleased to learn more. He was born in 1966 as was my oldest daughter -- veritable babes!

The subjects, the compositions and the palette choices make it seem as if each image came from Larusso's grandmother's photo album. And each one draws the viewer toward its unique story.

While many of the paintings throughout the galleries are textured with juicy applications of paint and filled with light and color, Larusso's surfaces are smooth, yet layered, and seemingly glazed with sepia. His drawing skills give credibility to his patterning and the position and language of his figures add mystery to the story. The results are modern, yet ancient. An interesting combination.

The email this week was a nice reminder of a pleasant morning.

My blog entry at http://bushstrokes.blogspot.com/2007/04/just-come.html has more on my visit to Morris and Whiteside and the Red Piano Galleries.

The Stolen Day - Part I

As the morning sun lit the tops of the trees at Sea Pines, we rushed around to pack our things and exclaim over things we didn't have time to do. We hugged one last time and headed home -- Frankie and Charlotte for the long drive to Virginia and me to Georgia.

Wait! I don't have to leave right away. I have a whole day just for me.

It was 9:30 in the morning as I passed the one place I didn't get to visit yesterday.
Could it be open?
It seems so! I made a quick u-turn. Yes!

And so. . . I got my visit to Morris and Whiteside Gallery and the Red Piano Gallery which has now been incorporated into the space as well.

http://www.morris-whiteside.com
807 William Hilton Parkway
Hilton Head Island, South Carolina
843.842.4433

I took my time with the always exciting watercolors of Stephen Scott Young and Dean Mitchell. I looked at the abstracted figures and heavy texture of Dan McGraw. I marveled at the quick brushstrokes of Marilyn Simandle. I wondered at the intricate landscapes of Joseph Orr. I wished for the powerful design ability of William Hooks. And as usual, was amazed at the handling of the paint by both Ken Auster and Pino. I introduced myself to the work of Joseph Larusso and vowed to search for more about him and his mysterious, old-fashioned images. I was in awe of the subtle value and temperature changes in the figures of Joe Bohler and happy to see his work here. I brought home the brochure on an upcoming show. And there were others . . . . Plus sculptures. Ah! the sculptures.

There is something very comfortable about this gallery. It always makes me feel good. They let me look all I want yet I never feel ignored. The work is well-presented with enough space to lend respect to even the smallest piece. There is room to look at the paintings and sculpture closely and from a distance in spaces which are not white-box. It is the kind of place which makes an artist want to do better work.

What joy in a stolen day!