I followed a facebook lead and went to a gallery opening in a private residence on Lake Minnehaha. Yes the is the actual name of the lake, would I make that up? On display were 30 or so paintings from artists Brigan Gresh and Andrew White. These two artists had totally different approaches and looks to their art. Brigan painted very light paintings with multiple layers of paint. Sometimes thick textural brush strokes would show through thin layers of white paint. On top of this were thin spidery impressions which almost would form a discernible shape but remained abstract and elusive. Andrews art on the other hand was dark and brooding. There were stormy clouds looming over dark landscapes and images of screaming monkeys on large dark canvases. The two artists couldn’t be more dissimilar yet later that evening I heard Megan talking about how she and Andrew are considering collaborating on a show in which they would both work on the same pieces of art. It is a fascinating idea and I really want to find out how that works out.
At this opening I spoke with another artist named Louise Bova who is a figurative painter from Brooklyn who moved to Orlando 4 years ago. She lamented the fact that Orlando doesn’t have as much culture as NYC. Last year I might have agreed with her but I found myself arguing the point, trying to point out all the culture that I discover each time I head out to sketch. Orlando certainly isn’t perfect, but it does buzz with activity. After I finished this sketch, I wandered down to the lake to watch the sun set on the opposite shore and then I drove back home.
