2009 Season Upcoming Shows January 6, Tuesday - Wes Carlson kicks off our 2009 season Wes Carlson descends from a long line of artists, dating back to David Claypool Johnston, who was a famous landscape painter and Civil War political satirist. Wes’ paintings are straight from the heart - full of passion and beauty. Wes will show his oils and watercolours this year and we invite you to treat yourself to this wonderful exhibit! January 26, Monday - James Harris, renown sport fishing/naturalist artist Meet the Artist 11am - 4pm Monday James earned notoriety with his incredible sport fishing, landscapes, outdoor and naturalist paintings long before we invited him into our gallery. He is one of the very best “fishing art” artists we’ve seen, empowering his paintings with a sense of movement and reality that is hard to find elsewhere. His attention to detail makes his work far more memorable than most others in this genre. He is truly a master at painting nature. For those of you who are inspired by the outdoors and the gorgeous sea life we enjoy here, in Florida, you must plan on attending this show. James also excels at extraordinary commissions! February 6-7, Friday & Saturday – Del-Bourree Bach annual one-man show From Pirate Hill to the Pirate Coast, 2 Meet the Artist reception 1 - 8pm both days Del has been our steadfast friend for many years and we are two of his biggest fans. We love him, and we also are in awe of the gorgeous, and often haunting, paintings he creates. They are truly some of the finest work you can purchase in today’s art market. Unlike so many others, there is no bull in Del’s work…it is all pure talent, thoughtful reflection and bold execution. He’s a serious artist who has a deep passion and gratitude for his life as an artist: those qualities show in every painting he does. He also has far too many awards to list! (Go to his Artist’s section on this site and you can read a shortened version of his resume!) Each year Del kicks off our ‘high season’ with his thoughtful and beautifully executed paintings of the places we all love most: Boca Grande and the Cape (and many places in between)! Del’s yearly one-man show is highly anticipated and should not be missed. He never disappoints – his work is new and fresh each year and coveted by our collectors: exceptional. Period. February 13-14, Friday & Saturday – Gwenneth Barth one-woman show Meet the Artist 12 noon - 5pm both days Gwenneth is one of the world’s most highly regarded contemporary portrait artists. That is a strong statement, but once you see her work, we’re positive you’ll agree – she’s simply amazing. She’s renown for capturing not only the physical likeness of her subject, but also their character and personality, which so many portrait artists simply cannot successfully portray. Gwenneth is one of those artists who have developed the ability to speak through their heart and show us paintings of exceeding loveliness. Her work is sublime. Her landscapes hearken back to the great American Impressionists, like Hassam; and her still life paintings are as finely executed as the Dutch Masters who preceded her. Gwenneth is one of the very finest artists working today and she excels in all genres, although her love, her passion and her greatest recognition and honors are within the field of portraiture. We hope you’ll join us for this very important show and we firmly believe it will exhibit some of the finest fine art you’ve seen in years. Not to be missed! Gwenneth will also be available from January 21-April 21, 2009 for portrait consultations. February 20-21, Friday & Saturday – Ed Hatch one-man show A Sense of Place, 2 Meet the Artist 11am - 5pm both days Ed Hatch is a prominent realist artist who is widely recognized for his unique ability to capture the mood and character of his subjects and surroundings. Through direct experience and the observation of his environment, Ed is able to reveal in his paintings his personal awareness and intimacy with the subject matter. Using his special blend of detail and diffused light, Ed has the superb ability to translate his experience with both acute precision and delicate subtlety. Whether it be the dampness of the woods, a misty fog, or the general feeling of a winter's day, Ed's paintings truly capture the very atmosphere of his surroundings. Ed is a recipient of a number of honors and awards including the Heritage Award presented by the Governor of Virginia. He has exhibited widely in the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts and the National Wildlife Federation Show in Washington, D.C. He has been featured in 2004 Artist and Galleries of the South, 2005 American Art Collector and 2007 Hampton Roads Magazine. His work has been chosen to participate in the Art in Embassies Program and is included in prominent private, university and corporate collections. Ed enjoyed a near sellout show last season. His paintings are awesomely beautiful! Put this on your calendar and come in to enjoy truly fabulous landscape art. February 27-28, Friday & Saturday - Gwenneth Barth, one-woman show Meet the Artist 12noon-5pm both days Gwenneth is one of the world’s most highly regarded contemporary portrait artists. In addition, she is an amazing landscape and still life artist. Her portrait show extends through the entire season and we will honor her talent by hosting a second show, featuring her other works. Gwenneth is one of those artists who have developed the ability to speak through their heart and show us paintings of exceeding loveliness. Her work is sublime. Her landscapes hearken back to the great American Impressionists, like Hassam; and her still life paintings are as finely executed as the Dutch Masters who preceded her. Gwenneth is one of the very finest artists working today and she excels in all genres, although her love, her passion and her greatest recognition and honors are within the field of portraiture. We hope you’ll join us for this very important show and we firmly believe it will exhibit some of the finest fine art you’ve seen in years. Not to be missed! Gwenneth will also be available from January 21-April 21, 2009 for portrait consultations. March 5-6, Thursday & Friday – Jack Hughes one-man show Meet the Artist 12 noon – 5pm both days I simply can’t encourage you enough to attend this show. It will be nothing like Boca Grande has ever seen before. Many of the paintings featured at Jack’s show will have just been released from a hugely successful one-man show hosted by the Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art in Kansas City, Missouri. Jack’s take on the world around him is as unique as he is – and that’s pretty darned unique! You’ll just have to come to the show and see what I mean….and, go to his artist section on this website and read his Artist’s Statement. This will surely be a knock your socks off show!!! A CELEBRATION!!! AN EVENT!!!! A HAPPENING!!!! In other words, we hope you’ll join us for a fabulous exhibit! March 13-14, Friday & Saturday – Christina Keating one-woman show Joyful Moments Meet the Artist 12 Noon - 5pm, both days I’ve said it before and I say it, again: “As an artist for the past 40 years and now as a gallery owner, I have had the privilege and the pleasure of admiring a great deal of contemporary art. Many artists paint “in the style” of artists who preceded them and it’s a difficult achievement to strive for a particular style - while infusing the work with your own indelible spirit. Christina Keating has accomplished an unusual goal - she is the finest contemporary artist I have seen whose paintings echo the style and beauty of Matisse and Dufy, and at the same time remain exclusively “Christina”. Her vibrant color and brushwork, her strong sense of composition, and her unwavering commitment to impart to the viewer a sense of who she is and the passion she feels for her art make her, in my opinion, one of our most beloved artists. What do I feel when I look at her work? I feel pure joy. It’s that simple – and that’s what makes it so wonderful.” Mark your calendars for this incomparable artist’s show! March 20-21, Friday & Saturday – Bill Farnsworth Meet the Artist 11am - 5pm both days Bill is not only a fine artist of exceptional caliber, but also an illustrator of renown. We are grateful to have him as part of our art family and extremely happy to welcome him back to his one-man show, where he will open Spring season for us! Bill’s new works display a riveting beauty and sensitivity we seldom see in contemporary artists. These paintings are on par with the quality displayed in many European museums: they are that exceptionally painterly and timeless. We hope you will mark the first day of Spring on your calendar as Bill’s show opening and stop by our gallery….meet Bill and treat yourself to viewing of some of the most beautiful art you’ll see this year. March 27-28, Friday & Saturday – Loren DiBenedetto Meet the Artist 11am - 5pm both days When Jack and I originally saw Loren’s work, it only took us just a couple of minutes to decide not only to purchase it, but also to invite her into our gallery. We had been searching for a particular type of still-life painter and she fit the bill. We wanted paintings where it was obvious the painter draws from the classics, has heart and passion and is able to put all those factors onto the canvas. In other words, we weren’t interested in sterile still-life paintings – we wanted to be mesmerized and drawn in to the work and that’s exactly what Loren gives us in each treasure she paints. We think she’s an amazing talent and are thrilled to have her as part of our ‘art family’ - and we can’t wait for all of our friends to discover the talent and beauty Loren brings to our gallery. In the meanwhile, we do have a small sampling of her work available – we know you’ll just love it! April 3-4, Friday & Saturday – Ebeth Scott-Sinclair and Jim Chapman Meet the Artists 12noon - 7pm both days These two incredibly creative artists, both hailing from North Carolina, infuse their paintings with worlds rich in color and texture. They each possess a sure vibrancy few painters ever achieve. When I saw each of their works, I immediately knew we simply had to represent them here at our gallery…both Ebeth and Jim excel at painting like no one else and that’s part of the real joy I feel when I discovered each of them, and when I look at their works each day in our gallery. I believe great artists are never afraid of color and many others feel the same as I: Seek the strongest color effect possible..the content is of no importance. Henri Matisse The whole world, as we experience it visually, comes to us through the mystic realm of color. Hans Hoffman I could keep on quoting from our artist peers about how color impacts us; instead, I’ll invite you to attend this show. I guarantee it will be time well spent, because it will be joyfully filled with images, which will make your hearts dance and your spirits sing. And isn’t that something art is supposed to do???? Gwenneth Barth – “Artist in Residence” from January 21-April 21, 2009 To discuss the portrait procedure, or commissions, we invite you to call Barb and set an appointment to chat with this renowned artist. Gwenneth’s portraits are unlike any other painter’s work. The fact that we searched for a portrait painter for more than 5 years before happily agreeing to represent Gwen speaks very highly of her and her work. She infuses her portraits with an uncanny sense of the sitter’s character, as well as executing an extremely life like portrait. If portraiture is in your future, please do not miss meeting this talented and internationally acclaimed artist. Lois Griffel arrives in Boca Grande Wednesday, April 8th Former Director, Cape Cod School of Art; renowned teacher One of America’s most highly regarded contemporary Impressionists One of America’s most highly regarded contemporary Impressionists. She wrote what is considered the definitive book about painting in the Impressionist style, and she was the active director of the CCSA for more than a quarter of a century, teaching hundreds of artists Impressionist theory and technique. Lois’ paintings shimmer with the quality of light and color that endeared the Impressionist movement to the entire world. No one paints the genre quite as finely, or as passionately, as Lois. We always have a nice selection of her amazing work at the gallery and we’ll have her here, with her newest book. You are invited to a Book Signing for Lois' new book, Painting Impressionist Color. Be sure and stop by for a chat with Lois!  
 Hughes Gallery, Inc. · P.O. Box 35, 333 Park Ave. · Boca Grande, FL. 33921 941-964-4273 · hughesgallery@earthlink.net |