Still -- Works by Melissa Husted-Sherman

Still Works by Melissa Husted-Sherman July 22, 2022 - August 21, 2022 Homestead Opening Reception: Friday, July 22, 2022 (5pm to 7pm).   “Still” is a series of still life paintings that explore the painting process and how a painting changes over time. The nature of still life is inviting and comfortable, allowing an audience to approach it easily. The accessible size of these paintings, generally in the range of 8 x 10” to 36 x 36”, invites close inspection of the work. The exhibit encourages the viewer to slow down and closely examine a painting, making it easy to contemplate the development of the work. Husted-Sherman’s process is open and exploratory, always in flux. She generally uses a palette knife to paint, which creates a unique texture. She also uses brushes, ribs, and cloths to add and remove paint freely, changing colors, shapes and composition as the painting develops. Traces of ideas, changes, previous iterations are visible on the surface of the work. Color and light are what spark a painting for here. But, as she paints, more formal concerns develop – how far can an image be pushed toward abstraction? For the artist, learning that making a painting can be dynamic and fluid and has a freeing experience.  Venue: Rehoboth Art League.