Brooks to open gallery series at Jerico

CALLICOON, NY — A solo show by local artist Jay Brooks will open with a reception at Jerico Fine Arts Gallery on Friday, April 29 from 6:30 to 8:30 pm.

Scenes depicted in the artist’s paintings, which include oils, pastels and watercolors, are nearly always from the Delaware River Valley. They often render locales and seasons along Callicoon Creek.

Growing up on 88 acres of farmland, Brooks has been expressing his love for the land in his artwork for many years. He started painting at the early age of 14. His early mentors were Charles Movalli and the late British “maestro” John Piesley. These two working artists introduced Brooks to the ‘en plein aire’ method of landscape painting. Through the many years of schooling and contact with many different genres, he still remains true to this traditional form of expression.

When Brooks works in opaque mediums (oils and pastels), he starts with a broad umber earth tone as a ground to work on. Then he layers basic colors on top to build up a rich surface of colored marks. Up close, one can see the versatile vocabulary of brushwork that he uses to capture the many textures found in nature. From a distance, those marks and colors merge together to form the brilliant light and atmosphere found in nature.

Brooks’ watercolors have a similar effect, but the approach is different. Since watercolor is a transparent medium, he starts with lighter colors and uses darker colors as the painting progresses.

Food and an ample selection of wine will be offered at the reception, and gallery owner Jerry Horn will present a drawing for a Cole Roberts Photograph, signed and framed. Jerico Fine Arts Gallery is located at 27 Lower Main Street in Callicoon, NY. Hours are Thursdays through Mondays from 11:00 a.m. to 6:00p.m.

For more information call 845/887-5990 or email jerry @jericogallery.com.