"Reflections on Water," Sarah Knock

But of all the water's secrets, he saw today only a single one-one that struck his soul. He saw that this water flowed and flowed, it was constantly flowing, and yet it was always there; it was always eternally the same and yet new at every moment! Oh, to be able to grasp this, to understand this!
~ Herman Hesse, Siddhartha

Sarah Knock, best known for her unique oil paintings of the Maine coast, opens her 11th solo show at Greenhut Galleries with a reception from 5-7:00 pm on Aug. 2, 2018. She will give an artist’s talk on Aug. 16 at 5:00 during which she will share her inspiration and process. The show continues until Sept. 1.

Sarah’s paintings are based on a strong sense of composition, color relationships, and patterns. She has described her approach as follows: “Water is a vehicle to explore the abstract quality of patterns and reflections. I am most interested in trying to understand what I am seeing by drawing and connecting forms until I feel a sense of resolution.” Beyond drawing, her “primary focus is color relationships,” of which her work clearly demonstrates an impressive command. Under her inspired and meticulous hand, pigment is transformed. To view a work in progress – to observe the flat surface of her canvas as it turns to liquid -- is akin to witnessing an act of alchemy.

This exhibit, Reflections on Water, continues Sarah’s fascination with reflections of islands, shoreline structures, wharves, and boats seen mostly from the perspective of her kayak. Spending several months on each painting meant closer observation than in the past and allowed her more time to reflect on what they mean to her. For this show, Knock also explored water in other parts of the world to compare and contrast with the semi-translucent water of Maine. In Venice, she reacted to the flat patterns and warm, earth colors in the opaque water of the enclosed canals. Croatia was wide open to the sky and had turquoise water, crystal clear to great depths. Scotland offered a sense of mystery and moodiness with a boat at dusk.

“It was wonderful to travel with a purpose and to have the challenge of working with very different color palettes. I was intrigued to see that the reflection paintings from away, with all the differences in color and water transparency, ended up relating to the Maine paintings. Reflections created a dialog with each other, a universal visual language about moving patterns.”

Sarah Knock holds a BFA from Boston University. Her work has been exhibited at the Colby College Museum of Art, the Portland Museum of Art, the Farnsworth Museum, the Penobscot Marine Museum, and the Center for Maine Contemporary Art. She is the recipient of an individual fellowship from the Maine Arts Commission and a Carina House Residency on Monhegan Island. Her work is included in numerous private and public collections, including those of MBNA, L.L. Bean, and TD Banknorth. Her paintings have been featured in Paintings of Maine, The Art of Monhegan Island, and The Art of Maine in Winter.