Common Interests - Barns Beaches and Boats

“Common Interests” to open at Peninsula Gallery September 2.

The new show at the Peninsula Gallery could well be subtitled “Barns, Beaches and Boats” for that is what the three participating artists certainly have in common – an interest in Delaware’s farming and maritime heritage.

Jacalyn Beam, who is primarily a plein air painter, was brought up in Chester County, PA. Her early training was rooted in the history and beauty of the Brandywine Valley. She currently lives in Greenville, still surrounded by the historic barns of Northern Delaware horse country. Of her work she says, “I paint outdoors because the world is rich with beauty and it’s the optimal way to see three dimensional objects, the subtleties of light and shadow, atmospheric perspective, and ‘real’ colors.”

Howard Eberle’s inspiration for many of his paintings comes from living near the Chesapeake Bay all his life. His subject matter is very focused – an old boat, an old barn, a lighthouse. His passion and skill, to say nothing of the challenge, is to create drama by focusing on the peeled paint, the rust, the wood or stone. The result is a style that he calls “abstract or contemporary realism.”

Steve Rogers has long been known for his maritime scenes of older working boats presented with a clear and purposeful realism. Other paintings of buildings, farmland and marshes bear witness to Delaware’s long farming and seaside heritage. Working in acrylic, there is a strong focus on detail and a harnessing of light and shadow that captures the dignity and pathos of the structures in his paintings.

An opening reception will be held on Saturday, September 2, from 5 – 7 p.m. and the show will continue until September 30. All images can be previewed on the gallery website, www.peninsula-gallery.com. The gallery is located in the shops at the Beacon, just across the canal on Savannah Rd. in Lewes and is open Tuesday thru Saturday, 10-5 and Sunday, 11-3. Call 302-645-0551 for further information.