March 05, 2008

Spring Fever


"Flowering Meadow", 18" x 24", oil on canvas, Lydia Johnston

Tuesday morning I drove down to West Hartford, CT to hang a show of my flower paintings at Simmer Grille, an elegant up-scale restaurant on LaSalle Road. Nancy Price from Nancy Price Gallery in Jamaica, VT has begun curating art shows at Simmer Grille, and chose my work for the months of March and April.


"Joyful Morning", 16" x 20", oil on canvas, Lydia Johnston

We hung twenty-five original paintings as well as three of my giclée reproductions. Most of the paintings are an exuberant display of flowering meadows. We may be in for another two months of mud and rain and bare ground, but I am thinking forward to spring.

I had brought down more paintings than there was room for.
While I was packing a few back in my car, a man arriving at the restaurant started looking and asking questions about my art. He purchased one painting before I had even finished setting up the show, an auspicious start for a new exhibit.


"Hidden Brook", 12" x 16", oil on canvas, Lydia Johnston

I think it is wonderful for restaurants to rotate original art. It keeps their space fresh and new, and gives many people a chance to see new and exciting art even if they don't have the time to visit galleries. My only regret with Simmer Grille is the low lighting level. The restaurant is lit for mood and ambiance and a good dining experience, not to showcase artwork. The main focus of my art is color, and in the restaurant's interior it is hard to get a good sense of the colors. At least with the smaller pieces, they can easily be carried to the front to be viewed in brighter light.

So if you are in the Connecticut area, stop by Simmer Grille and see the profusion of spring blooms.

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