June: “Works in Watercolor” by Randy Eckard June 1 through June 29

June: “Works in Watercolor” by Randy Eckard June 1 through June 29

Randy Eckard ~ "Hilltop Silhouette' ~ Watercolor on Paper 15" x 21"

(Portland, ME) Join us Friday, June 1 at Richard Boyd Art Gallery for the opening of “Works in Watercolor” a solo exhibition of paintings by noted watercolorist Randy Eckard with a meet the artist reception to follow on the 2nd.

A trained commercial and fine artist living in Blue Hill, ME Randy’s career as a fine artist working exclusively with watercolors spans more than three decades.

Eckard is known for his use of light and shadow, with the subject of most of his paintings being light and how it defines and shapes the scene before him. His paintings in watercolor are expertly detailed and invite the viewer in for a closer look.

Eckard has won over 190 awards for his paintings in watercolor throughout New England and the Southeast. His work is widely collected and included in numerous private and corporate collections.

The public is invited to meet Randy at a reception at Richard Boyd Art Gallery Saturday, June 2 between the hours of 11:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. when he will be available to discuss his work. The exhibit is open free of charge between the hours of 10:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. daily through June 29, 2018.

About Randy Eckard

When asked about his career as an artist Randy replied, “I’m closing in on forty years of working with watercolors. For several years I was fascinated by the versatility and wonder of drawing with pencil, and pen and ink. An HB pencil, a kneaded eraser, and a sheet of bristol board, opened up a world of exploration in black and white. At the urging of a friend I tried adding watercolor to the early stages of my drawings, and was soon painting more than drawing. My love of drawing never diminished, and continues with quite detailed drawings in preparation for painting.

Inspirations pour in from the beautiful and dramatic coastline of Downeast Maine, where I have lived for the past twenty-five years. The drawings, watercolors, and tempera paintings of Andrew Wyeth, have guided and fostered my sensibilities for most of my years as a painter. Reading about the techniques of drybrush and glazing, brought to the forefront by Wyeth, revealed a method of working with watercolor where my love of drawing could be paired with my new-found love of watercolor.

As a young boy growing up in the Piedmont area of North Carolina, I began noticing and responding to the warm glow and cool, contrasting shadows of late afternoons. Those early observations of light would become the focus of my paintings. Light reveals the character, color, and texture of objects, whether man-made or natural, and the alternation of lighted and shadowed planes produce powerful repeated patterns and are an important element of design.

Early on I realized how quiet observation would most always reveal the life of the subject, and I learned to pay attention to sparks of inspiration, often arriving unexpectedly during my solitary wanderings along the backroads of coastal Maine.”

Eckard said, a recent meeting with a couple from Florida, who subsequently purchased one of my paintings, summed up the essence of my work in one short sentence. “It looks wonderful, so blissfully relaxing and inviting, with a touch of mystery.”

About the Gallery

Richard Boyd Art Gallery is an owner operated fine arts gallery located on Peaks Island in Portland, ME. The gallery represents a diverse group of established and emerging artists with a connection to the state of Maine, creating original works of visual art in a broad range of styles from traditional realism to contemporary. Exhibitions change monthly and include solo, group and theme exhibits so visitors and clients always discover something new and exciting when visiting the gallery.

During the months of April through October the gallery is open free of charge between the hours of 10:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. daily. From November through the end of March the gallery is open free of charge every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday between the hours of 10:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. additional days and times by chance or scheduled by appointment.

For more information about the exhibition or reception contact the gallery by phone at (207)-712-1097, via email at info@richardboydartgallery.com or visit the gallery’s website at http://www,richardboydartgallery.com . Like us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/RichardBoydArtGallery .