Rebecca Everett’s captivating oil paintings, now on display at the Feldman Family Artspace in Martha’s Vineyard, embody her deep affection for the island she calls home. The 26 works, characterized by their luminous colors and delicate brushstrokes, transport viewers to the picturesque landscapes that Everett has spent countless hours studying and capturing. The show, curated by the Featherstone Center for the Arts, offers a glimpse into Everett’s artistic process and the techniques she employs to bring her vision to life. The artworks, which take up residence in the Martha’s Vineyard Film Center lobby, demonstrate Everett’s dedication to plein air painting, a tradition that began in 19th-century France and gained popularity in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The innovative use of paint in tubes, combined with portable easels, allowed artists to work outdoors with greater ease and flexibility. Everett, following in the footsteps of her predecessors, takes her art supplies to various locations around the island, often capturing the essence of familiar locales in her works.
- Sengekontacket Pond
- Duarte Pond
- Hoft Farm Road
- Chilmark Pond Preserve
The artworks on display are a testament to Everett’s unique approach to landscape painting. Rather than striving for strict realism, she prioritizes the use of color and visible brushstrokes to imbue her paintings with an abstract quality. The result is a captivating representation of the island’s natural beauty, with loose strokes of color depicting a clear or moody sky, rippling water, and distant trees. One of the standout features of Everett’s paintings is her ability to capture the subtleties of light. By working outdoors, she is able to observe the shifting light and shadows, which changes constantly throughout the day. To maintain her vision, Everett begins by establishing a basic composition, adding the light, texture, and color to create a cohesive piece. This approach allows her to convey a precise time of day and season of the year, even as the light continues to shift.
| Technique | Description |
|---|---|
| Plein air painting | A technique that involves working outdoors, often capturing the fleeting effects of natural light and atmosphere. |
| Abstract expressionism | A style that emphasizes the use of color and visible brushstrokes to create a dynamic and expressive representation of the subject. |
Everett’s paintings are characterized by their sense of expansiveness and grandeur, with vast vistas and sweeping horizons that evoke a sense of the sublime. The substantial frames used in many of the works add to their regal quality, giving them a sense of permanence and timelessness. Many of the paintings have a golden hue, which complements the warm tones in the canvases and enhances their emotional impact. Rebecca Everett’s artistic journey is a fascinating one, marked by a series of unconventional choices and discoveries. Born with a love for nature and the outdoors, she was drawn to landscapes from a young age. Her artistic path was influenced by her family’s traditions, with her father’s blacksmithing skills and her grandmother’s silversmithing expertise shaping her early artistic interests. Everett’s formal education, which included a Master’s degree in art and art education from Columbia University, further solidified her passion for landscape painting. Everett’s experiences as a plein air painter have been instrumental in shaping her artistic vision. The process of capturing the fleeting effects of light and atmosphere has taught her to be present and engaged, to observe the world around her with a sense of wonder and curiosity. As she reflects on her artistic journey, Everett notes that painting small allows her to create more pieces quickly, but she is eager to experiment with larger canvases in her new studio. The show at the Feldman Family Artspace serves as a testament to Everett’s dedication to her craft and her love for the island she calls home. Her paintings invite viewers to appreciate the beauty and majesty of the natural world, to slow down and observe the intricate details that make our world so rich and complex. As Everett herself says, “I want people to feel an appreciation of our natural environment – the beauty of our Island.” (The island’s unique charm and allure are palpable in Everett’s works, which continue to captivate audiences with their beauty and emotional resonance.)
Everett’s commitment to plein air painting has allowed her to tap into the primal and emotive qualities of the natural world. Her paintings are a testament to the transformative power of art, which can evoke feelings of wonder, awe, and connection to the world around us. As we gaze upon her works, we are reminded of the importance of preserving and protecting our natural environment, and the role that art can play in promoting a sense of appreciation and stewardship. Everett’s enchanting landscapes continue to inspire and delight, inviting us to slow down and appreciate the beauty of the world around us.
As we leave the show and step back into the world, we carry with us a newfound appreciation for the natural beauty of Martha’s Vineyard and the artist’s unique vision. Everett’s paintings serve as a reminder of the importance of preserving our natural heritage and promoting a sense of wonder and awe for the world around us. Her artistic journey, marked by a series of unconventional choices and discoveries, serves as a testament to the transformative power of art to inspire and delight.