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A New England Portrait: Oil Paintings by Margie Florini
This portfolio of paintings, A New England Portrait, speaks of my love of home. Devoid of figures, one can image the generations who have inhabited these simple dwellings. As we stand and gaze upon these paintings, we feel the warm sun, smell the salt air, and remember moments of quiet with family near. For over fifteen years, I have painted scenes of New England life. From the Berkshire Hills to the shores of Cape Cod and on up the craggy coast of Maine, these portraits are of places, rather than faces. My oil painting technique uses thin layers of color. This approach creates a soft realism, consciously executed to present the viewer with a personal snapshot of rural life. The common thread that connects each of my “homescapes” is the light and how it creates mood. In early morning and late afternoon, sunlight seems to wash subjects in warmth, making them appear jewel-like and clear. The shadows that are cast by those same subjects are deeper, almost architectural. These lights and darks are what determine the design -- and strong design is the foundation for each painting. The fourth daughter of six girls, I grew up in a farmhouse located at the bottom of the Mohawk Trail, in the mill town of North Adams, Massachusetts. Each June, my mother and my sisters traveled across the state to summer on Cape Cod in a large, vintage cottage wrapped in silvery cedar shingles. A recent, wintry trip back to the Berkshires and North Adams showed me the snow-covered row houses and triple-deckers. The solitude I felt amidst these humble homes is deep in my heart, my core. Each painting centers on this humility.
“A number of Florini’s pictures suggest moments of repose: a clothesline strung next to a salty old fishing boat; one illuminated window in an otherwise darkened farmhouse. She brings these quiet scenes vividly to life.” “Florini’s delightful ‘homescapes’ are reminiscent of the luminous work of painter Edward Hopper. These pieces offered glorious views of Maine farms and inviting homes with great porches surrounded by trees.” |
There is strength and honesty in the simple beauty of a clapboard house.
