We are so fortunate to live in an area heavily populated with visual artists. We don’t have to fight Boston traffic or throngs of people to gain access to museums. Creative genius is close at hand. All we have to do is go to the library.
Currently on view at the Mattapoisett Free Public Library are the imaginative works created by the seasoned artist JP Powel of South Dartmouth, where for decades he has found inspiration primarily in the natural environment.
We caught up with Powel shortly after his exhibit opened (now through the end of September), and he shared how his long, artistic journey began and how it has sustained his creativity.
“My approach to the theme of a painting is from my imagination.” Rather than painting what he sees, he paints an imagined retelling of the scene, “…imagined spaces.”
One of the paintings currently on display shows a dirt road edged with vegetation, but in the foreground, as if reaching out to the viewer, is a large, gnarly tree, a tree that shows its age, shows its experiences, yet remains steadfastly holding its ground with strength. It dominates the painting while, at the same time, granting the viewer a verdant scene.
All his works are oil on panel.
“When I started out, it was easier to find discarded pieces of plywood,” he said with a chuckle, noting the status many young artists face, a lack of financial resources. Yet, as his circumstances changed, he stayed with wood panels to capture his imaginative works.
We were smitten by Powel’s works, works that have a sculptural look and feel.
“I didn’t study painting,” he confessed – he studied sculpture. No surprise. He said that he had mentors in the art world who showed him painting techniques. “They were my teachers.”
Powel calls his style “imaginative realism,” with medieval overtones and heavy imagery. He explained that he uses the technique of first drawing the image on the panel, then painting it out. He wrote of his paintings, “… images have people seeing the world differently, more radiant.”
Radiant indeed. One panel is vividly painted in yellows and blues, which captured our interest. We observed the central element, birds in flight heading into the beaming sunset – heading home. Is it a metaphor on a long life, we wondered.
Art is subjective, and we know what we like. This exhibit checked all the boxes for us. See for yourself.
Educated at Harvard, Powel painted for 10 years before joining his wife to pursue a business in creating pottery, then returned to painting. Today he can usually be found in his studio – imagining.
Mattapoisett Free Public Library
By Marilou Newell