The gallery is featuring works by William West as our Artist Spotlight from June 29 through August 29. Known primarily for his work in watercolor, Bill also enjoys acrylic paints, which are what will be on display here. A native of Durham, NC, Bill left for 20 years, graduated from Ringling College of Art and Design in Sarasota, entered the ad business in New York City, then Atlanta, and then San Antonio . He won many national creative awards. After selling his own advertising agency business, he immersed himself in painting and enjoys painting a number of different subjects. He says, “Through my journey as an artist I’m continually looking, studying ,and learning and believe that’s part of being an artist. You must always keep growing and painting and painting and painting. What gets me into a subject is the light and darks, the atmosphere ,and the story you want to tell . It should not just be a pretty picture. My biggest challenge is to find or create a painting that does all three, to bring a viewer into the painting and connect with something about the story idea and see themselves there. If I accomplish a smile all the better.”
This painting class is open to acrylic and oil painters of all skill levels. I will be sharing my expertise in acrylics, as well as layout techniques, composition, value, and color theory. Students will have the opportunity to work with photo references and are encouraged to explore their own artistic expression. The curriculum will start with a review of the fundamentals, including creating essential tools such as a color wheel and value scale. We will also delve into composition through thumbnail sketches and study color harmony. Engaging classroom critiques will be a regular part of the learning process. Overall, this class aims to provide a comprehensive and enriching experience for painters looking to enhance their skills and develop their personal style.
Online Art Companies • Dick Blick • Jerry’s Artarama Note: Amazon is typically more expensive than an online company
Acrylic Paint Brand Name Options • Golden, Windsor Newton, Matisse, are the brand names I recommend.
Required Paint Colors (First Day of Class) • Titanium White • Cadmium Yellow Medium • Primary Cyan Blue • Magenta • Mars Black
Additonal Paint Colors (Optional suggestions) • Ultramarine Blue • Cadmium Red • Orange • Dioxazine Purple • Burnt Sienna • Sap Green
Brushes • Dick Blick – Utrecht Manglon Synthetic 239-F Mixed Synthetic: #4,10,14, 18 Flats and Filberts 239-Fil #12, #4 • 1″ Flats synthetic made for oil/acrylic medium to medium/firm
Other Materials • 9×12” Acrylic Paper or Canson Cold Press Watercolor Pad 140lb (Do not purchase Multimedia Paper.) • ½” artist Tape or Painters tape • Masonite Board: large enough for the 9×12 paper • Masterson Sta-wet Super Pro Palette – purchase at Dick Blick’s or Amazon. • Canvases, Canvas boards as needed • Water container ie: large plastic yogurt container • Rag • Cheap ruler • Charcoal pencil white and black
Photo References • Photocopies of painting references or photos on your iPad. Phone photos are too small.
Chantal Tomiello works to be featured at Sunset River Gallery Sept. 7 – Oct. 26; opening reception 5 – 7 p.m.
The Promise by Chantal Tomiello, acrylic 24″x24″
New works by Raleigh, NC artist Chantal Tomiello will be featured at Sunset River Gallery in Calabash, NC in a one-woman show titled The Shape of Light. The exhibit includes 20 of her original acrylic pieces showcasing her popular abstracted landscapes, female figures, and several ballet motif paintings. The show runs from Friday, Sept. 6 through Saturday, Oct. 12. An opening reception to meet and speak with the artist is set for Friday evening from 5 – 7 p.m.
The French-Canadian born Tomiello says, “Deconstruction of a realistic subject into abstraction is something that inspires me. I want to break down what I see into simple shapes in order to reveal that one thing which brings wonder and excitement to my subject. I currently work with a limited palette of acrylics on multiple paintings at one time. This allows time and distance to find the magic, to play freely between canvases without being too focused on any one result. It’s also been interesting to me how line can impact a painting. It invokes a feeling of ‘unfinished’ and ‘raw,’ thus allowing the viewer to be a part of the painting’s history.”
Gallery director Samantha Spalti adds, “Chantal knows just what to keep and what can fall away from her subjects, leaving the viewer to experience something that is both familiar and brand new. Her work is contemporary but feels equally at home in a traditional setting. It’s ideal for the eclectic homes and workspaces we find in coastal Carolina.”
About Sunset River Gallery
Located in coastal Brunswick County, NC, Sunset River Gallery caters to both area visitors and a growing local community of full-time residents seeking fine art for their homes and businesses. Featuring works by over 100 fine regional artists including Betty Anglin Smith, Marcus McClanahan, Janet Sessoms, and Richard Staat, among others, the gallery is well known in the area for its selection of oil paintings; watermedia; pastels; photography; hand-blown, stained, and fused glass; pottery and clay sculpture; turned and carved wood; unique home décor items; and artisan jewelry.
There are two onsite kilns and five wheels used by the gallery’s pottery students. The gallery also offers ongoing oil/acrylic and watercolor classes as well as workshops by nationally known instructors.
The gallery’s carefully curated selection of investment-grade 20th century fine art is the largest in the Carolinas. Current inventory can be found in the gallery website’s 20th Century Artists section. It includes works by Wolf Kahn (1927-2020), Raimonds Staprans (1926), Angel Botello (1913-1986), Vladimir Cora (1951), Ginny Crouch Stanford (1950), and two bronze sculptures by Milton Hebald (1930 – 2010).
Gallery director Samantha Spalti welcomes Abby Warman.
Earlier this year, Sunset River Gallery put out a call for professional 2D and 3D artists who reside or have a studio in North or South Carolina. Gallery director Samantha Spalti said, “We are looking for the best of the best – accomplished artists with passion, talent, and a body of work to present.”
Artists from all over the two states, working in a range of media, responded to the call and Spalti has been viewing artwork and meeting with artists ever since.
Spalti said that there were 13 new artists added to the gallery roster with several more to follow over the next month. The initial group of newly accepted artists includes Abby Warman (oil), Clay Johnson (oil), Rachel Jones (oil and watercolor), Kimberley Yoh (bronze), Sandy Nelson (oil), Jonathan Douglas (oil), Donna Mertz (fiber), Ron Parent (oil), Debanjana Bhattacharjee (oil), Gail Black (oil), Louise Giordano (fiber), Janet Boschker (oil and cold wax), and Joyce Fiedler (seaglass).
Not yet showing at Sunset River Gallery but scheduled later this month are Marybeth Bradbury (mixed media), Kurt Klimak (stained glass), Steve Middleton (oil), Kari Feuer (oil), Quinn Sweeney (oil), and Cathryn Collopy O’Donnell (acrylic).
“Our regular collectors are going to love these new artists. The talent is off the charts, and they are already a wonderful addition to the gallery. We’re very excited to have them join Sunset River Gallery,” Spalti added.
About Sunset River Gallery
Located in coastal Brunswick County, NC, Sunset River Gallery caters to both area visitors and a growing local community of full-time residents seeking fine art for their homes and businesses. Featuring works by over 100 fine regional artists including Betty Anglin Smith, Marcus McClanahan, Janet Sessoms, and Richard Staat, among others, the gallery is well known in the area for its selection of oil paintings; watermedia; pastels; photography; hand-blown, stained, and fused glass; pottery and clay sculpture; turned and carved wood; unique home décor items; and artisan jewelry.
There are two onsite kilns and five wheels used by the gallery’s pottery students. The gallery also offers ongoing oil/acrylic and watercolor classes as well as workshops by nationally and regionally known instructors.
The gallery’s carefully curated selection of investment-grade 20th century fine art is the largest in the Carolinas. Current inventory can be found in the gallery website’s 20th Century Artists section. It includes works by Wolf Kahn (1927-2020), Ed Mell (1942), Raimonds Staprans (1926), Angell Botello (1913-1986), Vladimir Cora (1951), Hunt Slonam (1951), Ginny Crouch Stanford (1950), sculptor Edward Francis McCartan (1879-1947), and two bronze sculptures by Milton Hebald (1930 – 2010).
In 2023, Sunset River Gallery, Inc. acquired Cordier Auctions in Harrisburg, PA, a premier auctioneer of fine and decorative art, coins and jewelry, estates and real estate, and collectibles.
