MELINDA HACKETT

“Hackett’s vivid, fantastical images float, hover, and spin to the edge of the canvas and seemingly beyond.”
— Coco Myers

“I explore the relationship between interior and exterior space, the interior being intimate and personal, the exterior being immense—the universe, the cosmos. My paintings represent the near and the far, the view through a telescope, the view through a microscope, the sheltering sky, the intimate forest.

To call my paintings landscapes would be misleading since they are inventions of my imagination and reference the world of nature rather than depict it literally. Space is organic and time is non-linear—a group of different objects moving through the picture plane at various rates of speed, in opposite directions, some gliding slowly and others whirring as if in a blender. There is a sense that the activity continues outside the borders of the paintings as the forms flirt with the edges or get chopped off by them. Some forms are only just coming into being while others have already 'come out' and some just like to watch.

By virtue of their inability to be fully identified, the objects remain in the realm of the poetic.” — MH

Melinda Hackett was born in New York City. She graduated from Hobart William Smith College and got her MFA at Parsons-New School. She has exhibited widely: at Mark Humphrey Gallery, Peter Marcelle Gallery, and Jeff Lincoln Art and Design, Southampton, NY; Guild Hall and folioeast, East Hampton, NY; Cade Tompkins Gallery, Providence, RI; Odetta Gallery, Brooklyn, NY; The Painting Center, New York, NY; and Scott Richards Contemporary, San Francisco, CA, among others. She has had solo shows at John Molloy Gallery, McGrath Galleries, and Charles Cowles Gallery, New York, NY; Estia Gallery, Sag Harbor, NY; 4 North Main Gallery, Southampton, NY; Thirteen Gallery, Danbury, CT. She is in the permanent collection at The Parrish Art Museum, Southampton, NY.

Hackett is on the board of the Vermont Studio Center in Johnson, VT, where she is a part-time resident printmaker. She lives in New York City and Southampton, NY.

Melinda Hackett painting in her studio by Jaime Lopez

Melinda Hackett painting in her studio by Jaime Lopez

ARTIST’S CAROUSEL

rotating exhibit of current & recently sold work

MELINDA HACKETT speaks to folioeast’s COCO MYERS

CM/ WHAT MATERIALS DO YOU PRIMARILY USE?

MH/ I work in oil because it gives me the greatest fluidity with color and the space I like to create in my paintings. Also water colors for complete transparency and color. And I always travel with pencils and color pencils.

CM/ CAN YOU DESCRIBE YOUR CREATIVE PROCESS?

MH/ My paintings start very basically with a ground and then I layer up, adding forms as I go. The early stages involve a lot of paper towels as I have to get the transparency of the layers right before I can lay on the forms that float around on the surface.

CM/ WHEN DID YOU FIRST COME TO THE EAST END?

MH/ I came at two weeks old and have never really left.

CM/ WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE TIME OF YEAR ON THE EAST END?

MH/ Winter, when the light is consistent, the trees are bare and the energy hums rather than buzzes.

CM/ DO YOU DO YOUR WORK INSIDE OR OUT?

MH/ I paint in my studio where I have a big window to the outside marsh. I don't need to turn the lights on until it gets dark.

CM/ WHERE DO YOU FEEL MOST INSPIRED?

MH/ The endless stretch of beach is the most inspiring but life on the marsh is pretty great too, with its changing tides and colors.

CM/ DO YOU FEEL A CONNECTION TO THE HISTORY OF THE ART COMMUNITY ON THE EAST END?

MH/ I do. I miss the big legs outside Larry Rivers’ house on Little Plains Road and I wish I had known at the time that Fairfield Porter lived two houses down from my best friend growing up on South Main Street.

CM/ DO YOU HAVE ANY WORKS BY EAST END ARTISTS IN YOUR HOME? IS THERE ANY ARTIST’S WORK YOU WOULD LOVE TO OWN?

MH/ I mostly collect my my friends—a work in progress I hope… but who wouldn't love a de Kooning, a Krasner or a Motherwell hanging over the fireplace?

CM/ ANYTHING ELSE YOU WOULD LIKE TO SHARE ABOUT YOUR WORK/PROCESS?

MH/ Being an artist is a blessing and a curse . . . but I’m too far in to get out now.

PORTFOLIO OVERVIEW

HIROYUKI HAMADA

“The imagery in Hamada’s prints, paintings and sculptures are novel inventions that capture the imagination and hold the eye.”
— Coco Myers

“Artists are blessed with that rare moment when everything disappears in our studios except for our works and ourselves—that moment when we feel the profound connection to what we have worked on as it melds with the world, space and time.

Such an occasion is indeed very rare but it is what I strive to capture while I struggle in my studio.

I believe that the exploration to perceive the world far beyond the framework of corporatism, colonialism and militarism continues to be a crucial part of being an artist and being human.” — HH

Hamada was born and raised in Tokyo. He holds an MFA from the University of Maryland, has taught sculpture at Penland School of Craft, and served as a Visiting Artist at the Vermont Studio Center. Over the years, he has been awarded various residencies including those at the Provincetown Fine Arts Work Center, Edward F. Albee Foundation/William Flanagan Memorial Creative Person’s Center, Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture (Skowhegan Fellowship), Virginia Center for the Creative Arts, and MacDowell Colony (The Milton and Sally Avery Fellowship).

Hamada has exhibited widely in gallery and non-commercial settings alike. His work has been shown by Lori Bookstein Fine Art and O.K. Harris Works of Art, New York, NY; Guild Hall and folioeast, East Hampton, NY; Southampton Arts Center, Southampton, NY; Roger Williams University, Bristol, RI; The List Gallery; Swarthmore, PA; Halsey Institute of Contemporary Art, Charleston, SC, among others.

In 1998, Hamada was the recipient of a Pollock-Krasner Foundation grant, and in 2009 he was awarded a New York Foundation for the Arts Fellowship. He was a two time recipient of New York Foundation for the Arts Fellowships (2009 and 2017), and was awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship in 2018.

Hamada lives and works in East Hampton, New York.

Hamada in his studio by Jaime Lopez

Hamada in his studio by Jaime Lopez

ARTIST’S CAROUSEL

rotating exhibit of current & recently sold sculpture

HIROYUKI HAMADA speaks to folioeast’s COCO MYERS

CM/ YOU ARE A PAINTER AND SCULPTOR AND ALSO MAKE PRINTS. TELL ME ABOUT THE VARIOUS MEDIUMS AND MATERIALS?

HH/ I work with resin, plaster, and foam for my sculptures. I like that they allow flexibility in the process and they are very easy to work with. My current paintings are mostly done with acrylic paint, which allows me to work fast, although I work very very slow. My prints start as drawings and they are finished on my computer. However, the primal challenge is making the ink alive when it hits the paper. It’s been extremely humbling to work with the elusive quality expressed on papers.

CM/ HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR CREATIVE PROCESS?

HH/ I really like to let the work speak for itself. I try hard to listen and see how it wants to manifest itself. I struggle quite a bit in my studio—I try to cultivate a momentum in me to tackle the work, and to connect elements to see cohesive dynamics. I try to be open and flexible about my approach. Sometimes amazing things happen but mostly it’s about trying, failing and mostly, again about listening and seeing.

CM/ WHAT BROUGHT YOU TO THE EAST END? AND HOW DOES IT INFLUENCE YOUR WORK?

HH/ My wife is from the East End, and I started to come out here around 1998 or so. I think it was probably the first time I’d really felt seasons—the rhythm of nature must be affecting me.

CM/ WHERE DO YOU DO YOUR WORK?

HH/ I have a studio next to our house. The building has a few sections for different kinds of work—office area for prints, a little outside space for sanding, cutting, walls for paintings, a wood shop area, and a spray booth.

CM/ DO YOU DRAW INSPIRATION FROM OTHER EAST END ARTISTS?

HH/ I do have respect for those artists in the area and the proximity to their former studios does arouse some sort of a kinship as a fellow explorer of visual elements.

CM/ DO YOU HAVE ANY WORKS BY ANY LOCAL ARTISTS IN YOUR HOME?

HH/ I have some pieces by Bill King in my studio. He lived a few minutes away from my place and we visited each other’s studios once in a while. His pieces remind me of the memories. We also have received some nice artworks as gifts from our artist friends… I guess I would rather see great art in public spaces so that we can all look at them.

PORTFOLIO OVERVIEW of sculpture

ARTIST’S CAROUSEL

rotating exhibit of current & recently sold drawing & mixed media

HIROYUKI HAMADA

“The imagery in Hamada’s prints, paintings and sculptures are novel inventions that capture the imagination and hold the eye.”
— Coco Myers

“Artists are blessed with that rare moment when everything disappears in our studios except for our works and ourselves—that moment when we feel the profound connection to what we have worked on as it melds with the world, space and time.

Such an occasion is indeed very rare but it is what I strive to capture while I struggle in my studio.

I believe that the exploration to perceive the world far beyond the framework of corporatism, colonialism and militarism continues to be a crucial part of being an artist and being human.” — HH

Hamada was born and raised in Tokyo. He holds an MFA from the University of Maryland, has taught sculpture at Penland School of Craft, and served as a Visiting Artist at the Vermont Studio Center. Over the years, he has been awarded various residencies including those at the Provincetown Fine Arts Work Center, Edward F. Albee Foundation/William Flanagan Memorial Creative Person’s Center, Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture (Skowhegan Fellowship), Virginia Center for the Creative Arts, and MacDowell Colony (The Milton and Sally Avery Fellowship).

Hamada has exhibited widely in gallery and non-commercial settings alike. His work has been shown by Lori Bookstein Fine Art and O.K. Harris Works of Art, New York, NY; Guild Hall and folioeast, East Hampton, NY; Southampton Arts Center, Southampton, NY; Roger Williams University, Bristol, RI; The List Gallery; Swarthmore, PA; Halsey Institute of Contemporary Art, Charleston, SC, among others.

In 1998, Hamada was the recipient of a Pollock-Krasner Foundation grant, and in 2009 he was awarded a New York Foundation for the Arts Fellowship. He was a two time recipient of New York Foundation for the Arts Fellowships (2009 and 2017), and was awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship in 2018.

Hamada lives and works in East Hampton, New York.

Hamada in his studio by Jaime Lopez

Hamada in his studio by Jaime Lopez

ARTIST’S CAROUSEL

rotating exhibit of current & recently sold drawing & mixed media

HIROYUKI HAMADA speaks to folioeast’s COCO MYERS

CM/ YOU ARE A PAINTER AND SCULPTOR AND ALSO MAKE PRINTS. TELL ME ABOUT THE VARIOUS MEDIUMS AND MATERIALS?

HH/ I am working with resin, plaster, and foam for my sculptures. I like that they allow flexibility in the process and they are very easy to work with. My current paintings are mostly done with acrylic paint, which allows me to work fast, although I work very very slow. My prints start as drawings and they are finished on my computer. However, the primal challenge is making the ink alive when it hits the paper. It’s been extremely humbling to work with the elusive quality expressed on papers.

CM/ HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR CREATIVE PROCESS?

HH/ I really like to let the work speak for itself. I try hard to listen and see how it wants to manifest itself. I struggle quite a bit in my studio—I try to cultivate a momentum in me to tackle the work, and to connect elements to see cohesive dynamics. I try to be open and flexible about my approach. Sometimes amazing things happen but mostly it’s about trying, failing and mostly, again about listening and seeing.

CM/ WHAT BROUGHT YOU TO THE EAST END? AND HOW DOES IT INFLUENCE YOUR WORK?

HH/ My wife is from the East End, and I started to come out here around 1998 or so. I think it was probably the first time I’d really felt seasons—the rhythm of nature must be affecting me.

CM/ WHERE DO YOU DO YOUR WORK?

HH/ I have a studio next to our house. The building has a few sections for different kinds of work—office area for prints, a little outside space for sanding, cutting, walls for paintings, a wood shop area, and a spray booth.

CM/ DO YOU DRAW INSPIRATION FROM OTHER EAST END ARTISTS?

HH/ I do have respect for those artists in the area and the proximity to their former studios does arouse some sort of a kinship as a fellow explorer of visual elements.

CM/ DO YOU HAVE ANY WORKS BY ANY LOCAL ARTISTS IN YOUR HOME?

HH/ I have some pieces by Bill King in my studio. He lived a few minutes away from my place and we visited each other’s studios once in a while. His pieces remind me of the memories. We also have received some nice artworks as gifts from our artist friends . . . I guess I would rather see great art in public spaces so that we can all look at them.

PORTFOLIO OVERVIEW of drawing & mixed media

ARTIST’S CAROUSEL

rotating exhibit of current & recently sold sculpture

JOHN HAUBRICH

“Haubrich’s expressive abstracts have a vitality created by vivid color and unexpected combinations of drips, lines and shapes.”
— Coco Myers

“When I was three, I picked up a pencil and began to draw. My parents, who found this interesting, provided me with a table in the family kitchen on which to work. I would draw for hours at that table.

Growing up in rural Minnesota, I had a physical and emotional connection with the large skies and expansive landscape of the region. Along with this response to the natural world, I had an affinity with the abandoned farms, rusted cars and farm equipment, and the sense of the past that permeated this world.

The large landscapes I physically inhabited when I was young and the expansiveness of my vision brought me to painting. Through gesture, color, and form I can articulate my visual experiences and emotional responses to my life in a physical world. Abstraction allows me the opportunity to create landscapes that are a physical, rational response to external and internal experiences.” — JH

John Haubrich was born and raised in Minnesota. He got an Associate of Arts degree from Normandale College in Bloomington, Minnesota and went on to a forty-year career as a graphic designer and art director for corporate and educational institutions. He is currently pursuing a degree in visual arts at Fordham University at Lincoln Center, where he serves as an in-house art director.

Haubrich’s work has been exhibited at Ille Arts and Neoteric Fine Art, in Amagansett, NY; Guild Hall, folioeast, and Longhouse Preserve, in East Hampton, NY; the Southampton Cultural Center, and Chrysalis Gallery, in Southampton, NY; Boltax Gallery, Shelter Island, NY; Silas Marder Gallery, Bridgehampton, NY; A.I.R. Gallery, Lexington Avenue Armory, and Stricoff Fine Art, New York, NY; Los Angeles Center for Digital Art, Los Angeles, CA; and Axis Gallery, Sacramento, CA, among other galleries.

He maintains studios in East Hampton, NY and New York City.

Haubrich in his studio by Jaime Lopez

ARTIST’S CAROUSEL

rotating exhibit of current & recently sold work

JOHN HAUBRICH speaks to folioeast’s COCO MYERS

CM/ YOUR PAINTINGS ARE MULTI-LAYERED. CAN YOU DESCRIBE THE PROCESS?

JH/ Using my own photography, I print out the images, then with gesso and polymer emulsion, I transfer the printed images onto the canvas. After this, I begin to layer the work with oil paint, more image transfer, pencil, crayon, and oil stick, until there is material depth on a two dimensional surface.

CM/ WHAT BROUGHT YOU TO THE EAST END? AND HOW DOES IT INFLUENCE YOUR WORK?

JH/ I had visited prior to buying my first home, and I loved being near the sea. Also the landscape reminded me of my midwestern upbringing. I am inspired by the light, the color, and the abundance of plant life. I live on Hogs Creek so I have a beautiful view of the creek and the bird life that occupies the area.

CM/ DO FEEL A CONNECTION TO THE HISTORY OF THE ABSTRACT EXPRESSIONIST MOVEMENT ON THE EAST END?

JH/ I am particularly inspired by Willem de Kooning for his use of color and abstraction.

CM/ DO YOU HAVE ANY WORKS BY EAST END ARTISTS IN YOUR HOME?

JH/ I currently own two pieces by James Kennedy.

PORTFOLIO OVERVIEW

RJT HAYNES

“A Haynes painting makes you feel as if you are right there with the subject; the work is figurative, though filtered through his own eye, and often with a twist of humor.”
— Coco Myers

“My father was a sign writer so I grew up surrounded by the smell of paint and turpentine. I have early memories of climbing ladders and scaffolding to help him work on rooftop signs or the paneled sides of heavy goods vehicles.

Although I went on to study German and Philosophy at Oxford, it was probably inevitable that I would end up as a painter. My work is uncompromisingly figurative, but varied in stylistic treatment, content, and medium. No picture should turn out exactly as originally conceived. I am not in control of the process, nor would I want to be. It’s the journey that’s interesting and discoveries made along the way. I will change my technique or the colors on my palette if it starts to feel too familiar and comfortable. The materials and subject have a say in what becomes of them, and painting is always a form of negotiation or collaboration between us.

I’m not so much interested in fleeting impressions as in their lasting effects, memories and echoes: everything we see is full of cultural and personal references, just as words are to a poet; and I want to tap into that—a ‘simple’ lamb or apple is abuzz with symbolism. But images must also ultimately have a life of their own, and make their own connection with the viewer without exegesis, independently of the artist.” — RH

Toby Haynes was born in Essex, England. He now divides his time between Cornwall, New York City and East Hampton, New York. After studying at the University of Oxford, he turned to painting.

Haynes’ work is widely collected and exhibited. He has shown at Kathryn Markel Fine Arts in Bridgehampton, NY; RJD Gallery in Sag Harbor, the Water Mill Museum, Pamela Williams Gallery in Amagansett, NY; Guild Hall and folioeast in East Hampton, the Southampton Cultural Center, and in London at the Battersea Art Fair and The Art Movement. He won consecutive awards at the East End Arts Council juried shows, from 2011-2015.

RJT Haynes by Jaime Lopez

RJT Haynes by Jaime Lopez

ARTIST’S CAROUSEL

rotating exhibit of current & recently sold paintings

RJT HAYNES speaks to folioeast’s COCO MYERS

CM/ WHAT MEDIA ARE YOU CURRENTLY WORKING IN?

RH/ Oils, watercolor, pastel, charcoal, colored pencil, graphite, ink; various combinations of the above. I like to switch media, subjects, styles—it's only a journey if you're moving.

CM/ ANY PARTICULAR TECHNIQUES YOU USE WHEN CREATING?

RH/ Good drawing is key; I never use preliminary sketches or drawing aids, but work freehand, directly on the final canvas or paper, adjusting forms along the way—changes may be visible in the finished work. I often work in series, exploring colors, textures, forms, emotional resonances, as the theme develops. It's important to let the subject and materials have a say in the outcome, but I don't focus much on techniques per se.

CM/ YOU ARE FROM ENGLAND AND SPEND A LOT OF TIME THERE. HOW DO YOU RELATE TO THE EAST END?

RH/ It's interesting to see the Atlantic from both shores. Where I live, in Cornwall, the seasons are less extreme; there’s no real winter, and (some would say) no real summer either, and it's green all year. The East End is all blue and gold in the summer, and much more muted in winter. I like the transition of winter to spring and summer to autumn best: the change of energy in the air.

CM/ DO YOU HAVE ANY FAVORITE SPOTS ON THE EAST END?

RH/ My friends have a catboat on Three Mile Harbor—a good place to end a summer's day. The Springs General Store is a good place to start one.

PORTFOLIO OVERVIEW of paintings

ARTIST’S CAROUSEL

rotating exhibit of current & recently sold drawings


RJT HAYNES

“Haynes’ work makes you feel as if you are right there with the subject; the work is figurative, though filtered through his own eye, and often with a twist of humor.”
— Coco Myers

“My father was a sign writer so I grew up surrounded by the smell of paint and turpentine. I have early memories of climbing ladders and scaffolding to help him work on rooftop signs or the paneled sides of heavy goods vehicles.

Although I went on to study German and Philosophy at Oxford, it was probably inevitable that I would end up as a painter. My work is uncompromisingly figurative, but varied in stylistic treatment, content, and medium. No picture should turn out exactly as originally conceived. I am not in control of the process, nor would I want to be. It’s the journey that’s interesting and discoveries made along the way. I will change my technique or the colors on my palette if it starts to feel too familiar and comfortable. The materials and subject have a say in what becomes of them, and painting is always a form of negotiation or collaboration between us.

I’m not so much interested in fleeting impressions as in their lasting effects, memories and echoes: everything we see is full of cultural and personal references, just as words are to a poet; and I want to tap into that—a ‘simple’ lamb or apple is abuzz with symbolism. But images must also ultimately have a life of their own, and make their own connection with the viewer without exegesis, independently of the artist.” — RH

Toby Haynes was born in Essex, England. He now divides his time between Cornwall, New York City and East Hampton, New York. After studying at the University of Oxford, he turned to painting.

Haynes’ work is widely collected and exhibited. He has shown at the Southampton Cultural Center, Southampton, NY; Parrish Art Museum, the Water Mill Museum, Water Mill, NY; Kathryn Markel Fine Arts, Bridgehampton, NY; RJD Gallery, Sag Harbor, NY; Guild Hall and folioeast, East Hampton, Pamela Williams Gallery, Amagansett, NY; and in London at the Battersea Art Fair and The Art Movement. He won consecutive awards at the East End Arts Council juried shows from 2011-2015.

Dark One,2018, charcoal with pastel, 33 x 23 in

Dark One,2018, charcoal with pastel, 33 x 23 in

ARTIST’S CAROUSEL

rotating exhibit of current & recently sold drawings

RJT HAYNES speaks to folioeast’s COCO MYERS

CM/ WHAT MEDIA ARE YOU CURRENTLY WORKING IN?

RH/ Oils, watercolor, pastel, charcoal, colored pencil, graphite, ink; various combinations of the above. I like to switch media, subjects, styles—it's only a journey if you're moving.

CM/ ANY PARTICULAR TECHNIQUES YOU USE WHEN CREATING?

RH/ Good drawing is key; I never use preliminary sketches or drawing aids, but work freehand, directly on the final canvas or paper, adjusting forms along the way—changes may be visible in the finished work. I often work in series, exploring colors, textures, forms, emotional resonances, as the theme develops. It's important to let the subject and materials have a say in the outcome, but I don't focus much on techniques per se.

CM/ YOU ARE FROM ENGLAND AND SPEND A LOT OF TIME THERE. HOW DO YOU RELATE TO THE EAST END?

RH/ It's interesting to see the Atlantic from both shores. Where I live, in Cornwall, the seasons are less extreme; there’s no real winter, and (some would say) no real summer either, and it's green all year. The East End is all blue and gold in the summer, and much more muted in winter. I like the transition of winter to spring and summer to autumn best: the change of energy in the air.

CM/ DO YOU HAVE ANY FAVORITE SPOTS ON THE EAST END?

RH/ My friends have a catboat on Three Mile Harbor—a good place to end a summer's day. The Springs General Store is a good place to start one.

PORTFOLIO OVERVIEW of drawings

ARTIST’S CAROUSEL

rotating exhibit of current & recently sold paintings


NICHOLAS HOWEY

“Nicholas Howey’s paintings are minimal yet full of power—saturated canvases of colors punctuated by graphic, geometric forms. ”
— Coco Myers

“My work has both a primitive and gestural nature. It is my own alphabet of of new forms. There is little relation to nature, the human figure or landscape. The image is central to the meaning of the painting. The background is about pure color on which abstract images float. The depth of field is variable. 

Some works are made without brushes. Literally handmade objects. Forms are often repeated and brought back in various and different incarnations to promote a continuity of purpose. There is always a sense of play and spontaneity.” — NH

Nicholas Howey was born and raised in western Pennsylvania. He has a B.A. from University of Pittsburgh an a M.A. from New York University, both in fine arts. From 1981-1983, Howey worked on the productions of Robert Whitman's performance pieces at a DIA Foundation building in New York City and in 1982, he traveled to Belgrade for his first solo exhibition.  In 1986 Robert Rauschenberg curated an exhibition of his paintings at Edison College in Fort Myers, Florida. His paintings have appeared on two covers of the Italian art magazine, Tema Celeste.  Howey lived in the city until 2009, when he moved to Bridgehampton, N.Y. where he currently maintains a studio.

Howey has exhibited widely both in the United States and abroad, including Groninger Museum, Groninger, The Netherlands; Norjyllands Kuntsmuseum, Aalborg, Denmark; Espace Dieu, Paris, France; Artiscope, Brussels, Belgium; Sergio Tossi Galleria In Arco, Turin, Italy, Galleria Otto, Bologna, Italy, Galleria Loft, Valdagno, Italy; Bianchi Nuovi Gallery, Rome, Italy; Citizens Gallery, Yokohama, Japan;  Leo Castelli Uptown, Max Lang Gallery, Christinerose Gallery, and Greenberg Wilson Gallery, New York, NY; Guild Hall, East Hampton, NY;Evansville Museum, Evansville, IN; Nancy Solomon Gallery, Atlanta, GA; Schmidt Contemporary Art, Saint Louis, MO; Margulies Taplin Gallery, Coral Gables, FLA; Richard Feigan Gallery, Chicago,IL; and Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, New York.

Nicholas Howey by Jaime Lopez

Nicholas Howey by Jaime Lopez

ARTIST'S CAROUSEL

rotating exhibit of current & recently sold work

NICHOLAS HOWEY speaks to folioeast’s COCO MYERS

CM/ WHAT MATERIALS DO YOU PRIMARILY USE?  AND WHAT APPEALS TO YOU ABOUT THE MATERIALS?

NH/ I use mostly acrylic on canvas and occasionally watercolors. Acryclic on canvas because it can be created like a drawing in the sense that it can be “erased” since it dries quickly and a new image can be applied in a few minutes. Watercolors because I like working in a large formatted page. 

CM/ IS THERE ANY ASPECT OF YOUR CREATIVE PROCESS THAT YOU FEEL IS PARTICULARLY UNIQUE TO YOUR ART? THE PALETTE OR THE SHAPES OR FORMS YOU ARE DRAWN TO?

NH/ In a lot of my earlier paintings I used my hands instead of brushes. In my later paintings I still used my hands to paint the central image. The shapes and forms are from my own personal vocabulary which I create instinctively without references. They are purely abstract.

CM/ WHAT IS IT ABOUT ABSTRACTION THAT APPEALS TO YOU?

NH/ The element of surprise, since the forms are new and new to me.

CM/ WHAT BROUGHT YOU TO THE EAST END AND WHEN?

NH/ The feeling and existence of space and extraordinary light. I’ve been coming to the Hamptons since the early 80’s and moved here permanently in 2010.

CM/ DOES THIS AREA INFLUENCE YOUR WORK? HOW SO?

NH/ The area gives me the liberty and privilege of reflection in a welcoming and serene atmosphere.

CM/DO YOU FEEL INSPIRED BY THE HISTORY OF ART ON THE EAST END?

NH/ Certainly, with all the innovative and important work that has been done here.

CM/ DO YOU OWN WORK BY EAST END ARTISTS? ARE THERE ANY ARTISTS WHO YOU WOULD LOVE TO OWN?

NH/ I own work by two early east end visitors, Rpbert Rauschenberg and jasper Johns. I would love to own a series of watercolors by Alexis Rockman of the indigenous birds and fowl of this area, a bronze water inspired sculpture by Brian Hunt and a florescent wall sculpture by Keith Sonnier.

PORTFOLIO OVERVIEW

JANET JENNINGS

“It’s easy to be seduced by one of Jennings’ landscapes or abstracts; she brings her eye for color and composition to every piece.”
— Coco Myers

“I paint from memory, using sketches and photographs as reference, but informing the painting with everything I am thinking about in my life and the world at large. I use abstracted natural images for my narrative, communicating my emotional temperature through the use of color, shape and line. There is a strong spiritual influence in my work that accesses the sublime and the beautiful.” — JJ

Jennings began as a Color Field painter, working on canvas and linen, and maintained a studio at Waverly Studios in New York City. After moving to Amagansett in 1981, she switched her focus to landscape painting.

She received her BFA from the University of Dayton and attended The Dayton Art Institute, Antioch College and The Art Students League.

Jennings has exhibited at numerous galleries on Long Island and New York City, including Gallery North, Elaine Benson Gallery, Hampton Road Gallery, Glenn Horowitz Gallery, Lizan-Tops Gallery, Mark Humphrey Gallery, Pamela Williams Gallery, folioest, Chase Edwards Gallery, and The New York Design Center. Her paintings are in numerous corporate and private collections worldwide.

Jennings is a member of the East Hampton Arts Council, and from 1993 to 1998 was the Chair of the Andy Warhol Visual Arts Preserve Program. She has taught at the Parrish Art Museum, Guild Hall and The Victor D’Amico Institute of Art. She currently has a painting studio in East Hampton and teaches oil and watercolor classes.

Janet Jennings by Jaime Lopez

Janet Jennings by Jaime Lopez

ARTIST'S CAROUSEL

rotating exhibit of current & recently sold work

JANET JENNINGS speaks to folioeast’s COCO MYERS

CM/ YOU’RE A PAINTER; WHAT SPECIFICALLY DO YOU PAINT WITH?

JJ/ Oil and watercolor. I have worked with oil and watercolor for over thirty years. At some point in working with them, I gained an ease and familiarity, dropping any hesitation. Working with other mediums which I am not as familiar with can be challenging, but can open up new methods of working and therefore point me in different directions that I may not have followed. Each time I return to oil and/or watercolor, I try to bring something with me from the experiments with the new mediums.

CM/ DO YOU HAVE A SPECIFIC PROCESS? HOW DO YOU BEGIN STARTING A PAINTING?

JJ/ My studio has multiple medium stations: Oil, watercolor, pastel, acrylic and drawing. My camera is always available for taking photos of whatever pops into my mind. When I begin a new series, I usually start with multiple drawings in sketch pads following by color studies in watercolor. I try to summon the image before I start an oil, but it often morphs into something else along the way. When I am working on an oil series, the paintings are all hanging at the same time. I move from painting to painting throughout the day.

CM/ WHY DID YOU DECIDE TO LIVE ON THE EAST END?

JJ/ I first came to the East End when I was a teenager. I grew up on Long Island so driving out to Montauk for the day was something we did often. After living in the city, I moved here permanently in 1981. The ocean, the landscape, the light, the countryside were the draw for me.

CM/ WHAT IS YOUR MOST CREATIVE SEASON?

JJ/ My favorite season is spring for it is the most optimistic. The winter is a favorite time to experiment with new ideas, but I am most productive in spring and summer.

CM/ DO YOU DRAW INSPIRATION FROM THE ABSTRACT EXPRESSIONIST HISTORY OUT HERE?

JJ/ Certainly inspiration. I had the good fortune to meet many artists before they passed away and they offered me encouragement as well as advice.

CM/ DO YOU HAVE ANY WORKS BY EAST END ARTISTS IN YOUR HOME?

JJ/ I own several Priscilla Bowden paintings, an Esteban Vicente and a Larry Rivers. I cherish them all.

PORTFOLIO OVERVIEW

DENNIS LERI

“Leri’s paintings and welded steel sculptures, whether curvy or linear, are pure expressions of abstract form. ”
— Coco Myers

“As a young person, my need to create art was nurtured by my uncle, who himself was a painter and sculptor. My early training was in figurative sculpture, and my style ultimately developed from representational to abstract sculpture and mixed media conceptual works. I also paint and often create works using both disciplines. Curved shapes, clean minimalist lines, and abstract designs are common themes.” — DL

Dennis Leri was born in Brooklyn, NY and was raised in a family of artists. He attended the Arts Students League, National Academy of Fine Art, the Brooklyn Museum Art School and the Sculpture Center. He lives and maintains a studio in Springs, East Hampton.

Leri’s work has been shown in numerous shows, at Gerald Peters Galleries, New York, NY and Santa Fe, NM; The Southampton Cultural Center, and Peter Marcelle Project, Southampton, NY: Ille Arts, Amagansett, NY; folioeast, East Hampton, NY; Dodds & Eder Sculpture Garden and Robert Hook Gallery, Sag Harbor, NY; Art Hamptons and The White Room Gallery, Bridgehampton, NY, among others. His work has been awarded Best Sculpture and Best Mixed Media at the Guild Hall Museum of East Hampton.

Dennis Leri by Jaime Lopez

ARTIST'S CAROUSEL

rotating exhibit of current & recently sold painting

DENNIS LERI speaks to folioeast’s COCO MYERS

CM/ WHAT MEDIA ARE YOU CURRENTLY WORKING IN?

DL/ Sculpture: painted, welded steel. Paintings: Acrylic on wood panel, canvas.

CM/ WHAT MATERIALS DO YOU PRIMARILY USE? AND WHY?

DL/ Steel because of its strength and flexibility; wood, metals, and acrylic paints because of the range of opportunities for expression.

CM/ YOU ARE CLEARLY AN ABSTRACT ARTIST. HAVE YOU ALWAYS BEEN?

DL/ My early training was in figurative sculpture, and my style ultimately developed from representational to abstract sculpture and mixed media conceptual works. I also paint and often create works using both disciplines. Curved shapes, clean minimalist lines, and abstract designs are common themes.

CM/ WHERE DO YOU DO YOUR WORK?

DL/ My studio is located on my property in Springs. It is primarily for painting and mixed media work. I have an outdoor space where I do the steel work.

CM/ DO YOU OFTEN INTERACT WITH OTHER ARTISTS THAT LIVE/WORK OUT HERE?

DL/ In the more than 30 years that I have lived here, I have had the opportunity to meet and exchange ideas with well established abstract artists who lived and worked in this area, including Ibram Lassaw, Robert Richenburg, Ray Ferren, William King, Eric Ernst, Dan Christensen and Berenice D'Vorzon.

PORTFOLIO OVERVIEW of sculpture

ARTIST'S CAROUSEL

rotating exhibit of current & recently sold painting

DENNIS LERI

“Leri’s paintings and welded steel sculptures, whether curvy or linear, are pure expressions of abstract form. ”
— Coco Myers

“As a young person, my need to create art was nurtured by my uncle, who himself was a painter and sculptor. My early training was in figurative sculpture, and my style ultimately developed from representational to abstract sculpture and mixed media conceptual works. I also paint and often create works using both disciplines. Curved shapes, clean minimalist lines, and abstract designs are common themes.” — DL

Dennis Leri was born in Brooklyn, NY and was raised in a family of artists. He attended the Arts Students League, National Academy of Fine Art, the Brooklyn Museum Art School and the Sculpture Center. He lives and maintains a studio in Springs, East Hampton.

Leri’s work has been shown in numerous shows, at Gerald Peters Galleries, New York, NY and Santa Fe, NM; The Southampton Cultural Center, and Peter Marcelle Project, Southampton, NY: Ille Arts, Amagansett, NY; folioeast, East Hampton, NY; Dodds & Eder Sculpture Garden and Robert Hook Gallery, Sag Harbor, NY; Art Hamptons and The White Room Gallery, Bridgehampton, NY, among others. His work has been awarded Best Sculpture and Best Mixed Media at the Guild Hall Museum of East Hampton.

Dennis Leri by Jaime Lopez

ARTIST'S CAROUSEL

rotating exhibit of current & recently sold paintings

DENNIS LERI speaks to folioeast’s COCO MYERS

CM/ WHAT MEDIA ARE YOU CURRENTLY WORKING IN?

DL/ Sculpture: painted, welded steel. Paintings: Acrylic on wood panel, canvas.

CM/ WHAT MATERIALS DO YOU PRIMARILY USE? AND WHY?

DL/ Steel because of its strength and flexibility; wood, metals, and acrylic paints because of the range of opportunities for expression.

CM/ YOU ARE CLEARLY AN ABSTRACT ARTIST. HAVE YOU ALWAYS BEEN?

DL/ My early training was in figurative sculpture, and my style ultimately developed from representational to abstract sculpture and mixed media conceptual works. I also paint and often create works using both disciplines. Curved shapes, clean minimalist lines and abstract designs are common themes.

CM/ WHERE DO YOU DO YOUR WORK?

DL/ My studio is located on my property in Springs. It is primarily for painting and mixed media work. I have an outdoor space where I do the steel work.

CM/ DO YOU OFTEN INTERACT WITH OTHER ARTISTS THAT LIVE/WORK OUT HERE?

DL/ In the more than 30 years that I have lived here, I have had the opportunity to meet and exchange ideas with well established abstract artists who lived and worked in this area, including Ibram Lassaw, Robert Richenburg, Ray Ferren, William King, Eric Ernst, Dan Christensen and Berenice D'Vorzon.

PORTFOLIO OVERVIEW of painting

ARTIST'S CAROUSEL

rotating exhibit of current & recently sold sculpture

JAIME LOPEZ

“Lopez’s photographs play upon and expand conventional perceptions of nature, visually enhancing the familiar.”
— Coco Myers

“My photographs are a response to the environment around me—not only the natural beauty of the landscape but also the way that the environment is being threatened. These sometimes ominous visions of beauty can be interpreted as a metamorphosis taking place within nature. My hope is that they will evoke a positive action towards ongoing nature preservation and protection.

The phrase ‘art imitates life’ has been a constant theme and inspiration in my career.” 


Jaime Lopez was born in Peru, a country rich in breathtaking landscapes, which became an aesthetic foundation for his lifelong career as a photographer and artist. His vast body of work is a reflection of his journeys across the globe.

Lopez arrived in New York City from Peru to study graphic design at Parsons School of Design in 1980. After three years assisting top fashion photographers in New York City, he began his own fashion photography career, shooting mostly in Italy and Spain. Jaime’s work has been widely published in Elle, Marie Claire, Telva, Hola, GQ, Woman Magazine, Glamour and Cosmopolitan.

In 2000, Lopez returned to the U.S. moving to Sagaponack on the East End of Long Island. There, he became captivated by the raw aesthetics and pristine beauty, which inspired the next artistic chapter of his life, photographing the environment around him.

In 2020 Lopez began photographing folioeast artists in their studios, a project that turned into a self-published coffee table book, “Hamptons Artists: The Current Wave-48 Artists Making Their Mark on the East End.”  A second edition is in the works.


Lopez in his studio

ARTIST'S CAROUSEL

rotating exhibit of current & recently sold work

JAIME LOPEZ speaks to folioeast’s COCO MYERS

CM/ YOUR PHOTOGRAPHS ARE PRINTED ALMOST EXCLUSIVELY ON ALUMINUM; CAN YOU EXPLAIN THE PROCESS?

JL/ It is printing sublimation on aluminum. It has a super quality, with no reflection, and can be hung in different environments, like outdoors, in humid areas or near heat sources without risk.

CM/ HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR CREATIVE PROCESS?

JL/ I capture landscapes and reinterpret them, approaching the idea as if I was a painter. All my images have color that’s different than one may expect of a traditional landscape.

CM/ WHAT BROUGHT YOU TO THE EAST END?

JL/ My wife, Marilyn Clark, is from East Hampton. We had our house in Sagaponack rented while we lived in Europe, and after ten years abroad in Milan and Madrid, decided to move back so our daughters could attend the one-room schoolhouse in Sagaponack.

CM/ YOU DO ALL YOUR FINE ART PHOTOGRAPHY HERE?

JL/ Yes. I want to capture this ever-changing landscape so we have a record of how it used to be when we were in the Hamptons.

CM/ WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE SEASON?

JL/ All four seasons. Because of the light and the blend of farmland and ocean—two of my favorite habitats. It seems to me that every day is different and always has a surprise in mood or color.

CM/ WHERE DO YOU DO YOUR WORK?

JL/ I photograph outdoors and I just started to work on portraits and still life in my new studio in Sagaponack.

CM/ DO YOU HAVE ANY FAVORITE SPOTS ON THE EAST END? ANY THAT HELP YOU FEEL INSPIRED?

JL/ The fields and beaches of Sagaponack. The trails all over the East End are gorgeous and exciting to ride a mountain bike around them in the winter time. In summers, I ride my road bike and motorcycles around the roads in the area. It is a very nice and practical way to discover and get inspired by new sites!

PORTFOLIO OVERVIEW

JANE MARTIN

“Martin’s absract paintings are richly colored, textured and beautifully balanced. Her photographs are always compelling, whether they capture the grandeur and power of nature or its subtle complexity. ”
— Coco Myers

“For me, painting is an act of faith. When I approach the white canvas I open myself to a meditative state that allows color and form to rush in. Then I often paint or scrape over existing layers, leaving traces of what has come before. This creates a seemingly direct connection with nature, however abstract.

In my photography I am drawn to water in all its forms. In The Break series, my study of of the ocean captures the 'moment between moments' of surf, invisible to our human eye. These images reveal the inherent sensuality and power of the ocean on the East End, creating a visceral experience for the viewer.

Since I moved to East Hampton sixteen years ago nature has increasingly called to me in my work—asking for recognition, as I attune myself to its rhythms and celebrate its beauty.”

— JM

Martin was born in Brooklyn, grew up on Long Island where she spent summers on Peconic Bay, and subsequently spent much of her adult life between France and New York City. She studied art in Tours, France under the direction of a former assistant to and student of Hans Hoffmann and evolved as an abstract painter. Exposure to artistically compelling European cinema led her back to New York City where she studied filmmaking at New York University. After a career in filmmaking in both NYC and Paris with the likes of Al Pacino and Gregory Colbert, she directed the documentary film Silent Sentries, broadcast on PBS.

In 1996 she established an art studio on the Lower East Side, returning to painting as a means of creative expression. In 2004, after nearly 15 years of city life, she moved her home and studio to East Hampton, New York, where the focus of her work shifted to the primal and powerful forces found in nature, in particular through her long love for and practice of photography.

Martin’s work has been exhibited in numerous museums, art fairs and galleries in New York City, the East End, Miami, Santa Fe, Dallas, Los Angeles, Australia, and Europe. Martin has had solo exhibitions at Guild Hall, East Hampton, NY and Islip Art Museum, Islip, NY. Her work can also be found in the permanent collection of the Parrish Art Museum, Southampton, NY; Guild Hall, East Hampton, NY; and in numerous corporate and private collections throughout the world.

Martin by Jaime Lopez

ARTIST'S CAROUSEL

rotating exhibit of current & recently sold work

JANE MARTIN speaks to folioeast’s COCO MYERS

CM/ WHAT MEDIUMS DO YOU WORK IN?

JM/ When something calls to me, however undefined it may be at the inception, it seems to speak in the language of a particular medium. So by nature I am a multi-disciplinary artist, currently working primarily in photography, video, and painting. Each medium informs and enriches the other as their subjects refer to both the primal power and quieter mysteries of nature.

CM/WHAT ARE YOUR MAIN PAINTING MATERIALS?

JM/ Acrylic paint (including iridescent colors), silver and gold leaf, brushes, scrapers, sandpaper, charcoal and graphite. I switched from oil to acrylic many years ago as acrylic allows me to work more quickly and still gives beautiful rich results.

CM/WHAT DO YOU FIND MOST CHALLENGING OR SATISFYING ABOUT PAINTING?

JM/When I have been working on photographs and printing for a long time I like getting back to painting. Painting allows me to move away from screens and digital technologies. I enjoy working with my hands and listening to music. One of my favorite moments is when I go into my studio late at night to sit and look at what I have accomplished or muse about how I want to approach a painting I have been working on. There seems to be increased clarity at that hour.

CM/ WHAT DRAWS YOU TO PHOTOGRAPHY?

JM/ Photography is an act of intimacy. It often allows us to see what we are incapable of observing in the movement of life. The wave images were shot post-hurricane with a 300mm lens – stepping way beyond the danger zone ropes, standing in the raging sea. The format that feels most potent to me is a long horizontal, a 2.4:1 ratio called Anamorphic, that echoes cinematic widescreen. I crop my images according to this ratio, allowing the ocean ‘riffs’ to fill the screen.

CM/ WATER IS A MAIN THEME IN YOUR WORK. WHY?

JM/ Whether the primal force of the ocean—the enormous surf of the East End—or the stillness of lakes on the easternmost point of Australia. Water also comes to a perfect stillness as reflected in my more abstract series, shot above tea tree lakes, ‘Down Under,’ once aboriginal birthing grounds. Full of depth and mystery, we find the extraordinary in the ordinary. 

CM/HOW DO YOU DECIDE WHEN TO PAINT OR PHOTOGRAPH?

JM/Photography is based on the natural elements, dependent on weather and seasons. But I can paint whenever I like. I simply go into the studio to work rather than waiting for inspiration.

CM/ WHAT BROUGHT YOU TO THE EAST END?

JM/ I first came to the East End in 1998 looking for a weekend respite from New York City. I immediately fell in love with the diversity of waterscapes and its more rural areas combined with the level of cultural sophistication.

PORTFOLIO OVERVIEW

ARTIST'S CAROUSEL

rotating exhibit of current & recently sold photography

JANE MARTIN

“A Martin photograph is always compelling, whether it captures the grandeur and power of nature or its subtle complexity. Equally strong are her abstract paintings— richly colored, textured, and beautifully balanced. ”
— Coco Myers

“In The Break series, my photographic study of water captures the 'moment between moments' of surf, invisible to our human eye. These images reveal the inherent sensuality and power of the ocean on the East End, creating a visceral experience for the viewer. Winters spent in Byron Bay, Australia led to an examination of what lies both on the surface of water and below it. I am drawn to waterways and terrains, peering down into their depths and mapping their surfaces. They walk the fine line between abstraction and representation, between the fluid and the solid, remaining ambiguous and bold at the same time. Although the images may appear altered,we find that nature offers the extraordinary in the ordinary… ‘reality’ in the age of manipulation.

Painting, meanwhile, is an act of faith. Approaching the white canvas I open myself to a meditative state that allows color and form to rush in. Then I often paint or scrape over existing layers, leaving traces of what has come before. This creates a seemingly direct connection with nature, however abstract.

Since I moved to the East Hampton sixteen years ago, nature has increasingly called to me in my work, asking for recognition, as I attune myself to its rhythms and celebrate its beauty.

— JM

Martin was born in Brooklyn, grew up on Long Island where she spent summers on Peconic Bay, and subsequently spent much of her adult life between France and New York City. She studied art in Tours, France under the direction of a former assistant to and student of Hans Hoffmann and evolved as an abstract painter. Exposure to artistically compelling European cinema led her back to New York City where she studied filmmaking at New York University. After a career in filmmaking in both NYC and Paris with the likes of Al Pacino and Gregory Colbert, she directed the documentary film Silent Sentries, broadcast on PBS.

In 1996 she established an art studio on the Lower East Side, returning to painting as a means of creative expression. In 2004, after nearly 15 years of city life, she moved her home and studio to East Hampton, New York, where the focus of her work shifted to the primal and powerful forces found in nature, in particular through her long love for and practice of photography.

Martin’s work has been exhibited in numerous museums, art fairs and galleries in New York City, the East End, Miami, Santa Fe, Dallas, Los Angeles, Australia, and Europe. Martin has had solo exhibitions at Guild Hall, East Hampton, NY and Islip Art Museum, Islip, NY. Her work can also be found in the permanent collection of the Parrish Art Museum, Southampton, NY; Guild Hall, East Hampton, NY; and in numerous corporate and private collections throughout the world.

Jane Martin by Jaime Lopez

ARTIST'S CAROUSEL

rotating exhibit of current & recently sold work

JANE MARTIN speaks to folioeast’s COCO MYERS

CM/ WHAT MEDIUMS DO YOU WORK IN?

JM/ When something calls to me, however undefined it may be at the inception, it seems to speak in the language of a particular medium. So by nature I am a multi-disciplinary artist, currently working primarily in photography, video, and painting. Each medium informs and enriches the other as their subjects refer to both the primal power and quieter mysteries of nature.

CM/ WHAT DRAWS YOU TO PHOTOGRAPHY AS A MEDIUM?

JM/ Photography is an act of intimacy. It often allows us to see what we are incapable of observing in the movement of life. The wave images were shot post-hurricane with a 300mm lens – stepping way beyond the danger zone ropes, standing in the raging sea. The format that feels most potent to me is a long horizontal, a 2.4:1 ratio called Anamorphic, that echoes cinematic widescreen. I crop my images according to this ratio, allowing the ocean ‘riffs’ to fill the screen.

CM/ WATER IS A MAIN THEME IN YOUR WORK. WHY?

JM/ Whether the primal force of the ocean—the enormous surf of the East End—or the stillness of lakes on the easternmost point of Australia. Water also comes to a perfect stillness as reflected in my more abstract series, shot above tea tree lakes, ‘Down Under,’ once aboriginal birthing grounds. Full of depth and mystery, we find the extraordinary in the ordinary. 

CM/HOW DO YOU DECIDE WHEN TO PAINT OR PHOTOGRAPH?

JM/Photography is based on the natural elements, dependent on weather and seasons. But I can paint whenever I like. I simply go into the studio to work rather than waiting for inspiration.

CM/WHAT ARE YOUR MAIN PAINTING MATERIALS?

JM/ Acrylic paint (including iridescent colors), silver and gold leaf, brushes, scrapers, sandpaper, charcoal and graphite. I switched from oil to acrylic many years ago as acrylic allows me to work more quickly and still gives beautiful rich results.

CM/WHAT DO YOU FIND MOST CHALLENGING OR SATISFYING ABOUT PAINTING?

JM/When I have been working on photographs and printing for a long time I like getting back to painting. Painting allows me to move away from screens and digital technologies. I enjoy working with my hands and listening to music. One of my favorite moments is when I go into my studio late at night to sit and look at what I have accomplished or muse about how I want to approach a painting I have been working on. There seems to be increased clarity at that hour.

CM/ WHAT BROUGHT YOU TO THE EAST END?

JM/I first came to the East End in 1998 looking for a weekend respite from New York City. I immediately fell in love with the diversity of waterscapes and its more rural areas combined with the level of cultural sophistication.

PORTFOLIO OVERVIEW

ARTIST'S CAROUSEL

rotating exhibit of current & recently sold painting

CHRISTINE MATTHÄI

“Matthäi’s photographs, with their aura of sensuality and spirituality, are also quite stylish, sometimes even glamorous.”
— Coco Myers

“I use photography as a tool to express my feelings and impressions. The original photographic images are digitally transformed so that colors and shapes turn into abstractions of the source image.

My intention is to convey the feeling of losing oneself in space with no sense of time and place, which is similar to the practice of meditation. I often work with multiple layers to achieve the final image, which emerges from my subconscious.

My favorite subject has been water, a fascination that resulted in my Light and Sea series. This work consists of abstract visual meditations on the interplay of air, light and water, the shifting of colors and shapes from form to formlessness. In Light Meditations, the brushing light lines on the water’s surface turn into visual rhythms, repetitive strolls on lines and dots.

With Musings on Words and Poetry, I incorporate repetitions of words and sentences from poetry and letters. The images pay homage to the vanishing word as a carrier of thought. The form of the square represents the four elements of fire, water, air and earth. I use the square as a sacred place to hold multiple layers of writings precious to me. The visual effects are similar to ancient hieroglyphs—an expression of my desire for timelessness and preservation.”

Charles Riley II, PhD Director, Nassau County Museum of Art, NY

“Matthäi’s labyrinthine meditations have a marvelous multi-media comprehensiveness. They begin with photographs of the ripples on a beach (East Hampton, the Bahamas and Miami, reminding me of Le Corbusier's black-and-white photos of beach patterns)…. Matthäi's own talent for correlating the metaphysical with the physical, through sound, color, correspondences, structures, symbols, textures, words...and even mathematics. She is the epitome of the idea we hoped to share, to make the invisible visible, to bring energy to the wall. Leonardo da Vinci would have been entranced."

German-born Christine Matthäi’s fascination with photography and film began during her early teens. She graduated from the Fashion Institute of Technology in Berlin, then moved to New York City in the mid-eighties, where she started as a photographer’s assistant. Later, she worked as a photojournalist and foreign correspondent for international magazines and newspapers.

Matthäi’s strong connections to the New York art scene stimulated and helped contribute to the exploration of her own artistic creativity. Over a decade ago, she decided to pursue her art photography full time. She moved to the East End in 1992. She now lives and works between the Hamptons, New York, Miami, and the Bahamas.

Matthäi’s work has appeared in shows at the Alex Ferrone Gallery, Cutchogue, NY; the Watermill Museum, Watermill, NY; folioeast, East Hampton, NY; Monika Olko Gallery and Tullla Booth Gallery, Sag Harbor, NY: ARC Fine Art, Fairfield, CT; ArtHamptons; Grand Gallery, Grand Bahama; Majestic Hotel, Dubai; Amarillo Gallery, Bologna, Italy; and Galerie Melior, Straubing, Germany, among others.

Christine Matthäi by Jaime Lopez

Christine Matthäi by Jaime Lopez

PORTFOLIO

current & recently sold work

CHRISTINE MATTHÄI speaks to folioeast’s COCO MYERS

CM/ DO YOU HAVE ANY SPECIAL OR UNUSUAL TECHNIQUES THAT YOU USE IN YOUR ART?

MATTHÄI/ I use photography as a primary tool. The original photographic images are then digitally transformed so that colors and shapes turn into abstractions of the source image. The images are either produced on plexiglass or as prints on paper which then serve as a canvas to be painted upon. For my newest series, Sand-gold Mandalas, I am mostly using sand and gold colors on paper.

CM/ HOW DOES THIS AREA INFLUENCE OR INFILTRATE YOUR WORK?

MATTHÄI/ My work is inspired by nature and stillness, by the extraordinary light conditions of sea, sky and water on the East end of Long Island. These conditions are reflected in my Light and Sea, Sacred Path and Architecture of Sound series.

CM/ WHERE DO YOU DO YOUR WORK? IN A STUDIO SPACE, OUTSIDE?

MATTHÄI/ I can work anywhere when I feel inspired. My house in Shelter Island serves as my summer studio. My latest Sand and Gold Mandala art works were initially started on several Bahamas and Florida beaches where I let the natural forces of wind and sun form sand patterns for my photographic images which I later painted on with sand and gold color.

CM/ DO YOU HAVE ANY WORKS BY EAST END ARTISTS IN YOUR HOME?

MATTHÄI/ I have works of several fellow artists from Shelter Island and I hope to eventually exchange art with my friend and sculptor Hans van de Bovenkamp.

CM/ ANYTHING ELSE YOU WOULD LIKE TO SHARE ABOUT YOUR WORK?

MATTHÄI/ I work in series and each series is a continuation of the previous one. They are all connected though my inner quest of seeking the core of our existence.

LESLEY OBROCK

“Obrock’s monoprints have color, character and charm. They feel personal—as if the abstract shapes have a life of their own.”
— Coco Myers

“Very simply, I am inspired to make art because I love colors, shapes and textures.

I often start a piece with only a vague intention of composition and color and then let spontaneity and intuition take over. While I sometimes produce work that is representative, I am most moved to paint abstracted landscapes. I enjoy working with materials that have a tactile sensibility and believe in constantly challenging myself with new techniques, concepts and subject matter.” — LO

Lesley Obrock grew up in the Midwest. Her formative childhood experiences, working alongside her seamstress grandmother amidst piles of fabrics and trims, had a profound impact that sparked a lifelong interest in texture, color and pattern.

Obrock studied painting and printmaking at Meramec Community College in St. Louis, MO and obtained a degree in interior design. She went on to open a private gardening business in St. Louis, which she ran for 18 years. She moved to the east end of Long Island in 2008 and returned full-time to making art in a variety of media—primarily printmaking, encaustic, watercolor and acrylic.

A member of the Artist Alliance of East Hampton, East End Arts and Springs Improvement Society, O’Brock has participated in numerous curated and juried shows, including two curated shows at the Islip Art Museum, Islip, NY, and the 2016, 2017 and 2018 Springs Invitational in East Hampton, NY, the Watermill Center, Watermill, NY, and in several folioeast shows in East Hampton. Her work can be found in private collections across the country.

Lesley OBrock by Jaime Lopez

Lesley OBrock by Jaime Lopez

ARTIST'S CAROUSEL

rotating exhibit of current & recently sold work

LESLEY OBROCK speaks to folioeast’s COCO MYERS

CM/ Can you describe the mediums you work in and your process?

LO/ I primarily make monoprints or small editions of varied prints. I usually start with quick sketches, a general idea of composition and color and then just dive right in. Often I'll end up with something completely different, but that is the nature and beauty of monoprints.

With encaustic I use a mixture of beeswax, damar resin and pigment. It produces a wonderful wax paint that when applied to a substrate has a beautiful texture and luminosity. The materials and studio setup can be tricky. You need to have the wax in a liquid state while applying it to a substrate, then gently reheat it so it adheres to all the wax layers below. This is done with a torch or heat gun and you have to have excellent ventilation.

CM/ HOW DOES THIS AREA INFLUENCE OR INFILTRATE YOUR WORK?

LO/ The beauty of simple things. Sunsets, the way something has weathered from the ocean, there are a lot of things like that. Also, I've made some wonderful friends here.

CM/ WHERE DO YOU DO YOUR WORK?

LO/ I have a dedicated studio space with a printing press and encaustic setup that includes a hot palette for heating the colored waxes, scraping and incising tools, blow torch, a full range of brushes and a specially designed ventilation system.

CM/ ANYTHING ELSE YOU WOULD LIKE TO SHARE ABOUT YOUR WORK?

LO/ Any day I'm making art is a good day.

PORTFOLIO OVERVIEW

BETH O'DONNELL

“O’Donnell’s floral photographs are lush and gorgeous; her mixed-media works are creative, complex, and intriguing.”
— Coco Myers

“For my encaustic works, I create textured paintings on a customized and oversized heated plate to blend abstracted imagery of the real world. The place, the feeling, or experience that I am portraying is a snapshot of my present mindfulness; the size of the work comes from the same inspirational process. I hope the resulting images, whether beach or urban scenes, challenge the viewer to look again at what passes in front of them. I attempt to offer calming, reassuring works as symbols of hope in our ever-changing world.

As a photographer who also has a love of painting, I have created what feels to me to be a natural hybrid of these two interests in my mixed media works. The process often starts with mounting photographs on birch panel. I then cover the images with layers of encaustic wax and paint using pigmented oil sticks and inks.

I also enjoy shooting florals with my macro lens, creating almost abstract portraits of flowers. I get taken away in a meditative way when shooting this way; usually still shooting them with my film camera to get what I’m looking for.” — BO

Beth O’Donnell was born in Evanston, Illinois. In the late nineties she studied photography, first at the Evanston Art Center, then at the International Center for Photography in New York City. In 2002, she spent twenty months in the slums of Nairobi, Kenya, doing photojournalistic work that was published in The London Daily Telegraph and Marie Claire.

In 2005, O’Donnell began combining photography with encaustic wax. Most recently, she has been using encaustic wax and pigmented oil sticks to add texture to an array of papers and panels in order to create ethereal geometric forms and abstract landscapes.

O’Donnell’s work has been shown in many exhibitions, including at Ashawagh Hall, Amagansett, NY; The Art Barn at Larkin Pond, folioeast, and Guild Hall, East Hampton, NY; The White Room Gallery, Bridgehampton, NY; Holly Hunt, Birnam Wood Gallery, Urban Zen, African Rainforest Conservancy, New York, NY; Heiberg Cummings Design, Oslo, Norway; and The Home Gallery, Nairobi, Kenya.

O'Donnell has also exhibited work at the United Nations in conjunction with the Istanbul +5 Conference and her photographs have been auctioned at several major philanthropic events around the United States. Her book, Angels in Africa, published by Vendome Press in 2006, was named by The Guardian (UK) as one of the top ten photography books of that year.

O’Donnell in her studio by Jaime Lopez

O’Donnell in her studio by Jaime Lopez

ARTIST’S CAROUSEL

rotating exhibit of current & recently sold photography

BETH O’DONNELL speaks to folioeast’s COCO MYERS

CM/ YOU WORK IN A VARIETY OF MEDIUMS. HOW DO YOU COMBINE THEM?

BO/ I almost always use encaustic wax and oil paint; oil sticks either to make a painting on board or to be used over photography. I melt wax in electric pans or on a large "hot box." I use a heat gun to reheat or move the wax. I also use Japanese rice paper and tissue paper as the ground for encaustic wax paintings. Recently with photography, I've been tearing the photograph, sewing it back together and then applying the clear wax before using brushes and oil paint to finish the work.

CM/ WHERE DO YOU DO MOST OF YOUR WORK?

BO/ I built a modular barn in East Hampton which is my studio. The space has a loft for an office/resting area and downstairs is the work space. I travel quite a bit and guide safaris, so I also shoot a lot in Africa.

CM/ WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE TIME OF YEAR ON THE EAST END? IS IT ALSO A PARTICULARLY CREATIVE TIME FOR YOU?

BO/ Summer is my favorite season. I know it's crowded but I take the back roads and I'm up early. It is the most creative time for me continuing into fall. I like to open up my studio door and bring the work outside.

CM/ DO YOU HAVE ANY WORKS BY EAST END ARTISTS IN YOUR HOME?

BO/ I have two Peter Beard photographs depicting Africa and I also have a large John Alexander painting.

PORTFOLIO OVERVIEW of photography

ARTIST’S CAROUSEL

rotating exhibit of current & recently sold mixed media

BETH O'DONNELL

“O’Donnell’s floral photographs are gorgeous; her mixed-media works are creative, complex, and intriguing.”
— Coco Myers

“For my encaustic works, I create textured paintings on a customized and oversized heated plate to blend abstracted imagery of the real world. The place, the feeling, or experience that I am portraying is a snapshot of my present mindfulness; the size of the work comes from the same inspirational process. I hope the resulting images, whether beach or urban scenes, challenge the viewer to look again at what passes in front of them. I attempt to offer calming, reassuring works as symbols of hope in our ever-changing world.

As a photographer who also has a love of painting, I have created what feels to me to be a natural hybrid of these two interests in my mixed media works. The process often starts with mounting photographs on birch panel. I then cover the images with layers of encaustic wax and paint using pigmented oil sticks and inks.

I also enjoy shooting florals with my macro lens, creating almost abstract portraits of flowers. I get taken away in a meditative way when shooting this way; usually still shooting them with my film camera to get what I’m looking for.” — BO

Beth O’Donnell was born in Evanston, Illinois. In the late nineties she studied photography, first at the Evanston Art Center, then at the International Center for Photography in New York City. In 2002, she spent twenty months in the slums of Nairobi, Kenya, doing photojournalistic work that was published in The London Daily Telegraph and Marie Claire.

In 2005, O’Donnell began combining photography with encaustic wax. Most recently, she has been using encaustic wax and pigmented oil sticks to add texture to an array of papers and panels in order to create ethereal geometric forms and abstract landscapes.

O’Donnell’s work has been shown in many exhibitions, including at Ashawagh Hall, Amagansett, NY; The Art Barn at Larkin Pond, folioeast, and Guild Hall, East Hampton, NY; The White Room Gallery, Bridgehampton, NY; Holly Hunt, Birnam Wood Gallery, Urban Zen, African Rainforest Conservancy, New York, NY; Heiberg Cummings Design, Oslo, Norway; and The Home Gallery, Nairobi, Kenya.

O'Donnell has also exhibited work at the United Nations in conjunction with the Istanbul +5 Conference and her photographs have been auctioned at several major philanthropic events around the United States. Her book, Angels in Africa, published by Vendome Press in 2006, was named by The Guardian (UK) as one of the top ten photography books of that year.

O’Donnell in her studio by Jaime Lopez

O’Donnell in her studio by Jaime Lopez

ARTIST’S CAROUSEL

rotating exhibit of current & recently sold mixed media

BETH O’DONNELL speaks to folioeast’s COCO MYERS

CM/ YOU WORK IN A VARIETY OF MEDIUMS. HOW DO YOU COMBINE THEM?

BO/ I almost always use encaustic wax and oil paint; oil sticks either to make a painting on board or to be used over photography. I melt wax in electric pans or on a large "hot box." I use a heat gun to reheat or move the wax. I also use Japanese rice paper and tissue paper as the ground for encaustic wax paintings. Recently with photography, I've been tearing the photograph, sewing it back together and then applying the clear wax before using brushes and oil paint to finish the work.

CM/ WHERE DO YOU DO MOST OF YOUR WORK?

BO/ I built a modular barn in East Hampton which is my studio. The space has a loft for an office/resting area and downstairs is the work space. I travel quite a bit and guide safaris, so I also shoot a lot in Africa.

CM/ WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE TIME OF YEAR ON THE EAST END? IS IT ALSO A PARTICULARLY CREATIVE TIME FOR YOU?

BO/ Summer is my favorite season. I know it's crowded but I take the back roads and I'm up early. It is the most creative time for me continuing into fall. I like to open up my studio door and bring the work outside.

CM/ DO YOU HAVE ANY WORKS BY EAST END ARTISTS IN YOUR HOME?

BO/ I have two Peter Beard photographs depicting Africa and I also have a large John Alexander painting.

PORTFOLIO OVERVIEW of mixed media

ARTIST’S CAROUSEL

rotating exhibit of current & recently sold photography

PAUL PAVIA

“Pavia sculpted highly original pieces—from metal, stone and wood—that have an appealingly visceral aesthetic.”
— Coco Myers

1971-2023

“The central aim of my abstract sculpture is to examine the relationship of the individual to the external world. I pattern my work after the enormous sculptures and symbols of the past: Stonehenge, the heads of the Olmecs, and the Polynesians of Easter Island—all of which seem to be simply conceived, but carry powerful, emotional undertones.

As a philosophy major in college, I became fascinated with the mind’s sense of self and its relationship with the fleeting, beguiling material world. Philosophical writings often describe this state of mind as isolating in a daunting world. I myself have dealt with these feelings at one time or another, and while I was in college I began to illustrate them in my sculpture and continue to do so.

On the surface, I want my sculpture to be poetically serene and tranquil but to also have an underlying, disconcerting subject matter. To convey this ambiguity, I use space, volume and a deceptive sense of scale. The existential feel I want communicated comes from establishing a vast, enigmatic space that expands from the sculpture. This space gives the simple geometrical monoliths that are often in my work the illusion of being alone and alive amid a surreal, elegant backdrop.” — PP

Paul Pavia was born in 1971 in New York City, where he grew up immersed in the art world. His grandfather was a painter, his father, Philip Pavia, was a sculptor in the Abstract Expressionist movement, and his mother, Natalie Edgar, formerly an art critic for Art News, is a painter. Pavia passed away in 2023.

From 1986 to 1998, Pavia spent the summers studying the classical techniques in stone carving and bronze casting in Pietrasanta, Italy, a center for sculpture in Europe. He majored in Philosophy and Studio Art at Binghamton University, after which he concentrated on sculpture full time and had his first one-man show of work in welded steel at the Millennium Gallery in East Hampton, New York.

Several years later Pavia began welding in bronze, as well as incorporating other materials into his work: primarily marble, wood and stainless steel.

Pavia’s work has been exhibited widely, including at Ashawagh Hall, Amagansett, NY; Butler Fine Arts, the Millennium Gallery, folioeast, and Solar, East Hampton, NY; the Sculpture Center, the American Academy, The Annex, 2nd Street Gallery, Phoenix Gallery, White Box Gallery and Side Show Gallery in New York, NY; and the St. Agostino Museum, Pietrasanta, Italy.,

Paul Pavia in his studio by Jaime Lopez

Paul Pavia in his studio by Jaime Lopez

ARTIST'S CAROUSEL

rotating exhibit of current & recently sold work

From an interview with the Paul Pavia by Mark Segal in The East Hampton Star, January 2017

“I became fascinated with the mind’s sense of self and its relationship to the fleeting, material world. Philosophical writings often describe this state of mind as isolating amid a daunting world. I personally have dealt with these feelings at one time or another, and my sculpture has reflected them, from college to the present. I want it to express mystery and uncertainty.”

PORTFOLIO OVERVIEW

MARK PERRY

“With their fluid brush strokes and lush colors, Perry’s canvases are landscapes of sensuality.”
— Coco Myers

“Of the themes that define my waking hours and is undeniably woven into my work, is an obsession with time—as a resource, as a thief, as a constant shadow. I'm intrigued by the the perception of time as a very real phenomenon: the older we get, the less we experience the rush of novelty. What does that mean for an artist in the fullness of middle age? Is it possible to see and to paint with a heightened sense of discovery? Does experience give depth or limit my ability to engage fully, and without judgement?

My process is fluid, creating space for the adult or the child with a five-second attention span. The challenge when making abstract work is keeping an open mind when imagery and thoughts constantly swirl through the brain. If there is conflict I find the best solution is to work through it, approach things differently and remain open to an unexpected resolution.” — MP

Born and raised in Providence, Rhode Island, Perry studied portraiture and life drawing at the Rhode Island School of Design while working for ten years an an electrical draftsman for an architectural engineering firm in Providence.

In 1987, Mr. Perry entered the Providence Art Club's Open Painting Show and won the Milton Halladay prize for his portrait, "Bonnie." In 1989, Perry moved to New York City and continued his studies at The Society of Illustrators and the Spring St. Studio.

Once he began spending time in Amagansett, on the East End of Long Island, he left figurative work behind and entered a new phase, which became his passion—the landscape. Perry now divides his time between New York City and East Hampton, where he maintains a studio.

Perry has had solo shows at Ille Arts, Amagansett, NY; Elizabeth Dow, East Hampton, NY; and the New Century Gallery, New York, NY. His work has been exhibited in group shows at Lawrence Fine Arts, Ashawagh Hall, folioeast, and Guild Hall in East Hampton, NY; Ille Arts, and Neoteric Fine Art Gallery in Amagansett, NY; Zoya Tommy Gallery, in Houston, TX; and Lyons Weir Gallery, in New York, NY, among others. He has participated in numerous art fairs across the country.

Mark Perry in his studio by Jaime Lopez

Mark Perry in his studio by Jaime Lopez

ARTIST'S CAROUSEL

rotating exhibit of current & recently sold work

MARK PERRY speaks to folioeast’s COCO MYERS

CM/ WHAT MATERIALS DO YOU PRIMARILY USE? AND WHY?

MP/ I have used oil on canvas and wood for nearly thirty years, so it is what I'm most comfortable with. The slower dry time, flexibility and richness of color appeal to me. For small works and work on paper, when away from the studio, acrylic paint is my go-to.

CM/ HAS YOUR CREATIVE PROCESS CHANGED OVER THE YEARS?

MP/ Most of my life, when not working figuratively, I have used the Automatic Drawing/Painting technique practiced by some of the Surrealists Movement Artists. I was not aware of the method until 2016, when I took a painting class with Eric Dever. He put a name to the technique that I had practiced for years, making it a deeper experience. When working I enjoy classical music, classic rock or silence.

CM/ WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE SEASON TO PAINT?

MP/ Summer is the easiest season to work but I find all the seasons are pleasing. There are usually two weeks at the end of February when it’s difficult to work in the studio because of the cold—even with heat there is a dampness that gets in your bones. Luckily it is brief.

CM/ DESCRIBE YOUR STUDIO.

MP/ I’ve had a basement studio since 2006 entirely lit with artificial light, which I adapted to right away. I have found the lack of distraction from windows is welcome in the studio. I take breaks outside for a change of scenery and air. When traveling or working small on paper, I generally work at a table and have both daylight and artificial light which I adapt well to.

CM/ DO YOU FEEL CONNECTED TO THE HISTORY OF THE ABSTRACT EXPRESSIONIST MOVEMENT ON THE EAST END?

MP/ Some of my favorite painters were part of that era. I get inspiration from de Kooning, Joan Mitchell, and Helen Frankenthaler.

CM/ DO YOU HAVE ANY WORKS BY EAST END ARTISTS IN YOUR HOME?

MP/ I have paintings by James Kennedy and several ceramic pieces by Bob Bachler, both former owners of Surface Library Gallery; also work by Scott Bluedorn, Almond Zigmund, Gus Yero, George Singer, Rosario Varela, Tim Lee, Jess Frost, Jennifer Cross, and a small watercolor by Betty Parsons.

PORTFOLIO OVERVIEW

VIVIAN POLAK

“There’s a poetic air to the shadows and patterns of a Polak piece, with its unusual angles and unexpected elements of mixed media.”
— Coco Myers

“With photography, ink and paint, I explore the physical locations and inner places I’ve lived in and visited, each as an external and internal landscape. I seek to find the feeling of each space in time and to understand how a space remembers the people who have been there, even long after they have moved through.

I build each work with layers, each one representing a different experience of time and place. Working with moving shadows and shifting patterns, I look to capture moments as we move towards them and as they move past us.

I often start with a photograph that sets a reality on one plane, at one point in time. I then add my own notions of what might have come before and what might come after—in each case seeking to weaken the bind with the “real” reference of the photograph, moving closer to inner the compositions that we all experience.” — VP

Born in New York City, Vivian Polak grew up on Long Island and the coast of Belgium—two places where the combination of water and flat land make for extraordinary light. After many years of working with photography, she now explores how to extend her vision by adding drawing and painting (primarily with inks and watercolors) to her photographs.

She studied at the Art Students League, the International Center of Photography, the New York Studio School and in workshops and studio classes at the Art Barge in Napeague.

Her works are part of numerous private collections and have been shown at The Cheryl Hazan Gallery in NYC; at Clic Gallery, folioeast, and Ashawagh Hall in East Hampton, and at Sylvester & Co at Home in Amagansett.

Vivian Polak by Jaime Lopez

Vivian Polak by Jaime Lopez

ARTIST'S CAROUSEL

rotating exhibit of current & recently sold work

VIVIAN POLAK speaks to folioeast’s COCO MYERS

CM/ WHAT MATERIALS DO YOU PRIMARILY USE? AND WHY?

VP/ I use my own photographs (archival prints), watercolors, ink washes, and etching/intaglio prints and monotypes made with oil-based inks. I find that the surprises and happenstances inherent in working with watercolor, ink, etching and monotypes often upend the certainty found in photographic images—in much the same way that the surprises in life play with the things we think are stable.

CM/ WHAT DEFINES YOUR PARTICULAR STYLE OR METHOD OF WORKING?

VP/ I toss away, or totally mix together, traditional processes and techniques.

CM/ HOW DOES THIS AREA INFLUENCE YOUR WORK?

VP/ The East End light permeates my work. The broad horizons (both ocean and land), as well as the telephone poles and wires, often form the key lines in my pieces. And the large skies of the East End often form the basis for the fields of color.

CM/ WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE TIME OF YEAR?

VP/ I was about to say that late spring is my favorite, as the shoes go in the closet and the shorts come out; but then I thought of early fall when the ocean waves take on hurricane dramatics; but then I thought of winter when I'm captivated by the shadow patterns on the snow.

CM/ DO YOU HAVE ANY FAVORITE SPOTS ON THE EAST END WHERE YOU FEEL MOST INSPIRED?

VP/ Napeague Bay is one of my favorites—the views of ocean and bay, the horizon lines, the phone poles, the grasses. The walks along Fosters Path and Northwest Path often clear my head and open up trails I can follow in my mind for different approaches in the studio.

CM/ DO YOU DRAW INSPIRATION FROM ARTISTS ON THE EAST END?

VP/ Yes. I'm in love with the work of Louisa Chase. And Ross Bleckner.

CM/ DO YOU HAVE ANY WORKS BY EAST END ARTISTS IN YOUR HOME?

VP/ I've got several pieces by Michele D'Ermo, which totally capture the moods and colors of the East End. In my next life, I would love to have Louisa Chase's painting called "Wave" to look at every day.

PORTFOLIO OVERVIEW