Title of Show: “Sea to Summit” through March 29th
Description: Paintings of New England Landscapes
Artists: Amanda Sylvester & Jonathan Garcia
Sea to Summit showcases landscape paintings from local artists Amanda Sylvester and Jonathan Garcia. The show features over 50 works depicting scenes from the Massachusetts and Rhode Island coastline to the waterfalls and mountains of New Hampshire. The paintings are a combination of both plein air and studio work of locations that inspire both artists through their travels and everyday lives. Themes of water, rock-filled landscapes, boats, architecture and historic landmarks are all prevalent in the body of work.
Amanda Sylvester (b. 1991) is a South Coast based artist and art educator specializing in painting and drawing. Amanda has earned her BFA from Umass Dartmouth and a Masters in Art Education from Boston University. She currently works as a middle school art teacher in North Attleboro. Amanda is also an established pet portrait artist primarily working in colored pencil realism. The inspiration for her paintings comes from her love of the outdoors. Amanda’s studio work is based from the places she visits, her paintings reference her own photos of scenic coastal and mountain vistas of New England. Her work seeks to capture the therapeutic effects of nature, specifically the calm aura and renewing energy experienced in environments with moving water. Painting these significant places allows her to continually revisit and experience them in a new way through recreating them on canvas. Her paintings are characterized by the use of bold colors found in nature with an emphasis on strong composition and light to create a realistic depiction of a scene. In summer months Amanda enjoys painting on location and creates smaller plein air paintings. These plein air paintings often serve as studies for larger studio work.
Jonathan Garcia (b.1996) is an avid oil painter and middle school art educator currently living and working in Massachusetts. Jonathan graduated from Bridgewater State University in 2020 with an undergraduate degree in visual art and a concentration in graphic design. Since discovering his love for painting during college in 2018 he has worked tediously to improve and teach himself how to paint through practice, books, online videos and looking at art that inspires him. Over the past 6 years he has participated in numerous shows at local galleries and his paintings can be found in private and public collections across the country. Jonathan currently works both plein air and in the studio.
Lifelong passions of the coast, architecture, and New England history are evident in my paintings. I primarily work plein air during the summer months and look to capture the atmosphere, light and mood of scenes that inspire me most. In the winter months I take my preliminary sketches, reference pictures and experiences on location to compose larger studio paintings. My paintings serve as a visual diary to capture scenes within the places that inspire me most through my artistic lens hoping to spark memories, happiness, and emotional connections in others.
