Aug 15, 2015

Summer Newsletter 2015


Jacket surfing, Chappy Beach.

2015 Summer Newsletter

Scroll down to see artwork on the easel.


Frozen Over, 6” x 8”, o/c, Osborn

"There were days this winter when Old Silver Beach was frozen solid. A solitary dramatic contrast to our hot summer days." -Osborn



Quahog and Jingle Shells, 8” x 10”, o/panel, Rugh

"Doug has this great ability to make his brush execute what his eye sees so clearly." -Osborn

"I love to search for those little optical effects that help reveal the natural beauty of things. Nature comes up with seemingly gratuitous colors like the violet on these shells." -Rugh


“The meaning must come from the seeing, not the talking."

-Barnett Newman



C O N T E N T S

HOURS
UPCOMING EVENTS

TALKING POINTS (for your S.O.)

SAMPLING FROM THE EASEL

EBOOK
COLLECTOR'S DISCOUNT
EASY LAYAWAY PLAN
CUSTOM ART
ABOUT THE ARTISTS
QUICK LINKS





We were pleased to find out that we won the Cape Cod Life Reader's poll for Best Fine Art Gallery on the Upper Cape.


H O U R S
10 – 5 Closed Tuesdays (or by chance)
Other times visit by appointment.

August 15 & 16, 2015 Massachusetts Sales Tax Holiday


TALKING POINTS

How to Convince Your Significant Other
That You Need an Osborn or Rugh Painting

It should be obvious that you deserve that painting you’ve picked out but prioritizing for your happiness may not be one of your spouse’s strengths. This lapse, of course, is surely a fleeting oversight because if hanging the right painting in your home is all that it takes to give you a little joy why wouldn’t your significant other jump at the opportunity. This is a classic win-win situation: you become happy and by extension so does your other half. A simple prodding: “Honey, I just need it. I can’t explain why,” should be enough (goodness knows that you’ve earned it after all these years) but if it’s not, I humbly offer these talking points to help maintain your matrimonial bliss (while you simultaneously have your needs met):

1. “I was at the gallery today and I was thinking, ‘Wouldn’t it be nice to be surrounded by art like this' and then I realized that I can be. That we can be. And that you and I can live a life in art together.”

2. Stand in front of the painting that you want in the gallery and without looking away from it say, “I always pick things for the house. Why don’t you pick this time?”

3. “They say real connoisseurs build houses around art. We’re real connoisseurs aren’t we sweetheart?”

4. “We have to get rid of those prints and get some original paintings. What is this, a motel?”

5. “At this point what else could Hillary and Doug do? They’ll either have long (and I mean long) careers or they’ll die early from hard living. Either way, prices are only going up-up-up and we need to get in now!”

6. “How often do you see something that just strikes you as beautiful? Never? Well I just did and I have the perfect place for it.”

7. “What do I want for my birthday (anniversary/Christmas/mother’s day/father’s day/birthday)? Oh, I don’t know.” - Look up at an empty area on the wall and gently touch the wall. - “I was at the gallery again today.” Make sure you mention the title and size but don’t say any more: just plant a seed of desire. If it doesn’t take root, send an email to the gallery asking about the painting and “accidently” copy the reply to your significant other. He/she will see that you have written, “I love it, but I just couldn’t ask for it.”

8. “You are a powerful and important man (woman) but our art doesn’t reflect that.”

9. “The house and everything in it is almost perfect, just what we always dreamed of and yet I can’t help thinking that we’ve left the walls undressed; naked almost. Imagine how those paintings would make the room sing. The only little pang of emptiness I feel is when I look at our sad, bare walls. Come to think of it, it’s like living in a jail cell.”

10. “They say that paintings are like windows on to a world of one’s own choosing. Now, this is what we’re going to do: either buy that house overlooking __________________ [Pick your favorite spot in the world and don’t hold back.] or we’re going to get a painting of it. You decide.”

11. “Remember that painting that I loved where you said ‘we should think about it’ and then it was gone when I went back to get it? I’ll never find anything like that again: it was a one-of-a-kind. I found another one I like. What do you think I should do about this one?”

12. Wait until your spouse has wronged you. Utilize the silent treatment for a few days and when he/she is sufficiently receptive, and without making eye contact, declare, “I want a painting.” Just let it hang in the air until he/she says, “Which painting?” Turn and gently place your hand on their arm and then give them specifics.

13. “Years from now we’ll be out to dinner and reminiscing: ‘We got that painting for what this meal costs and now we could sell it and buy the restaurant.’”

14. “We’ll have the Hendersons over and they’ll see that beautiful painting over the mantle. They’re so competitive; always trying to one-up us but for just this once we can be the ones pitying them.”

15. “In Fifteen years their work has appreciated more than 850%. Imagine what the value of their work will be 20 or so years from now when they’re not able to lift a brush. It’s a demand and supply thing and I demand you supply me a painting now!”

16. “We always said we would grow old together. They say that oil paintings get better with age too. Just like us! Let’s you and I grow old together with this painting and then leave this token for others to remember us by.”

17. “Life is short, do we really want all our dollars tied up in risky investments? We should have our investments in hard assets and on display for all to enjoy.”

18. Glaring: “You meant well honey but when I said I hoped to have more beauty and culture in my life I did not mean to get a larger flat screen TV. Next time pay attention. Please.”

19. “I’ve been looking for a hobby that’s a good fit for me and I was reading about art patrons in the olden days and how they surrounded themselves with art and knew all the artists of the day and as I was reading I realized that that’s it! That’s me! That is who I am and could be. It just feels right: like it’s my purpose in life. I just wanted to give you a head’s up.”

20. “Wouldn’t it be nice to leave our (grand) children artwork to remember us by. They could use a little sophistication, that’s for sure.”

21. Or don’t beat around the bush: Wait until your spouse has caused some undue trouble, tear up these feeble recommendations and use the credit card freely. You deserve it!
 
-Doug Rugh


Sampling From the Easel



Pointsettia, 10” x 8”, oil/canvas, Osborn

"While recovering from tendonitis I made several left hand still life paintings which forced me to work in a way I wasn't used to." -Osborn



Mirror, 5” x 7”, o/c, Rugh

"I did this quick little painting from the mirror that sits on top of my canvas on my easel. The mirror warns me when someone is coming up from behind me when I'm concentrating and saves canvases from slip-ups."

"A painter of people always prefers to paint them as they are." -Rugh



The Ornament (finalist Artist magazine), 24” x 36”, o/c, Osborn

"I like having boundaries to work within. Being limited to only a few colors in a still life opens a new world of possibilities." -Osborn

"I like it when I can't figure out why I like a painting and this is one of those. Hillary's sense of design is in perfect balance and rich in light. The whites do so much and objects seem to be alive. That is the power of art: that paint can become something." -Rugh



Quissett Dream, 18” x 30”, o/c, Rugh

"This painting carries you away to another time." -Osborn

"Where do artists get their ideas from? It's not clear. One day I found myself doing a painting of what Quissett Harbor might have looked like some time ago. Not a historical piece but more like a memory in the way that memories are more intuitive than precise." -Rugh




Verdant Marsh, 5” x 7”, o/c, Osborn

"Sometimes even a short painting session can be worth the effort. Here I was able to focus on seeing the variety of greens in nature." -Osborn

"Paintings done on the spot always appear so natural. The artist isn't looking at the canvas; they're looking at the scene in front of them. Could an artist call herself a landscape painter if she doesn't go out in the field and study Nature?" -Rugh



Dunes at Chappy, 12” x 18”, o/c, Rugh

"I love the feeling of being alone on an empty beach with only the wind and the dunes as your companions." -Osborn

"I'm pleased with this little painting because it's an honest rendering of the beach." -Rugh



Garden Gate, 12” x 9”, o/c, Osborn

"What could be more inviting than a hazy atmosphere and a picket fence calling you into the rose garden?" -Osborn

"I always like this visual hook created with a foreground that you have to look around. I think of it as Vermeer's trick. It pulls you in to the space and enlivens in your imagination what you don't quite see around the corner." -Rugh




Beach, Quissett Harbor, 12” x 18”, o/c, Rugh

"A familiar summer spot can be so soothing. Here Doug paints the water and shore with an allure that keeps you in the picture. " -Osborn

"This is the spot where dogs get unleashed and shoes come off. The more the hand of the artist is seen, as in this alla prima painting, the more artistic (rather than technical) it becomes. There is equal beauty in a sketch as well as a refined painting; it's just a matter of viewing each with the right eye." -Rugh




Woodneck, Low Tide, 12” x  24”, o/c, Osborn

"I can always find an interesting composition in the marshes or bogs. Here at Woodneck the tidal pools change quickly so you have to stay on your toes (literally)." -Osborn



Rolling Sea, 24” x 36”, o/c, Rugh

"What I'm struck with most after returning to the Cape after being away for some time is the sound of constant waves falling against the shore. I'm pleased that this captured that rhythmic feeling." -Rugh



View from the Bridge, 8” x 10”, o/p, Osborn

"I thought I would go out and do a quick evening sketch one night before dinner. I watched the sky for some time and then worked on this piece. The boat was gently swaying and the clouds were moving quickly. I was famished by the time I got home.". -Osborn

"You find something and you make a picture. It's like writing a note to remind yourself of a little moment." -Rugh



Kayaker, 18” x 30”, o/c, Rugh

"I love this spot down below the rocks at Nobska Point. You can sit and watch light play against the ocean and watch weather systems approach from a distance." -Rugh


"A collector has one of three motives for collecting: a genuine love of art, the investment possibilities, or its social promise. I have never known a collector who was not stimulated by all three. For the full joy and reward the dominant motivation must be the love of art but I would question the integrity of any collector who denies an interest in the valuation the market puts on his pictures. The social aspect is another never-ending regard. From Rome to Tokyo, our interest has brought unexpected and umbelievable experiences, and friends as full of vitality, imagination and warmth as the art they collect."
-Emily Hall Tremaine




Two Tangerines, 6” x 8”, o/p, Osborn

"When you take an aspect out of the equation, like brushwork, then you can explore other qualities, like saturated color more fully." -Rugh



Heading to Black Beach, 8” x 14”, o/c, Osborn

"A favorite spot with great views of the marsh and ocean." -Osborn

"The formal aspects of this painting work perfectly in its contrasts of angles, tone, temperature and texture. An artist can bring a simple scene to life in how they choose to translate it onto the canvas." -Rugh



Lifeguard Chair, Chappy, 9” x 12”, o/c, Rugh

"This painting says a lot to me in addition to having masterful brushwork: the vacant chair, the green grasses and the blue sky...but the beach is empty. It stirs the imagination and starts a story." -Osborn

"Even adults run to be the first to sit on the lifeguard chair: it's the best view on the beach." -Rugh



Wildflowers, Nobska Beach, 16” x 24”, o/c, Rugh

"A lovely rendition of Nobska. It really captures the expanse and charm of this spot " -Osborn

"I did this medium sized painting on location where even a little wind turns the canvas into a sail." -Rugh



Silver Breeze, 11” x 14”, o/c, Osborn

"There's always a magic glow late afternoon on the beach." -Osborn

"We revisit favorite spots along the Upper Cape and it's pleasing to see a fresh composition show up in the studio." -Rugh



Pot of Treasure, 14” x 11”, o/c, Rugh

"Jewels spilling from a golden bowl." -Osborn

"This classical rendering could have been done hundreds of years ago and though I don't try to make things look old I like the fact that I'm working within the same constraints as artists from long ago before Impressionism and the influence of photography. Then it becomes less about the medium or the style or the cropping and more about the pleasure of seeing." -Rugh



Evening on Back River, 8” x 14”, o/c, Osborn

"Before sunset the colors on the marsh build up slowly from the afternoon to a great display of subtle intense hues." -Osborn

"A striking piece in a minor key." -Rugh



Sea and Sky are One, 30” x 24”, o/c, Rugh

"I was after the sense one has of floating in the open blue and though it looks simple it's actually tricky to pull it off: to make the space interesting and disappear. But, then again, as the artist James Whistler said, 'An artist is not paid for his labor but for his vision'." -Rugh



Gansett Beach, 24” x 30”, o/c, Osborn

"This is a beautiful hidden away spot to paint.." -Osborn



Picker's Delight, 40” x 30”, o/c, Rugh

"You have to see this painting in person - the scale and depth of space needs to be experienced. It is a truly remarkable piece that is so rich in detail and texture when you view it up close but it becomes alive when seeing it from several feet away, where it is a window into another place in time." -Osborn


"In our eight years in our current location we've never had anything stolen and that is a testament to the goodness of human nature. Except one day I noticed a dust-free spot where the sand dollar had been. I imagine a child walked off with it valuing a simple thing found on the beach above all the antiques. I delay finishing these paintings because I enjoy studying how light plays off different surfaces and it's a satisfying way to spend time. The complexity of these assorted curios gives the eye something to meander about, and you can always find something new in it."
 -Rugh


 EBOOK BY DOUG RUGH
“The Artist’s Conundrum: An Oil Painter’s Journal”
(94 Oil Illustrations, 34,200 Words)
Available at Amazon and Barnes & Noble

COLLECTOR'S DISCOUNT
If you have an Osborn or Rugh painting in your collection you and your family is entitled to a 10% "collector's discount" on future purchases. Tell your friends to mention you and we will also give them the discount under your name.

EASY LAYAWAY PLAN
0% - $90 - 36 month
We have some visitors who return each year to the gallery who would like to own works but believe it is out of their reach. We want to make it as easy as possible for people to hang our paintings in their home and offer free shipping and a 10% discount for our collectors (who have one of our paintings in their collection or who buy 2 or more). We also offer a layaway plan with 0% interest and no finance charges with a $90 per month minimum and a 36 month maximum. It’s only the price of a dinner out or a utility bill a month which leads to owning a wall-sized work. We will custom tailor a plan to fit your needs. Please ask.

___



"This was an enjoyable collaboration between the client and I. It's a pleasure when the client gives me free reign to create while at the same time offering a direction to pursue."
 -Osborn



"I love dogs and cats (bravo to the work of Friends of Falmouth Dogs & People for Cats) so I enjoy these commissions done from photos that people send me. It's the easiest client to satisfy. Who wouldn't love a painting of their pet?"
 -Rugh

CUSTOM ART
Request a Painting, a Subject of your Choosing
One of the benefits of being an artist run studio is that we can work directly with collectors to create paintings of subjects that are dear to them. We are frequently asked to do commissions of favorite landscapes or people and we also do pet portraits and copies of master paintings that are in the public domain. We would be glad to talk with you about what you envision a painting might be. All you need to do is let us know what the framed size and the subject should be. Landscape Commissions Portrait Commissions

ART FOR THE HOME
In the gallery we offer pamphlets that are a guide for those interested in learning more about purchasing art as an investment. We also welcome the opportunity to offer our input when adding art to your home. If you are remodeling or are looking to decorate a new interior let us bring by a selection of work for you to sample with no obligation. Information

Happy Summer!,

Hillary Osborn & Doug Rugh