Catherine Tuttle - Peaks and Valleys

McGowan Fine Art announces the opening of “Peaks and Valleys" featuring the paintings of Catherine Tuttle. This show will run from October 19 through November 26, with an opening reception on Friday, October 22 from 5 to 7 PM. Both the exhibit and the opening are free and open to the public.

Catherine Tuttle’s distinctively styled paintings are enjoyed throughout Northern New England, with shows in Vermont, Massachusetts, and her home state of New Hampshire. She is best recognized for her vibrant colors and striking approach to natural subject matter. Although nature is a constant in Catherine’s paintings, she has successfully depicted a variety of subjects - familiar New Hampshire landscapes, tidal streams and marshes, and bright garden flowers.

In this exhibit, Catherine returns to her exploration of the White Mountains of New Hampshire, and the shorelines of Great Bay & Plum Island. Although she is known for her vibrant watercolors she has returned to her roots by painting in oil. This change was spurred on by classes with noted NH portraitist and landscape artist Ralph Stone Jacobs. “I find I can more fully describe the qualities of deep space, atmosphere, and the solidness of earth with oil paint,” says the artist. Her palette in the oils reflects this statement with solid, dark greens and grays.

Many of the vistas are rendered in both watercolor and oil. “I have often found pleasure painting the same mountain range or river scene in both media,” says Cathy. In the watercolor of Tuckerman Ravine she takes advantage of the transparent nature of the medium by portraying a rising cloud of mist above the headwall, whereas the dark, rich oil painting gives the headwall of stolid permanence. She has also portrayed Plum Island and Oyster Bay in both mediums. In “Plum Island, Tidal River” a delicate pink on the horizon of the watercolor conveys late afternoon atmosphere and a sense of distance, while the oil of the same scene takes advantage of the mediums rich colors.

“We have carried Cathy as an artist for almost 20 years and it has been exciting to watch her expand her vision in response to her growing skills,” says gallery director Sarah Chaffee. “She has really found her footing with the most recent works in oil. They feel like Cathy Tuttle paintings with her bold use of color and confident brush stroke. These paintings are sure to appeal to anyone who admires nature in New England.”