'Beneath the Same Sky'

James Kasperek

James' love of art extends back over 30 years.  Always attracted and deeply drawn to the natural world around him, whether in his hometown of Romeo, Michigan, or travelling abroad, the beauty and serenity James captures in his work lends itself so naturally to the subject matter of Cumbria and the Lake District.  Touched by the spirit of the Lakeland, there is a vibrancy, a living, breathing soul that brings you home with every brush stroke and mark.

'Beneath the same sky' is a joint show between two friends.  It is the heart and soul of two painters on opposite sides of the world, exploring key themes of landscapes, colour and light.  This show is a visual dialogue of how James is best known.  Working with pastels on black paper, he works from dark to light, sometimes leaving the black of the paper as the darkest skies or deepest shadows, and from this, the images grow naturally, as if the sun were slowly rising, illuminating the composition from within.

James' paintings create a strong sense of well-being, peace and tranquillity. Each piece holds its own unique beauty.  Sometimes cool and shady shafts of dappled sunlight diffused by a latticework of foliage and colour are captured in a way, as if looking through a stained glass window.  Perhaps the colours and patterns reveal a particular flower, the February light surrounding an expanding landscape, or simply the purple haze of a November afternoon.

'Beneath the same sky' will be a glorious, large, colour display of flowers and foliage, of vast landscapes and hidden treasures.  Just look and you may spot these gems, jumping between leaves, capturing the sun.  They are there, like secrets waiting to be discovered and what a privilege when they reveal themselves to you.

In the Gallery with

Julie Dumbarton

19th June - 12th August 2008