Ruby Glow

Ruby Glow, oil, 24 x 36 in., © 2014 Philip Frey

Each year I revisit and rewrite my artist statement. The inclusion of the painting Ruby Glow, oil, 24 x 36 in., 2014 in Greenhut Galleries The Portland Show (an invitational show around the theme of Portland) has allowed me the opportunity to do just that. Read below to see my new statement and inspiration for this painting. The exhibition opens April 3, 2014 with a reception from 5-7 PM. If you are in the Portland area that night, please do stop in and say hello.

Artist Statement

My work begins with a feeling—a connection to my everyday experience: evocative colors; unexpected patterns of light or the sublime quality of ordinary objects. From that feeling, I build a colorful and painterly world in response to it. To a large degree, I am student of aesthetics: the study of beauty. I paint what is interesting and beautiful to me. 

In the case of the oil painting “Ruby Glow,” I was drawn to the late afternoon light reflecting off of this tanker docked in Portland harbor, as well as the pattern of light and shadow on the street before it. Early morning or late afternoon light has a certain magical quality to it that imbues objects with more color and intensity. That light took this ordinary tanker and street, and transformed them.

My paintings formally begin with drawings, plein air oil sketches or photographs that become the basis of larger studio work. Exploring different subjects through series work allows me to investigate various color palettes, compositions and paint handling within those parameters. Over the last few years, a subtle narrative has emerged in my work—one that tells a story about a slice in time, a portrait of a person, place or object. In this milieu, inspiration and guidance has come from but are not limited to the masterworks of Edward Hopper, Fairfield Porter, Rockwell Kent and the Group of Seven. Henri Matisse, Paul Cézanne and Howard Hodgkins have been generous teachers in terms paint handling, design and color aesthetics.