Capturing Summer In Paintings Of Lawn Chairs. Contemporary Realism and Impressionism by Cindy Rizza.

above: Cindy Rizza, 1972-2, Blue Stripe, Nonni, Peter, Pink Stripe, Uncle Bert, Harriet, Life Gives you Lemons, Yellow Chair, 1972, Flamingo, Pink Zig-Zig, Green Zig Zag, Rosa, Happy hour, *all sold

It's been awhile since I posted a new artist's paintings of chairs, one of my personal favorite subjects. That said, these empty lawn chairs by Cindy Rizza are the perfect way to bring some warmth to the blog during this cold winter. Beckoning to be sat upon, her oil paintings of outdoor folding and yard chairs echo the longing for summer afternoons.

August 4:32, oil on panel. 12” x 12” and August 5:04, oil on panel. 12” x 12” (both sold):


Her relatively small paintings of chairs are done in both a loose impressionistic style and in a realism style.

The Lightest Part of the Dark No. 1-12, oil on panels . All 5” x 5” (all sold):


Dottie, Connie, Eugene, Nora, Phyllis, Willie, Walter and Roy, all 5" x 5" (all sold):


Some of her 5" x 5" paintings from Quiet Memory, a show at the Three Graces Gallery:






Lawn, diptych, oil on canvas. 20” x 36” (sold):


Silver Lake, oil on panel. 9” x 12”:


Summer’s End, oil on panel. 8” x 10”:


Summer’s End II, oil on panel. 12” x 16”:


Overshadow, oil on canvas. 22” x 30”:

images courtesy of the artist and Three Graces Gallery

Cindy, who lives and works in New Hampshire, is represented by the following galleries:

Bowersock Gallery
Provincetown, MA
Mount Dora, FL

Three Graces Gallery
Portsmouth, NH

LaunchArt
Peterborough, NH

For more information on pricing and availability please contact: Cindylikesart@hotmail.com

Cindy Rizza


If you like chair paintings, be sure to check these 5 artists out:

The Oil Paintings and Pastels of Contemporary Artist Susan Bennerstrom

above: Susan Bennerstrom, Fort Mason, 32" x 36", oil painting

Artist Susan Bennerstrom began working in pastels and then moved to oil paints in 2008, but her exploration with the depiction of light has continued despite the change in mediums as you will see in this collection of her works.


above: Susan Bennerstrom, Expect to Wait, 35" x 42" 2001, oil pastels


above: Susan Bennerstrom, Still Waiting, 2010, 20" x 24", oil paint on panel

With strong plays of light, shadow and reflections, her works seem to imply either anticipation or expectation - and in some cases, absence. Despite the presence of the human figure in her work, the narrative suggests that one is either coming or has been there.

While she continues to paint interiors and objects, recently she added paintings of buildings within landscapes, to her repertoire. Focusing on the structures rather than the environment, she imbues them with the haunting light of dusk or dawn.


above: Susan Bennerstrom, Georgetown, 32" x 36", oil painting

above: Susan Bennerstrom, Stove, 32" x 36", oil painting

Lonely hallways, inviting stairwells, unmade beds, doors ajar, empty chairs and open windows offer a hint of the human presence in many of her works. Below are just a few of my favorites.


















Susan Bennerstrom:


In the artist's own words:
"Since the early 1980’s my main theme has been the exploration and depiction of light. I began with landscape as a foil. Gradually, buildings started to enter the compositions, at first far away and tiny, then closer and larger, until the buildings became the main focus and the landscape shrank. Finally, I concentrated on details of the buildings and the objects within them. Always, however, the structures and objects are stage sets for light with its transformative power and ability to affect emotions. I rarely put figures in my paintings, as I find that they tend to take over; I prefer to let light and shadow imply the narrative and carry the emotional weight. In addition to the dearth of human figures, I also choose to paint quite ordinary scenes, and for the same reason: by focusing on the easily ignorable architectural detail, washbasin, household appliance, piece of furniture, or houseplant, I like to explore how a fall of light can turn a humble item into something poignant and worthy of lasting attention.

I don’t think of myself as a realist painter in the currently accepted sense. I work from photographs, which are themselves abstractions – one step removed from reality. I travel further into abstraction by removing details, shifting things around, changing perspective, exaggerating the quality, color, and direction of light, investing the shadows with greater emotional intensity. The paintings wander far afield of straightforward observations of reality, and instead become my own emotional response to the places and objects depicted.

I have worked for many years in pastels, both chalk and oil. At the beginning of 2008 I laid pastels aside and began working in oil paint. Haven’t looked back. While I continue to love the look and feel of pastels, they presented problems: with chalks it was the dust, with oil pastels it was finding a durable and easy-to-use varnish. Now I’m at home with oil paint, and finally understand why it is the granddaddy of all art mediums."

Susan is presently showing at the Sue Greenwood Fine Art Gallery.
You can see Susan's available works at the Davidson Galleries