“Big Fire in the Sky,” a 36-by-36-inch oil painting by Timothy Horn. (Christine LaPado-Breglia photo)
Plein air painter Timothy Horn loves the look of the late afternoon sun. That much is clear from taking in Horn’s current exhibit of oil paintings, “Timothy Horn: Deep Blue,” at Gleason Fine Art in Boothbay Harbor.
From his mesmerizing 36-by-36-inch “Big Fire in the Sky,” in which Horn perfectly captures the gratifying glint of the sun off of the back of a house and the distant horizon at the same time, to “Blue Barrel,” in which he clearly delights in the long shadows of afternoon as they play off buildings, Horn displays his mastery of shadow and deep, warm light.
Horn also loves the early light of dawn. In “Deep Blue,” he includes a piece titled “The Early Show,” of a quintessential Monhegan Island scene featuring a view off of a cliff on which sit several Adirondack chairs, looking out into the distance, taking in cottages and the coastal waters. What is particularly interesting about this piece is that Horn has captured the magical time when the sun is beginning to rise but lights are still needed inside the cottages. If the painting were of the West Coast, it could just as easily be called “The Late Show,” depicting the beautiful, subdued light(s) of dusk.
“Late Summer,” part of the “Timothy Horn: Deep Blue” exhibit currently on the walls of Gleason Fine Art in Boothbay Harbor. (Christine LaPado-Breglia photo)
As a recent Gleason press release put it, “Horn finds the light in Maine irresistible.” Indeed.
Horn comes at “Shimmer” from a rather unique point of view, that of being on Manana Island and looking across to nearby Monhegan, the water separating the islands shimmering with light from the late-day sun. One does not often see Monhegan in this way because it requires a trip across the little harbor in a small boat to get to Manana – not something every painter is likely to do.
“Keeper’s Boat” pictures another quintessential Monhegan scene, the often-photographed and -painted white boat in front of the red-roofed white building that is part of the Monhegan Museum of Art & History. Horn waits for the late afternoon sun, giving his painting a yellow glow not often seen in depictions of this scene.
Timothy Horn’s “Shimmer” depicts a view of Monhegan Island from the nearby island of Manana. (Christine LaPado-Breglia photo)
In the hands of many other painters, “Another New Day,” of a roadside business near a harbor with a couple of cars parked nearby, might look decidedly ordinary. Horn takes the piece to the level of very fine art, capturing the beauty of the scene with his eye for painting the light and shadows at just the right time and in a masterful way. One imagines, for instance, what it must be like to be in the upper story of the building pictured, the warm natural light from outdoors beaming in through the two small windows.
Horn’s “Deep Blue” is deeply satisfying, in the same way one derives heartwarming pleasure from a delectable meal eaten with good friends outdoors on a late summer evening.
“Timothy Horn: Deep Blue” runs through Tuesday, Oct. 1.
Gleason Fine Art is located at 31 Townsend Ave., Boothbay Harbor. It is open Monday-Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Gleason Fine Art is online at gleasonfineart.com and can be reached by phone at 633-6849.
