Welcome to the January issue of the Geary Gallery Guide. We invite you to the gallery this month to view the exhibit, "Connecticut Landscapes, the Paintings of George Stewart." The works of this prestigious artist and Ridgefield resident will be on display throughout the month of January. If you enjoy contemporary representational paintings, you’ll appreciate Mr. Stewart's emotive landscapes, and admission is free.

Also, a few reminders are below. We’ve unveiled the new Pre-Auction Room, and you’re invited to silently bid on some lovely works of art. We also remind you of our new Custom Original Portrait Service that makes it easy and affordable to commission an original portrait, either of a family, an individual, a pet or home.

We hope you had a wonderful holiday season, and wish you happiness in the New Year!

Sincerely,

Anne & Tom Geary
(203) 655-6633
info@gearygallery.com

The Pre-Auction Room
Over the years we’ve helped people through the process of selling artwork through the auction houses in Connecticut and New York. However in speaking to our gallery visitors, we’ve realized that many people who would be interested in acquiring a previously-owned piece aren’t able to go to an auction, or are even intimidated by the auction process.

With that in mind, Geary Gallery recently announced its new Pre-Auction Service, featuring a gallery room dedicated to exhibiting works of art previously owned by its local Fairfield County clientele, many of whom have had the pieces in their families for generations.

This new service gives our customers the opportunity to bid on a piece of art that they’re interested in acquiring. At the same time, the previous owner is afforded a service that makes the process of selling it financially beneficial and convenient.

Similar to a silent auction, visitors to the gallery can bid on a certain piece that they are interested in acquiring, and if their bid is accepted, they are then contacted by the gallery.

We currently have dozens of pieces of auction items, and the display is rotated regularly in the Pre-Auction Room, so there is always new artwork to bid on. Art enthusiasts, collectors and those interested in viewing items available for bidding are encouraged to visit Geary Gallery.

Custom Original Portrait Service
Geary Gallery’s Custom Original Portrait Service makes it easy and affordable to commission an original portrait, either of a family, an individual, a pet or home. It was created by special arrangement with a select group of artists who, depending on their proximity and individual technique, can paint their subject either from a live sitting or a series of photographs.

Individual portraits are available in oil, pastel or graphite. Houses in pen & ink or acrylic, and pet portraits are available in oil. The artists were chosen due to their mastery of their particular subject and medium, and their portfolios are available to view at our portraits gallery.

Let Your Art Come to You
To help parents with babies and small children who are unable to easily leave their car, Geary recently announced Curbside Pick-up, which allows customers to call from their car when they’re in the gallery parking lot to pick up their piece, and a gallery employee will bring it to them. Call (203) 655-6633.

More than 2,000 Corner Samples
If you own an oil painting that needs to be framed, or frame that needs to be repaired, the Geary Gallery houses Accent Picture Framing and Accent Restoration, which provides custom framing with an extensive selection of over 2,000 corner samples for any type of artwork. Its precision restoration service restores oil paintings and frames, and many of its restored objects hang in museums, galleries, and historical societies.

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Featured Artist, January 2012
George Stewart

George Stewart is a Connecticut born artist, currently residing in Ridgefield.

Mr. Stewart has always had a strong emotional connection with his surroundings and with the changing seasons. He believes that certain feelings evoked by a particular scene at a moment in time can only be expressed visually and he says that there is tremendous satisfaction in being able to share those feelings through his paintings. "I guess that's why I am a painter and not a writer," Mr. Stewart explained.

Mr. Stewart began painting as a young boy, and as a teenager studied under world-renowned watercolorist, Frederick Whitaker. His formal training continued at The Silvermine Art School in New Canaan, Connecticut from 1966 through 1968. Although working for many years as a technical illustrator, his passion continues to be painting.

While his work is definitely representational, he does not strive for extreme realism. Mr. Stewart described his opinion to the gallery, "Sometimes detail is more powerfully implied than spelled out. More important than describing every leaf or every blade of grass, is to have the values under control. When you get the values really right along with the lighting, other aspects of a painting become almost secondary."

Mr. Stewart generally works from photographs and small pencil studies done on location. "I find that when everything comes together for just a moment — the sky, the light breeze that plays on the surface of the water etc., that moment is very short." For that reason, although he enjoys plein-air painting, he generally prefers to complete his paintings back in his studio rather than working at length under changing conditions.

Mr. Stewart said, "I try not to be overly philosophical about my subject matter or my technique. I prefer that the paintings speak for themselves." To learn more about George Stewart, read his bio, and to view his works online, visit the Geary Online Gallery.

Admission is to the Gallery free, and the paintings are available for acquisition. The Geary Gallery is regularly open to the public Wednesdays – Saturdays, 9:30 am – 5:00 pm. The Gallery is located at 576 Boston Post Road, Darien, CT 06820. For more information, contact (203) 655-6633 or visit www.gearygallery.com.