The Quarryville Library’s C.X. Carlson Cultural Room offers a big, well-lit room for the big, subtly-lit paintings of Mike Witmer and John Weaver. The two painters started working on this series of still lifes in the studio late in 2006, with both usually (but not always) working on the same setup, usually (again, not always) at the same time. Both artists seem to have a similar way of painting, in big, bold brushstrokes, a sort of non-precise, generalizing but basically realistic approach. The palettes are similar: beautiful rich grays and near-grays, and subdued but just as rich colors. The dimensions of the paintings are similar. And the shared subjects — oil cans, glasses, a pink cup, lemons, pears, deer skulls and a fox carcass found along the road by John Weaver — makes the show, at first glance, seem to be the work of one person. But part of the interest of the show is in figuring out who painted what, and what characteristics are unique to each painter. (Answers are on the price list at the entrance of the room.) The work on top in the photo at right is by Weaver; the work on the bottom is Witmer’s. Below is a photograph from the artists’ reception Saturday, March 15; Weaver is standing to the left.
The Quarryville Library is located at 375 Buck Road (Rt. 372) in Quarryville. Hours are Monday-Thursday, 10 a.m.-8 p.m. and Friday-Saturday, 10 a.m. 5 p.m.
Note: Please see correction to yesterday’s (March 18) post.
