Donald Jurney’s landscapes show a very clear reverence for the work of the Barbizon and Hudson River Schools. Some of his compositions are much like Daubigny’s, with solid design drawing one’s eye between feathery trees, gently rippling water and skies heavy with atmosphere.
His wonderfully muted colours have a brilliant but subtle vibration that keeps his work from ever looking dull as many low-chroma landscapes do. Instead one feels the thickness of the air and the trickling flow of light.
There’s a great sense of focus in his work too. Often it is a tiny detail, a small area of strongly contrasting colour or value, that rings out clear like the triangle in an orchestra, bringing a touch of poetry to the broader areas.
The Hidden Place 
Nice insights into his painting. He is all about light and atmosphere, and capturing a sense of place. Like many great painters, the details that you mention are generally left as little streaks and dabbles of paint, not highly rendered details, allowing the viewers imagination to supply the missing information. Check out “A Closer Look” at one of his paintings by his only gallery here http://blog.quidleyandco.com/events/donald-jurney-recent-works/
Comment by quidleyandco — November 21, 2009 @ 4:24 pm |
These have a quality that reminds me of David Inshaw and the Brotherhood of Ruralists
Comment by Phil Tyler — December 7, 2009 @ 10:36 pm |