Featured Artwork: Gerard Erley

Evening Eminence
By Gerard Erley
Oil on linen panel
14 x 18 in.
$2,000
Available through the artist

Evening Eminence explores the transition from day to night, with the regal presence of the setting sun inspiring the painting’s title. The low-lying marsh adds to the calm nature of the scene, the water echoing the warmth above.

Low horizons and plentiful skies are second nature to this artist originally from central Illinois. Frequent drives on the interstate offered ever-changing cloud compositions in varying color combinations. He recalls once seeing a glorious sunset to his left as a full moon rose serenely on his right. It was all he could do to keep from running off the road, though he thought it might be a fittingly sublime way to go.

As deeply inspired by art history as by nature, he has a love of Turner’s dramatic skies, Corot’s subtle poetry, and Inness’s transcendent spiritualism. The current painting seems to embody all three.

With well over a hundred awards to his name, the artist recently has won an Award of Excellence at the 2021 Oil Painters of America Salon Show for his painting Night Journey. Again presenting an hour of change, the painting features an opalescent moon. The juror lauded the piece for its masterful sense of mystery.

Gerard Erley’s work is represented by Berkley Gallery in Warrenton, Virginia and by City Art in Columbia, South Carolina.

The artist’s artwork and related information can be viewed at www.gerarderley.com.