Bridge over Water
John Kleber, art collector and owner of ARTU4iA, was one among many at the crowded opening night of the new art show at the Martinez Gallery on Friday the 13th, leaning in closely to get a good look at Bridge over Water by Colleen Gianatiempo, an oil on canvas of a beach scene.
John was thinking, “I like this one.”
There is something remarkable about the little painting.
Although it is one of Colleen’s first oils, created for her painting class at the Academy of Art in San Francisco where she is currently earning her Masters of Fine Art degree, one could not say a beginner artist had painted it. Colleen has been artistically inclined since her childhood and has been a professional graphic designer as the owner of Imagination, Inc. since 1995.
The unusual feature of Bridge over Water is that it is so utterly different in style and color palette from all of Colleen’s other artwork to date. It is the work of a mature artist moving into a new field. Normally, Colleen works in rich colors and simple shapes, like luminescent green bubbles floating up around the mermaid wearing a designer fish scale body suit in Siren or deep dark purple waves crashing wildly about in Stormy Sea, two other pieces of Colleen’s also on display in the Martinez Gallery’s current exhibition, Oceans, Rivers and Lakes.
In Bridge over Water, Colleen has used muted colors found in nature. The beach sand is two toned ochre. It looks as though a wave has just washed back out to sea, leaving a darker strip of water soaked sand. The pathway leading to the bridge is partly shaded by nearby palm trees and a wall, dulling its pink glow. The calm sea is grey green. The clear sky is the washed blue of faded denim jeans. Light purple shadows define the entrance to the stark white stuccowork bridge.
Bridge over Water
These toned down colors are distributed equally in the scene, making a serenely balanced composition.
Colleen’s instructors at the Academy of Art have given her two opposing challenges to explore simultaneously, figures and abstracts. The field in which she shows most promise is the one which Colleen will master.
Colleen Gianatiempo became a member of the Martinez Gallery in January 2012. She is a Martinez resident. The gallery is located at 630 Court Street in downtown Martinez.
By Jen Copeland
Photography by Colleen Gianatiempo
mARTinez Gallery 