Tom Parish's Venice Paintings at Gruen Galleries

A show of artist Tom Parish's latest work recently opened at Gruen Galleries, and it's a crowd-pleaser.  Parish just completed 15 large-scale scenes of real buildings in Venice, Italy. At the opening on June 4, the gallery itself was stifling from the heat, but just looking into the watery scenes of Parish's paintings helped refresh all the viewers in the gallery.

The paintings are technically beautiful, while also perfectly reminiscent of the feeling most visitors get when they've manage to break through the crazy crowds of tourists and find some peace and quiet in an ancient city. The scale in particular brings the works to life in the large gallery space. Viewers should take their time looking at building details, the age that shows in the peeling paint, the murkiness of the water, and the unique brightness that is so striking in the colors of Venice.  Parish's realist renderings reveal new dark corners as well as highlights of the city.

The 77 year-old Parish has had several shows at Gruen Galleries over the years, and his latest work will be a treat for anyone who's spent time in this city of water.  And if you have not been, this might make you want to book a ticket.