Familiar Ground

Featuring Julia Purinton and Robert O’Brien

November 7th through December 19th, 2026

Edgewater Gallery at the Falls, One Mill Street, Middlebury

Rooted in the New England countryside, the paintings of Julia Purinton and Robert O’Brien celebrate the quiet beauty of rural life and the changing effects of light across the seasons. Though distinct in their approaches, both artists find richness in the familiar, revealing the character and atmosphere of places that might otherwise go unnoticed.

Working in watercolor, O’Brien brings remarkable precision to the details of rural Vermont and New Hampshire. His paintings attend to the particular details of everyday life: the structure of a farmhouse to the texture of a weathered barn or even the shifting light over a blossoming flower. Through a thoughtful treatment of light and composition, he gives these scenes a sense of permanence, preserving the character of the region’s built and natural environments.

Purinton’s oil paintings take a more impressionistic approach, allowing color and brushwork to shape the experience of a place. Softened edges and subtle tonal shifts convey the changing conditions of the natural world, from the first light of morning to the warmth of a late afternoon. Rather than defining every detail, she lets the landscape emerge through the interplay of color, atmosphere, and gesture.
Though different in medium and technique, both artists share a sensitivity to the ways light transforms the landscape. Together, their paintings offer two distinct interpretations of New England, balancing careful observation with a more atmospheric sense of place.

For more information, call 802-458-0098 or email us at info@edgewastergallery-vt.com.