A D I R O N D A C K L A K E
T J C u n n i n g h a m
o n v i e w s e p t e m b e r 1 – s e p t e m b e r 3 0
O P E N I N G R E C E P T I O N & A R T S W A L K
f r i d a y , s e p t e m b e r 1 3 , 5 – 7 p m
f r i d a y , s e p t e m b e r 1 3 , 5 – 7 p m
TJ Cunningham was born and raised in Vermont which sparked his great love for the Northeastern landscape. Although TJ has spent the better part of the last seven years in Florida nearly all of his landscapes are depictions of his native Vermont. TJ’s passion for the landscape is surpassed only by his love of portraiture and figurative painting. Although, one may think that these two subjects would compete, they actually inform each other. The vigilance of good drawing is routine in portraiture and careful observation of revealed grace in nature is essential in landscape painting. The two mingle delightfully.
While studying art at Pensacola Christian College TJ’s primary instructor, Brian Jekel, instilled in him a deep love for the great masters of the 1800s and 1900s. TJ has spent untold hours in Art museums learning to unravel the thought processes of painters from John Sargent to William Bouguereau. This study of the masters coupled with hundreds of hours behind his easel gives ever deepening quality and growing notoriety to his work.
“I have rarely painted the landscape beyond the borders of Addison County and almost never painted landscape outside the state of Vermont. Typically when I paint landscapes I am reminiscing. Sure, I am after all of the things that make a painting technically sound, but I am drawn to the settings that provoke deep somber feelings. I can not remember a time when I painted something just because I found aesthetically appealing.
These first few Adirondack paintings are an exciting shift for me, almost like I have left the safety of home to explore wild new lands. Compared to the farm lands of Vermont the Adirondacks are rugged, vast and somewhat foreboding.
I first became interested in this new region while working on the center piece for a 2012 show at the Edgewater Gallery. The painting called “Addison Skies” was the first major piece that I painted to the west and not the East, and the Adirondacks can be seen running the breadth of the painting. These distant rugged peaks drew me across Lake Champlain to the High Peaks region.
Immediately I wanted to start work on a series paintings recording the majesty of my new discovery. Although I have spent many days hiking and painting on the trails and in the lodges this assembly of paintings is only the first glimpse at a rugged new landscape.” – TJ Cunningham
