ART EXHIBITS Two N.H. Art Association artists explore nature in opposing ways

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Two N.H. Art Association artists explore nature in opposing ways. Brittany Soucy presents “Take Flight,” an abstract impressionist meditation on the restorative power of nature, and Bruce Erickson presents “Imaginary Landscapes With Water,” an inspiring collection of moody landscapes in the style of realism.

On April 5, the New Hampshire Art Association will open two solo shows in the South Gallery of the Robert Lincoln Levy Gallery at 136 State St. in Portsmouth. The shows both explore the meditative power of nature but with differing styles. In the first show, “Take Flight,” NHAA artist Brittney Soucy uses bold brush strokes in an abstract style evocative of springtime, summer and birds of prey. In the second, NHAA artist Bruce Erickson, paints moody and provocative landscapes in the realistic style of the Old Masters. Abstract painter Britany Soucy finds inspiration from the rural landscapes around her home in Kensington, where she paints in her 200-year-old barn turned art studio.

“I make art because it has always felt like a natural way to process my world,” she says. “I am captivated by light and the way its warmth, healing and truth illuminate everything it touches.” Soucy explains her process as a meditation in which she pushes paint around the canvas and plays with color and paint texture. She is drawn to abstract painting because it invites viewer participation. “They can have their own experience with it and fill in the blanks,” she says. In this collection, she highlights the greens and blues of spring with pops of pink.

She hopes the work conveys the soothing and restorative power of nature. The collection of seven paintings is a mix of abstract, impressionist and abstracted landscapes.

In the second show, “Imaginary Landscapes with Water,” Portsmouth-based artist Bruce Erickson displays beautiful landscapes using delicate brushstrokes borrowing techniques from painters in the 19th and 20th centuries. Erickson studied with Plein air painter Donald Jurney, in Amesbury, Mass., to hone his intricate style of landscape painting. For this body of work, Erickson took inspiration from his early years in northern Michigan, where he grew up hunting and fishing. Later, he moved to the banks of the Mississippi River in Iowa. He likens his experience to Tom Sawyer's young hero, Huck Finn, who freely explored nature and took refuge in its hidden spaces.

He does not paint landscapes as they might be seen in plein air, but as he feels or imagines them to be. “I have always loved the beauty of nature,” he says. “I wanted this work to capture the mood of the rivers and waterways,” he says.

The New Hampshire Art Association will display the works in the South Gallery of the Robert Lincoln Levy Gallery from April 5 to April 30. They are hosting a reception on Friday April 7, from 5 to 8 p.m. as part of the Art 'Round Town First Friday art walk in Portsmouth. The public is welcome. Robert Lincoln Levy Gallery at 136 State Street in Portsmouth, NH. Gallery hours are Tuesday through Thursday from 11 am to 5 pm; Friday and Saturday from 11 am to 6 pm; and Sunday 12 pm to 5 pm. Visit www.nhartassociation.org or call 603-431-4230 for information.