Recognizing Richard exhibit Aug. 3 to 27 at Gallery One
A special exhibition of Richard Mathews' artwork will take place from Friday, Aug. 3, to Thursday, Aug. 27, at Gallery One in Ocean View with a special artist's reception from 5 to 7 p.m., Aug. 3.
This show will honor Mathews' 60 years as an artist with 45 of his drawings and paintings. Known as a master draftsman and an award-winning artist, Mathews chronicles his years of direct observation of contemporary life with those pieces. On view will be scenes with people on the local beaches and boardwalks plus sensitive portraits and figures created over the years while he attended the sketch group at the Rehoboth Art League.
Whether working in oils, watercolor, ink or pastel, Mathews commands the medium, and his flair for sensuous line and virtuoso brushwork are evident. In a recent interview he said, “I draw pretty much what I see within the limits of a medium. What I aim for is good use of media and technique. If it is a pen, I use it to the best of its advantage, and if it is a brush I want it to be the best brushstroke.”
A committed artist, Mathews carried his sketchbook with him everywhere, using every opportunity to develop his artistic ability. He said he looked for shapes and forms with a sense of volume and space. Not surprisingly, he has mountains and mountains of drawings and he has said some of them surprise him.
Mathews studied as a child at the Corcoran Gallery of Art and Rochester Museum of Fine Arts, and also with Howard Schroeder in the summer adult class at RAL. He studied at Catholic University and George Washington University with a major in art and drawing. His major influence was master teacher Kenneth Stubbs (1907-67), whose strong composition and drawing influenced the young artist. He worked professionally as an illustrator and graphic designer at the Washington Post and later at the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Recently, Mathews' eyesight has been compromised by Leber’s disease, a rare genetic eye disorder.
Gallery One is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. seven days a week and is at 32 Atlantic Ave., Ocean View, 302-537-5055. Go to www.galleryonede.com.
