'Coastal Expressions' -- A New Art Exhibit in Greenwich

“Coastal Expressions” is a new art exhibit that is being hosted by Sandra Morgan Interiors & SM Home Gallery that are located at 70 Arch St. in downtown Greenwich.

“Coastal Expressions” features the work of Barbara Sussberg, a native Westchester, NY artist, now working out of her Charleston, SC studio. Sussberg’s intuitive sense of color and her ability to create textural effects from painting with a palette knife on canvas, combine to achieve oil paintings that seem at once dimensional, watery and multi-layered.

Her abstract works evoke a serene sense of the sea and nature with silver or gold undertones. Her paintings have been widely exhibited in the South and the Northeast.

The exhibit is on view through March 28 and an opening wine reception is scheduled for 6 to 8 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 7.

In her artist’s statement, Sussberg said, “I think of my work as painting a feeling, with just enough information to convey that feeling to a viewer. It’s up to the viewer’s imagination to fill in the details. Sometimes I sit at the beach and just look – at the way the water sparkles as it rolls over the sand, at the patterns created by the waves coming ashore, at the point where the horizon meets the sky. I take that inspiration with me back to my studio and work on translating it with paint and my knife always beginning from a point of view of color. I have a never ending fascination with the way sunshine reflects on water, how it feels and how it affects the colors of our environment and everyday life. I feel very fortunate to live in a beautiful place that is a never ending source of ideas for new paintings based on the extraordinary landscape surrounding me. Color, texture and the reflection of light are key elements of my work.

After the initial layers of a painting are established I build the painting by using color and luster to create light, shadow and dimension. I am constantly laying down strokes and stepping away, always asking myself if the painting will capture someone’s attention from across a room. Then a process of rubbing, scraping, adding, removing and brushing continues until the painting tells me when it is done.”

To sign up for breaking Greenwich news alerts and more, click here.

Have a news tip? Email barbara.heins@patch.com.

Contributed photos: Barbara Sussman and her paintings.