'Mostly Maine' Art Exhibit at The John C. Hart Library

Artist John Gordon, of Mohegan Lake, held a wine and cheese reception on August 7, for his "Mostly Maine" exhibit at the John C. Hart Memorial Library. His infatuation to capture the sea and waterways stems from a limitlessness that extends well beyond the August 30 closing date.

"It's eternal," he said, "and so everything I seem to paint, has water in it."

The other way around too and the detail found in his watercolor creations is astounding, according to Elizabeth Bamberg as she took in the gathering with her sister Mary Louise Bamberg. She said John is a phenomenal artist in the way that he can create such stark reality with the tiny brush strokes required of water painting.

"His painting technique is brilliant,"said Melinda O'Brien, library coordinator of adult programs and arts shows.

With monthly exhibits, Gordon is the caliber artist the library seeks to promote.

"I go to art shows throughout the area to bring exceptional work to our community," O'Brien said.

Carol Reif, of Yorktown, stands in line with that sentiment.

"You should be a tourist in your own town," she said. "Supporting local artists is a cyclical pursuit since you can never get enough art."

But for her money, her preference in Gordon's water work is the kind that has a human subject to focus on. 

"It draws you in and allows you to make a connection," Reif said of a piece called "Watching the Breakers."

She said she also liked the historical connection of the locally inspired pieces – like the St. George Chapel on Route 6. Gordon was not shy to voice his concern in regards to the current controversy that surrounds the structure.

Present ownership has various plans for an overhaul, he said, but leaving it as the church it has always been, is the only change he said was appropriate. It also holds significance because of the designer of the church's stain glass windows.

"John LaFarge was probably the most famous artist in the country at the turn of the 20th century," he says, "and lived across the street."

Yorktown's Al de Prado easily put aside the politics in favor of the three dimensional perspective that the artwork provided.

"It's evocative of a Yorktown winter," he said.

With the accolades aplenty from the dozen or so patrons in attendance, they'd probably be surprised that Gordon's formal training didn't last much longer than the duration of this exhibit. 

"Spending my early years in parochial school in Mt. Vernon," he said, "art only emerged because I didn't excel at anything else."

When he started high school, he said he was in "heaven" when he learned they had art classes. He recalled that his first teacher had an obsession with orange pastels – until Gordon decided he was going to sketch a telephone pole. 

"She raised hell," he said.

Gordon's rescue came from the school's other art teacher, who recognized the talents of several students in the class.  Soon he finally had the chance to explore his creativity. Two months later, he joined the army and found himself in the Korean War. Afterwards, he hoped to use the GI Bill to hone a formal art career but family life put art on the side and left him a jack of many trades. 

Today, reaching retirement allows his creativity to take flower at the time of his choosing. 

"I'm painting for a month and then realize that it's time to kick back," he said of his life with his wife Judy. "We'll drive around in the van, stop by the side of the road, and open up a bottle of wine."

Peddling his pieces at whatever pace that comes, sounds like a picture that sells itself.

For more information go to: www.gordonartwork.com