New  Works By Don Demers On View For Short-Term Exhibition At Jinishian Gallery

FAIRFIELD — From June 3-17, more than 20 new paintings by the marine artist Don Demers will be on exhibit at J. Russell Jinishian Gallery, 1657 Post Road. The public is invited to meet the artist and view the unveiling on Saturday, June 3, from 5 to 7 pm. This marks the first exhibition of Mr Demers’ marine paintings in more than two years.

Through paintings from 10 by 12 inches to 4 by 5 feet, visitors will experience a wide range of life at sea. From panoramic views of the busy harbors of New York and Boston as they appeared at the turn of the 20th Century when schooners, steamships and tugboats filled the waters, to classic yachting scenes like the stormy Fastnet Race in 1931, showing the schooner Water Gypsy overtaking Dorade with the Fastnet light off the coast of Ireland in the background.

Often referred to as the Winslow Homer of today’s marine artists, Mr Demers’s paintings have been featured in many major magazines including Reader’s Digest, Sail, Yankee, Nautical Quarterly, Maine Boats and Harbor, National Geographic, Field and Stream and Sports Afield.

He is also a member of the Plein Air Painters of America and the Boston Guild of Artists. He has been commissioned by American Airlines, the National Park Service, Steuben Glass and the National Geographic Society.

Cruising yachtsmen will recognize the landmarks of Stonington, and Mr Demers’ depiction of Watch Hill, R.I., and Seguin Isle, Me., lighthouses. “Returning the Pilot” features the large pilot schooner Varuna awaiting the arrival of a harbor pilot seen being ferried over from the steamer Franconia in the background. Scenes of the tranquil York River and the rugged Maine coast will round out the exhibition.

“Demers is unquestionably one of the leaders of a new generation of marine artists. He has the ability to capture all the moods of the sea and the action of a variety of vessels with a vividness and accuracy that is unparalleled in the field,” said J. Russell Jinishian.

Limited edition prints of his paintings are published by the Greenwich Workshop of Seymour, and will be on display during the exhibit.

The exhibition may be viewed online at JRussellJinishianGallery.com. For more information, call 203-259-8753.