He’s brilliant!!

Pardon our technical difficulties, but we're back in action now!

(a peek into artist Doug Foltz's studio...you'll love this one!)

By now, if you’ve been following our humble little musings on art, the gallery and life’s little pleasures, you know how much we Huffingtons adore (and we mean ADORE) what we do here at the gallery.

On the calendar for Thursday, May 6th, is “The Sea, The Sky and the Space In Between,” a one-man show by one of our faves, Doug Foltz. Doug came to us by way of some good friends and we were thrilled when he signed on with us. We were one of his first gallery experiences and still pretty new to the scene, so it’s been fun growing and developing together.

Meg & Doug

Doug invited us over to his little studio a while ago to discuss the show and review some of the work he already had in progress. We love Doug’s space. It’s the perfect artist’s studio – plenty of light, a good amount of space and every inch of wall space covered in either a painting or some tidbit of inspiration for Doug. Add to that Doug’s painting paraphernalia and it’s an art-lover’s dream.

The tools of the trade

Plenty o’ paint in order to mix the perfect shades of color for Doug’s amazing skies

Doug’s the perfect host (seems to be an innate quality for our artists or do they just know how to treat us?) and poured us both a nice little glass of red while we chatted and feasted our eyes on his paintings. He’s really fun to talk to and has a witty sense of humor - but also a very introspective and serious side that comes out when we discuss his work.

We like to joke about Doug that he was born with one foot in the water. As a kid in Miami, Doug spent every waking moment in a boat, sailing those pretty turquoisey waters between Miami and the Bahamas. He’s a quintessential outdoorsman and we think he is probably miserable when he’s cooped up and unable to be outside. In fact, it’s in his love of nature, and especially the water, that he finds his inspiration.

The Space In Between (in progress)

Rethinking Refuge (in progress)

Doug is best-known for his light-infused paintings that explore the sometimes calm and often stormy relationship between land, sea and sky. His paintings capture the enormous sweeping skies and horizons of the ocean; the luminous clouds; the sunlit seas and, as Doug puts it, “all the stuff in between.”

Doug Foltz, More Than A Minor Adjustment, oil on canvas, 24 x 30”

Doug Foltz, Tide Line, oil on canvas, 20 x 20”

He’s a methodical and thoughtful painter who works slowly, applying layers of oil paint that illuminate nuances and effortlessly portray light and water. All of his work has a clear focal point, that special “sweet spot” that draws you into the very essence of the painting. Many of his fans say that his work fills them with a sense of serenity and calmness and this is certainly true. There’s something elemental about Doug’s paintings: it’s just down to Mother Nature – and you. Not surprisingly, that’s exactly how Doug has planned it:

Doug Foltz, A Momentary Opening, oil on canvas, 36 x60”

If you’re in Atlanta, we hope you can join us for Doug’s opening on Thursday, May 6^th from 6-8 p.m.. He’ll be here to say hello to friends and fans. We can’t wait! If you can’t make the show, we hope you’ll visit our website where you can view Doug’s paintings on your computer screen.

Ann and Master Doug

And, stay tuned for Part Two of He’s Brilliant, coming next week.

Ta ta,

HH