Feb. 23, 2006 – Gallery St. Thomas presents "Essence" an exhibit of original figure and nude paintings and sketches from Eric Winter and William Stoehr. The show opens with a reception from 3 to 8 p.m. Friday afternoon followed by a second reception from noon to 3 p.m. Saturday. Both will be held at the gallery located on the second floor at No.1 Main Street, in downtown Charlotte Amalie. Nadine Winter and Stoehr will be available to speak about the works on view.
The late Virgin Islands artist Eric Winter (1932-2001) chose to spend the last years of his life primarily painting the female form, gallery owner Claire Ochoa said this week. "He was convinced that these nude figure paintings were his best work."
Ochoa said in a release, "Winter saw himself as a tradionalist artist – painting from life – his experiences and his memories."
Winter often chose time-honored subjects, using time-honored methods — a hallmark of his work. "Working exclusively in oil, Eric combined an uncanny ability to capture light on canvas with straightforward compositions to convey stark moods," Ochoa said.
Since he first began painting in the Virgin Islands in 1954, Winter was primarily known for his depictions of West Indian culture.
However, while these paintings were well received and continue to be well collected, he personally most loved the challenge of painting nude figures, according to Ochoa. She said Winter believed that in order to paint properly one needed to be able to draw the human form.
In his traditional West Indian cottage studio he painted and taught life drawing and painting. In 1997 Eric Winter received the Excellence in Arts Award from Gov. Roy L. Schneider. His work is displayed in private, corporate and museum collections throughout the world.
Stoehr's hallmark are his unconventional choices and use of color, Ochoa said. In addition, he frequently alternates between two-dimensional (flat) and three-dimensional (modeled) images on the same canvas. 'The combination of his use of color and flat backgrounds, creates tension and movement within the canvas," Ochoa said. "Women are his favorite subjects, and while he is not attempting to precisely render a woman, he does try to capture form, expression and gesture in the context of the composition, intending to create an emotional impact."
Stoehr paints using acrylics, occasionally enhanced with oil sticks, pastels, charcoal or graphite. He attributes his color choices and composition style to Wolf Kahn, Matisse, Gauguin, Degas, and Mondrian. In 1964 at the age of 16 Stoehr wanted to become an artist, (de Kooning was his art hero.) Instead, Stoehr became an engineer and ultimately, president of National Geographic Society's worldwide mapping operations. He resigned from National Geographic to pursue the art passion he abandoned more than 40 years earlier. He and his wife Mary Kay live on St John and in Boulder Colo. He is the current featured artist for the U.S. Virgin Islands 2006 Destination Magazine.
"Essence" will run through March 2 and is open to the public. All work is for sale. For more information contact Gallery St. Thomas at 340-777-6363, or online at www.Winter-Stoehr.com.