A Brush with Nature: a group exhibition of paintings created en plein air

July 5 - August 30, 2026
Artist Reception: Thursday, July 16, 6–8PM

“I love nature, I love the landscape, because it is so sincere. It never cheats me. It never jests. It is cheerfully, musically earnest.”
— Henry David Thoreau, Journal, November 16, 1850

There is a particular kind of attention that only the landscape demands. It asks for patience before spectacle, observation before interpretation. Unlike nearly all other subjects in art, it is in constant movement fully indifferent to the artist observing. The landscape neither performs nor explains itself. It simply exists.

A Brush With Nature - celebrates the enduring dialogue between artist and landscape through more than twenty plein air paintings by Andrea Williams, Carleen O'Connor Rivera, Don Yang, and Mark Vander Vinne. Created directly from observation in the outdoors, these works capture fleeting light, changing weather, and the unique character of places encountered across seasons and settings.

In an age of constant distraction, these paintings invite us to slow down and look closely. More than depictions of scenery, they are reflections on presence, perception, and the timeless beauty of the natural wold.

South Shore Arts Exhibits and related events are always free and open to the public.