The Cooley Gallery is thrilled to announce “192” an exhibition and sale of paintings by artists from the Old Lyme Art colony.  The Old Lyme Art Colony boasted myriad artists and characters whose great love was painting their surroundings in the company of their peers.
 
Back in the early 1900s plein air painting adventures to farmer’s fields were as common as a sojourn to Europe. “Sketches” were painted on a standard size, 12” x 16”, panel or board that easily fit in their pochade box. A pochade box is a compact, portable painting studio in a small box. "pochade" is a French word meaning "quick (color) sketch". Traditional pochade boxes were characterized by simple elements: a hinged lid which functions as an easel, the middle half as the palette in a slide out drawer and storage in the lower section.  The portability and convenience of the pochade box turned any circumstance into a subject for painting since the studio traveled with the artist. This exhibition of paintings measuring 12”x 16” show resolved works of art  big enough to capture the essences of the scene and small enough to be completed in one or two sittings.
 
The exhibition “192” displays paintings by a number of artists of the Old Lyme colony with subjects as close as their backyards to Venice, Italy, Maine, New Hampshire and beyond. “192” (the square inch area of a 12” x 16”) was a perfect space to capture the color, mood, spirit of place. All priced under $10,000, these paintings represent great value and great art.

“192” is on view through October 20th.

Founded in 1981 and located in the heart of historic Old Lyme, the Cooley Gallery specializes in fine American paintings from the 19th, 20th, and 21st centuries, including the Hudson River School, American Impressionism, and select contemporary artists.
 
Regular gallery hours are Tuesday-Saturday, 10am to 5pm. Please call (860) 434-8807 or visit www.cooleygallery.com  for additional information. The Cooley Gallery is located at 25 Lyme Street, Old Lyme, CT 06371.