The Grenning Gallery is overjoyed to invite the community to attend the Opening Reception of Nelson H. White a Solo Show on Saturday, July 8th from 6:30 - 8 pm. This show will hang until July 23rd, 2017.
One of the most sought after plein air painters of Shelter Island and Italian beach scenes, Nelson H White (b. 1932) will be having his first solo show in 7 years, and it has been worth the wait. White has adjusted his focus to paint in larger scale and includes some interesting figurative paintings. Bagno La Salute is a commanding 30 x 40 inch painting of his now famous orange umbrella painting. There are also several paintings of Mashomack Point, at different times of year, in which White truly captures the light and color of the season. Few realize that White comes from a long line of well-known impressionist painters, and has a great deal of institutional support. He is already represented in the following museums and collections; Wadsworth Atheneum, New Britain Museum of American Art, Florence Griswold Museum, Lyman Allyn Museum as well as Pfizer corporation, Fleet Bank and First American Title Company.
Biography
Nelson Holbrook White was born in New London, Connecticut in 1932. White has been surrounded by art and artists since birth. He received his earliest art instruction from his grandfather, Henry Cooke White (1861-1952) and his father Nelson Cooke White (1900-1989), both important American artists. The family lived in Waterford, Connecticut and the elder White had been an early member of the art colony in Old Lyme, Connecticut. Known for his paintings of the Connecticut landscape and shoreline, Henry Cooke White became a teacher to his son, Nelson Cooke White. Living with his parents at the Florence Griswold House in Old Lyme, he met some of the most important and influential artists of the day, including Childe Hassam, Will Howe Foote and Harry Hoffman. There are two excellent examples of Henry Cooke Whites paintings in this exhibition, most notably, a major work called Oak in Spring, which is an excellent example of American impressionism from the early part of the 20th century.
Later, Nelson H. Whites father began to take his family to Shelter Island for the summer and became an acquaintance of many of the Peconic Colony artists such as Irving Wiles, an important American impressionist. After graduating from the Tabor Academy in Marion, Massachusetts in 1951, Nelson H. White began to study at Mitchell College in Connecticut but left to study the violin, musical theory and composition. At this time, he began to spend more time studying art with his father and grandfather. By 1955, Nelson H. White had decided to devote himself to a career as a painter and traveled to Florence, Italy to become an apprentice to Pietro Annigoni, the world-renowned Florentine master. Within two years, the young White had won two awards for his work. While in Florence he also studied with the great Italian teacher, Nerina Simi. Today, White divides his time between the United States and Florence.
Although he has received instruction from some very influential artists, Whites own work is highly individual. Nelson is characteristically known to paint with great spirit. Upon seeing his work, one quickly senses White's great love for nature and the outdoors. Through his eyes we are able to view and interpret nature in an intimate manner. Whether Nelson H. White is painting the Connecticut shore, a beach in Italy, a pond on Shelter Island or the hills of Vermont, he allows the observer to view a soft, yet dramatic side of nature. His ability to use color, coupled with rich brushwork and a graduation of light, air and atmosphere allows one to enjoy a specific mood, which is clearly conveyed in Whites paintings, leaving us with a lasting impression.
White has shown his work in numerous galleries across the globe since the 1950s, from the United States all the way to Italy and Russia. His first museum retrospective was at the New Britain Museum of American Art in July 2012. Whites work can be found in many private and public collections, as well as several museums.