Reta Sweeney @ Gallery TwentyTwo.  Part of what DoN refers to as the School of Philadelphia (Peltzman, Barns, Monaghan…), Sweeney sees light with a delightful optimism and has the ability to create welcoming atmosphere in paint.  Reta’s paintings are joyous, reveling in the liquid medium, working quickly and efficiently, applying color with skill, so as to sign the work by scratching into the wet paint with satisfaction.

A Rose Bouquet, oil on canvas, Reta Sweeney @ TwentyTwo Gallery.

Cherry Blossoms and Tulips, Reta Sweeney, oil on canvas and Valerie Carroll @ Gallery TwentyTwo – DoN was impressed and inspired by the pairing of these two paintings, it’s not just the color palette, soothing pinks enhanced with warm atmosphere,  but the balance of symbolism and visual cues that creates a broader real world narrative.  This is a lesson in how to decorate with art confidently placing expressionism with impressionism in close proximity increasing the visual energy of the art.

Valerie Carroll @ TwentyTwo Gallery.  Paintings like this make’s DoN want to paint, reaching deep into the soul creating an image to explain the human condition, paint strokes representing the passage of time, entropy and generativity vs. despair visualized with mysterious smudges and emotional color.