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Douglas Martenson

Resilience

October 2023

Selected Works Thumbnails
Goldenrod  38” x 24"  Oil on linen

Goldenrod

38” x 24"

Oil On linen

 

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They drove by			38” x 24”	Oil on Linen

They Drove By

38” x 24”

Oil On Linen

 

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Far Field  38” x 24”  Oil on linen

Far Field

38” x 24”

Oil On linen

 

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Lupins and Grasses			44” x 30”	Oil on Linen

Lupins And Grasses (SOLD)

44” x 30”

Oil On Linen

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Milkweed  30” x 24”  Oil On Linen

Milkweed (SOLD)

30” x 24”

Oil On Linen

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Dry Field				38” x 24”	Oil on Linen

Dry Field (SOLD)

38” x 24”

Oil On Linen

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Queen Anne Lace  24” x 38”  Oil On Linen

Queen Anne's Lace

24” x 38”

Oil On Linen

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Edge of a Field 			24” x 38”	Oil on Linen

Edge Of A Field

24” x 38”

Oil On Linen

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Sycamore And A Field  24” x 38”  Oil On Linen

Sycamore And A Field

24” x 38”

Oil On Linen

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Looking at the Girard Bridge  38” x 24”  Oil on Linen

Looking At The Girard Bridge

38” x 24”

Oil On Linen

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Smoke  16” x 24”  Oil On Linen

Smoke

16” x 24”

Oil On Linen

 

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Fire				24” x 38”	Oil on Linen

Fire (SOLD)

24” x 38"

Oil On Linen

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Approaching Storm  16” x 12”  Oil on Linen

Approaching Storm

16” x 12”

Oil On Linen   

 

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Falling  16” x 12”  Oil on wood

Falling

12” x 16”

Oil On Wood

 

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Yellow Trees France  12" x 16"  Oil On Wood

Yellow Trees France (SOLD)

12" x 16"

Oil On Wood

 

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Blue Sky  24" x 16"  Oil On Linen

Blue Sky (SOLD)

24" x 16"

Oil On Linen

 

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Field In Light  15” x 11.5”  Oil On Wood

Field In Light

15” x 11.5”

Oil On Wood

 

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Field With White Flowers  15” x 11.5”  Oil On Wood

Field With White Flowers

15” x 11.5”

Oil On Wood

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Goldenrod W/C I  11.5" x 7.5"  Watercolor

Goldenrod W/C I (SOLD)

11.5" x 7.5"

Watercolor

 

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Pile  11.5” x 15”  Watercolor

Pile

11.5” x 15”

Watercolor

 

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Goldenrod W/C III  11.5" x 7.5"  Watercolor

Goldenrod W/C III (SOLD)

11.5" x 7.5"

Watercolor

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Queen Anne's Lace Study  11.5" x 15.5"  Watercolor

Queen Anne's Lace Study 

11.5" x 15.5"

Watercolor

 

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Goldenrod WC II  15 “x 11.5"  Watercolor

Goldenrod W/C II

15“ x 11.5"

Watercolor

 

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Goldenrod  38” x 24"  Oil on linen

Goldenrod

38” x 24"

Oil On linen

 

They drove by			38” x 24”	Oil on Linen

They Drove By

38” x 24”

Oil On Linen

 

Far Field  38” x 24”  Oil on linen

Far Field

38” x 24”

Oil On linen

 

Lupins and Grasses			44” x 30”	Oil on Linen

Lupins And Grasses (SOLD)

44” x 30”

Oil On Linen

Milkweed  30” x 24”  Oil On Linen

Milkweed (SOLD)

30” x 24”

Oil On Linen

Dry Field				38” x 24”	Oil on Linen

Dry Field (SOLD)

38” x 24”

Oil On Linen

Queen Anne Lace  24” x 38”  Oil On Linen

Queen Anne's Lace

24” x 38”

Oil On Linen

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Edge of a Field 			24” x 38”	Oil on Linen

Edge Of A Field

24” x 38”

Oil On Linen

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Sycamore And A Field  24” x 38”  Oil On Linen

Sycamore And A Field

24” x 38”

Oil On Linen

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Looking at the Girard Bridge  38” x 24”  Oil on Linen

Looking At The Girard Bridge

38” x 24”

Oil On Linen

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Smoke  16” x 24”  Oil On Linen

Smoke

16” x 24”

Oil On Linen

 

Fire				24” x 38”	Oil on Linen

Fire (SOLD)

24” x 38"

Oil On Linen

Approaching Storm  16” x 12”  Oil on Linen

Approaching Storm

16” x 12”

Oil On Linen   

 

Falling  16” x 12”  Oil on wood

Falling

12” x 16”

Oil On Wood

 

Yellow Trees France  12" x 16"  Oil On Wood

Yellow Trees France (SOLD)

12" x 16"

Oil On Wood

 

Blue Sky  24" x 16"  Oil On Linen

Blue Sky (SOLD)

24" x 16"

Oil On Linen

 

Field In Light  15” x 11.5”  Oil On Wood

Field In Light

15” x 11.5”

Oil On Wood

 

Field With White Flowers  15” x 11.5”  Oil On Wood

Field With White Flowers

15” x 11.5”

Oil On Wood

Shop

Goldenrod W/C I  11.5" x 7.5"  Watercolor

Goldenrod W/C I (SOLD)

11.5" x 7.5"

Watercolor

 

Pile  11.5” x 15”  Watercolor

Pile

11.5” x 15”

Watercolor

 

Goldenrod W/C III  11.5" x 7.5"  Watercolor

Goldenrod W/C III (SOLD)

11.5" x 7.5"

Watercolor

Queen Anne's Lace Study  11.5" x 15.5"  Watercolor

Queen Anne's Lace Study 

11.5" x 15.5"

Watercolor

 

Goldenrod WC II  15 “x 11.5"  Watercolor

Goldenrod W/C II

15“ x 11.5"

Watercolor

 

“To me, a field is always shifting, evolving, changing. It is a complex ecosystem. I try to make sense of it, search for patterns to bring out objects, frame them with space that surrounds them. It becomes a meditative state that is romantic at its core. I am searching for the relationship between humans and their always-changing environment.”

- Douglas Martenson

Douglas Martenson - Resilience - Exhibitions - Gross McCleaf Gallery

Edge Of A Field, 24” x 38”, Oil On Linen

In Resilience, Douglas Martenson delivers a captivating new body of landscape paintings that, while exuding beauty, challenge viewers to contemplate the fragility of our sensitive ecosystems.

At first glance, Martenson’s exhibition showcases a lush diversity of wild foliage found in the fields near his summer lodging in coastal Maine. Goldenrod, milkweed, sycamores, and Queen Anne’s lace are depicted in their full splendor, thriving at maturation in their intricate environments. Each painting skillfully captures the exposed length of these species, from stem to flower. Often centered in the frame, each of Martenson’s plants takes on a lively, engaging character, imbued with an almost portrait-like quality. The meticulous attention paid to the surrounding flora provides a profound glimpse into the interconnectedness of plant life.

Douglas Martenson - Resilience - Exhibitions - Gross McCleaf Gallery

Fire, 24” x 38″, Oil On Linen

While many paintings embrace the late summer’s beauty with romance, optimism, and warmth—where pillowy clouds hover against hazy blue skies, evoking the buzzing sounds of locusts marking the waning days of August—some canvases gesture toward more complicated narratives. Foreboding dark forms loom on the horizons of Goldenrod, Far Field, and Dry Field. Their depictions suggest massive, dark trees, or perhaps ominous plumes of smoke. Could our newfound plant companions be in peril? These simplified abstractions never allow for complete reassurance. The beauty of the moment hangs on a precipice. Will the entire scene be devastated by an impending wildfire? The paintings Smoke and Fire seem to answer with two alternating conclusions. In Fire, the flames engulf everything in sight, with menacing billows of smoke in the foreground hinting at imminent danger headed toward the viewer. In Smoke, a group of men stand nonchalantly before a distant, smoky cloud. Perhaps the fire has been contained, allowing for a fleeting moment of relaxation.

Douglas Martenson - Resilience - Exhibitions - Gross McCleaf Gallery

The exhibition’s title offers a third option: Resilience. It serves as a reminder to fortify protective systems, adapt, and prepare for the uncertainties of our climate’s future. Like the interconnected fields of foliage, we, too, depend on one another and the environments we inhabit.

Douglas Martenson has had over 15 solo exhibitions with Gross McCleaf Gallery since 1986. His work is in public and private collections, including the Woodmere Art Museum, Subaru Corporation of America, the Federal Reserve Bank, and more. He has received awards and grants for his work, including a Pew Fellowship on the Arts grant, several stipends from the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, and the prestigious Cresson Scholarship from the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts. Martenson is a professor of Fine Art at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts and is a lecturer at the University of Pennsylvania. He lives and works in Philadelphia and in Maine near Cadillac Mountain.

Image Left: Looking At The Girard Bridge, 38” x 24”, Oil On Linen

Douglas Martenson - Resilience - Exhibitions - Gross McCleaf Gallery

Lupins And Grasses, 44” x 30”, Oil On Linen

October 12 - November 11, 2023

Opening Reception: Saturday, October 14, 1 - 4 pm