Tempesta captures wildness of nature

A solo exhibition of new work by Gabriel Tempesta, “Our World, Charcoals & Casein,” will be on view through Wednesday, Dec. 30, in the Upstairs Gallery at West Branch Gallery & Sculpture Park, 17 Towne Farm Lane, Stowe.

Using the camera as his sketching tool, Tempesta creates highly detailed impressions of his natural surroundings with charcoal, casein and watercolor. This solo exhibition highlights his most recent works.

Tempesta’s ability to focus in on his subjects — bees in flight, the gnarly bark of an old tree, the gait of a cat or dog, the surface of a pond — is larger than life and true to life. His paintings often look like black and white photographs and yet are imbued with feeling.

“I usually start with charcoal powder, lightly roughing in the overall composition, either dry or with water. Then I incorporate black watercolor, often mixing it with charcoal to form a paste. I sometimes use an airbrush in the middle of the process to lay down broad washes. Sometimes I use an etching tool that is essentially a mini sand blaster to lift away paint where more of a gradient or softer touch is needed. I leave the finer details for the end,” Tempesta said.

Information: Patricia Trafton, 253-8943, patricia@westbranchgallery.com; westbranchgallery.com.