Nov. 28, 2007 – Gallery St. Thomas will unveil a new collection of paintings by St. Thomas artist Gregory Samuel on Friday, Nov. 30. A reception honoring the artist will take place from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m., at the gallery, No. 1 Main Street, Upper Level. The exhibit will run through December 8 and is open to the public, and all work is for sale.
"Gregory Samuel has taken his work to a new level in this collection. Even as he refines his technique, he is able to retain the freshness of theme and Caribbean color that are his hallmark," gallery owner Claire Ochoa said. "Samuel's first one-man show in 2006 was a great success. The 26 new works will add to his growing reputation as a Caribbean artist and cultural historian whose work is now collected both locally and on the mainland."
He grew up in Dominica, coming to St. Thomas in 1970 at the age of 23. "I've always loved the beauty and intense colors of the landscapes and lifestyles of the Caribbean Islands," says Samuel.
"I get inspiration from almost everything I look at. I paint what I like. A scene may simply say to me, 'This should be on canvas,' and so I paint it," he said.
"I like to paint from memory, too, and record the old days and how people lived. When I was a little boy in the village of Colihaut in Dominica, there was no electricity and no road to town. Some paintings show how we waited for a boat to take us to Salisbury. From there we would go by passenger truck to the town of Roseau to shop. Cooking was outdoors under a lean-to, and one new painting, 'Home-Cooked Meal,' shows that," Samuels said.
For more information, contact Gallery St. Thomas at 777-6363 or visit www.GalleryStThomas.com.
