Jane Morris Pack, Blue Pigment, 2013, oil on canvas, 20 x 16 inches

Under the Influence featured in the Wilmington News Journal

Jane Morris Pack, Blue Pigment, 2013, oil on canvas, 16 x 20 inches

Best Bet: Artists look to the masters at Somerville Manning

By Margie Fishman

March 6, 2014

All artists borrow techniques, applications, colors and depth perception from those who came before them, while adding their own distinctive impressions and meanings.

Starting Friday night, the Somerville Manning Gallery (101 Stone Block Row in Greenville) presents “Under the Influence,” celebrating the work of six contemporary artists and the masters who inspired them. The gallery will remain open from 10 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Friday as part of the free Wilmington Art Loop.

Among those featured, artist Jeff Moulton channels the Brandywine Valley aesthetic, relying on mediums like charcoal, pastels and graphite in a nod to the late Richard Diebenkorn, an acclaimed California abstract expressionist. Working in mixed-media, New York artist Dan Rizzie channels North Carolina’s Donald Sultan, who pairs simple iconography with complex application techniques. D.C.- area artist Kay Jackson draws inspiration from Italian gothics like Simone Martini, using traditional gilding techniques.