Cliff Satterthwaite

One of the reasons I started this blog in September of 2005 was to share the rich experience of meeting artists and visiting their studios. Cliff welcomed me into his home where every surface was covered with his paintings... small plein air paintings, larger, more studied works.

Its so overwhelming, the first impulse is to step back. Then, as if your eyes are adjusting to the light, you start to see individual images. Methodically, I started in the lower right hand corner near the door and made my way around the room. When I was sure of a painting, I pulled it off the hanging system that covered the walls and propped it on the couch. I slowly circled the room, and then went through again. It was not unlike jurying an amazing exhibit.

Beyond being one of the most talented artists I have ever met Cliff is a lovely man. When I was researching him on the Internet I found a beautiful description of him in the local paper. Read it here. We ended up purchasing 16 paintings and could easily have purchased a dozen more.

A brief bio: Clifford Winson Satterthwaite, was born on April 1, 1934 in Philadelphia, PA. In 1955 he graduated from the Philadelphia Museum School of Art. Among his fellow classmates were Robert B. Dance and Leonard Lehrer. He studied under and was most influenced by his teachers, Henry C. Pitz, Joseph Krush, Ben Eisenstat, Benton Spruance and W. Emerton Heitland

Cliff's artist statement: Everyone has seen such things as apple trees, tables, chairs, squirrels, people, etc. We are used to seeing them and therefore they are “taken for granted” visually. We need to observe them as if seen for the first time both in character and perspective shapes. In this way we have possibilities of seeing an apple tree uniquely different from another apple tree. A person uniquely different from another person. A squirrel’s action different from another squirrel’s action. Chairs different from chairs, etc.
The enthusiasm of all observed subject matter overlapping in space and distributed esthetically within a given two dimensional enclosure. The “positive” and “negative” areas that it creates are the fundamental building blocks of pictures. Even a line is not a “line” but an edge of a form in space. The second most important thing in composition is the lightness and darkness distribution of shapes in space. (Whether “color” is used as the value or the gradation values from white through greys to blacks.)

Web site here

Fredericksburg has a charming, vital arts community. I would encourage you to visit, and be sure to look up Cliff Satterthwaite, he is a local treasure.