WESTFIELD – A varied selection of paintings by artists John and Debra Dunphy of Northampton currently grace the walls of the Rinnova Gallery on Elm Street.
An opening reception for the couple is planned March 11 from 6 to 8 p.m. Paintings by several of the couple’s students are also on display this month.
Last year, Westfield Creative Arts (WCA) together with Westfield on Weekends, Inc. (WOW), combined to form the city’s newest community arts organization for adults, located at the gallery. Debra Dunphy is an original faculty member of the WCA and currently teaches oils, pastels and basic drawing courses. The couple also operates their own studio, The Dunphy Art Studio, in Holyoke.
For Debra Dunphy, she knew at an early age that she wanted to be an artist.
A Northampton streetscape is among the many paintings by John Dunphy on display this month at the Rinnova Gallery in Westfield.
“It is the only thing I ever wanted to be,” she said. “My grandmother kept a sketch book and my mother is a pretty good artist herself.”
For John Dunphy, the love of painting came at a later age.
“I always enjoyed art in high school, and took a couple of drawing classes in college, but never really pursued it until I took an oil painting class on a whim when I turned 40,” he said. “I fell in love with it.”
Debra Dunphy is a New Bedford native who moved to western Massachusetts more than 25 years ago to raise her family. She said the changing seasons are an important part of what inspires her artwork.
While all her landscapes depict New England scenes, they are as diverse as the area itself. Her paintings range in scope from seascapes that reflect New Bedford’s historic fishing industry and rocky beaches, to the gritty but proud urban landscapes of the old industrial city of Holyoke. Additionally, she is best known for her portraiture work which features New Englanders. Like her landscapes, the portraits strive to capture the essence and likeness of the subject. Her style has been described as soft with a high degree of realism.
“I recently read a quote from Henry Ward Beecher,” said Dunphy. “Every artist dips his brush in his own soul, and paints his own nature into his pictures.”
Dunphy said it is hard to explain but she believes that his quote sums up the joy she receives from her work.
“It’s the creative process,” she said. “I also take great pride and joy in the instruction I provide to would-be artists. I find that everyone has some degree of artistic talent and a little instruction and encouragement is all you need to reveal it.”
John Dunphy, who enjoys creating streetscapes of Northampton in particular, echoed those sentiments.
“For me, painting is kind of a meditative thing,” he said. “I just enjoy the process of creating an image on canvas, and hope that people like it. I like to paint things that people connect to; things with a nostalgic quality. I think that is what people like about my paintings.”
When the couple long for some time away, they seek the solitude of southern Vermont and in particular, its ski slopes. Some of Debra Dunphy’s latest compositions feature snowy landscapes of quaint country inns, unique storefronts and mountain views.
“My wife is truly an artist,” said John Dunphy. “Everything she creates has that artistic quality that resonates with people.”
Area residents planning on attending the reception are asked to leave their name and the number in their party at (413) 579-5967.
The Rinnova Gallery exhibits only local and regional artists and boasts a wide array of Westfield’s diverse creative treasures. In addition, the gallery is also home to WCA’s curriculum of art courses. An arts and crafts display is also on view in the adjacent shop.
Winter hours are Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., and from noon to 4 p.m. on Saturdays. The gallery is closed Fridays, Sundays, and Mondays.
