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IMAGE COURTESY OF REBECCA V GALLERY

PAINTINGS WITHIN THE PAINTING. “Rebecca V Interior” and other watercolors by Mary Ann Coles are on display at Rebecca V Gallery through Sept 8.

Demure ruminations of refinement at Rebecca V

By Dave R. Davison

On Aug. 11, Rebecca V Gallery unveiled the latest works of local artist Mary Ann Coles in an exhibit titled "Visions of Europe."

The exhibit incorporates 15 or so elegantly framed watercolors that depict scenes from Italy and Scotland. In addition, two of the works feature scenes that the artist encountered right here in Tacoma.

In warm, bronzy browns and glowing golds- accented with areas of brighter color- Coles presents a range of topics. There are quiet, barroom vignettes, Venetian canals (complete with their obligatory gondolas) and sunny seaside buildings of Italian tourist towns. These peaceful, undisturbed scenes of places peopled by the comfortable classes are made to hang quietly and tastefully in the surroundings of the same sort of people that inhabit the paintings themselves.

Having worked with watercolor for almost a decade, Coles is skilled in her medium and works from a mature pallet of color. The use of varnish on many of her watercolors lends them a richness of depth and texture. On first glance, the casual observer might even mistake them for oil paintings. Coles observed that the use of varnish also negates the need for glass, which she views as a drawback to the way most watercolor is displayed.

Working from photographs, Coles manages to capture the details of a given scene without compromising the fluidity of the watercolor medium.

Two of Coles' paintings, "Rebecca V Opening" and "Rebecca V Interior," are depictions from a previous show in the very same space that the current exhibit now hangs in.

The presence of these works in the current exhibit creates a very clever effect on the viewer. We the viewers behold the visitors of a previous show and are brought to the realization that we are currently inhabiting a scene that might be similarly depicted by the artist at a future date.

Now that the current series of work is finished and in the gallery, Coles, mother of two, is ready to take a breather before she returns in earnest to the studio. "I'm planning a trip to Italy for next year," she noted. The coming excursion is certain to yield new inspiration to the artist.

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