T.S. HARRIS
Summer Days
As the warm weather rolls in, people often find themselves embarking on vacations to the watersides. The paintings of T.S. Harris idyllically capture this summertime fun through images of women standing on beaches and taking dips, allowing the viewer to imagine any time and place through the modern, cropped compositions. Beginning July 13, Harris will have her first solo show at Quidley & Company’s Nantucket Island location that will feature new works of this timeless theme.
For the exhibition, Harris says, “I wanted to capture that feeling of fresh air and sea breezes, and all of those moments that we love about summer and being with our family, being at the beach and having that feeling. When I’m working on a painting that’s really what I’m looking for—those wonderful summer days that we wish we could keep forever.”
The women featured are often dressed in vintage-inspired bathing suits and outfits, as the works are derived from photographs of the past. However, Harris’ aim is to have them represent any woman. “It’s not so much that this is a woman in the ’40s, ’50s or ’60s, but it’s more of a timeless feeling where we say, ‘Oh, that reminds me of…’ It’s not meant to be nostalgic but remind us about how time passes,” Harris elaborates. “Hopefully we can connect with them and identify with them.”
Among the paintings on view will be Summer Swim, which depicts a woman taking her steps into the expansive water before her. “With Summer Swim, I couldn’t tell if it was a lake or a beach, but I loved that figure and the lighting,” explains the artist. In another piece, Beach Beauty, a woman poses on the beach with a towel in her hand, seeming to be what Harris calls “the perfect summer woman.”
Then there is Summer Days, which highlights a fun and welcoming day at the beach, as opposed to some of Harris’ other paintings that tend to be solitary and reflective. “Not all my pieces are as cheerful and can feel a bit more poignant,” says Harris. “I loved this one because it was joyful and reminded me more of a mom waving to kids or friends.”