Daily Local News (West Chester, PA)
It’s winter, but the flowers are blooming in West Chester
WEST CHESTER >> If you are singing the wintertime blues, Church Street Gallery has the cure.
From Jan. 18 to Feb. 22, 22 Charles Jay “Flowers of Paradise” oil paintings will be on display at the 12 South Church Street gallery.
Jay paints nearly-neon colored flower displays. He throws in some bugs, butterflies and jewelry. The flowers glow.
Jay accurately replicates some types of flowers, but others are figments of his imagination.
“I make things up as I go along,” the 71-year-old Jay said. “Painting makes me feel like I’ve done something with life.”
The former West Chester, and current Morton resident, speaks directly and plainly.
“I want to leave my mark, but painting is just something I do,” he said. “I don’t’ have to do it.
“Everybody’s born with a skill. It all depends if you find it – use it.”
Twenty-one of 22 oil paintings sold to an individual collector prior to the opening of the show on Jan. 18.
Artist John Suplee works for gallery owner Carol Giblin. Suplee said it is “difficult to classify” Jay’s work.
Suplee said it might be considered Naive, Outsider Art, Surrealistic or even Fantastic Realism.
“You draw something and fill in the lines with paint,” Jay said, when saying that some describe his work as Primitive Surrealism. “I don’t think like the Old Masters.”
Jay submitted the 22 paintings, one at a time, over a three-year time period — he visited less than once per month.
All the paintings depict crowded flowers and Suplee said Jay creates a “symmetrical arrangement.”
Jay attended the Academy of Fine Arts for a year where he took classes in clay, engraving, busts, painting and drawing. He was drawn to the painting class and skipped the clay class.
A professor noticed Jay’s leanings and had him draw and paint balls, blocks and triangles in a bid to study light and shape.
Jay shoveled snow and was able to buy his first art supplies at Wanamaker’s in the city. During the ‘70s he was able to purchase three yards of fabric to paint on for 99 cents.
Jay almost exclusively works with oil paint. He prefers the consistency to what he said is “watery” acrylics.
The exhibit at the Church Street Galley runs Jan. 18 to Feb. 22. An opening reception will take place Friday Jan. 18 from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. The gallery is open Wednesday and Thursday from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. and Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information, go to www.churchstreetgallerywc.com.