Oil painter Jennifer McCalmont’s treatment of the coastal light provides a diffused essence that floats atop her paintings; whether they are landscapes or a still life, they all seem to flourish in a dreamlike suspension. Her vivid colors that she marries in her beautiful still life compositions maintain their rich hues, yet avoid being garish due to McCalmont’s deft presentation of the soft light found across the Cape and Islands. 

McCalmont, who shares that she has been drawn to creating art since an early age, and says her mother encouraged her to forge her path to art school, cites Robert Douglas Hunter as one of her most influential mentors. “I was influenced by the Boston School,” as she refers to the iconic Boston-based painters, often called American Impressionists, who were active in the first third of the twentieth century. “I was lucky to have had the chance to become a friend of Robert Douglas Hunter, who was an icon, really such an amazing man. Just to have access to his knowledge, and be able to talk to him, the opportunity to have a history with him is something I will always treasure.” Hunter, whose still life compositions clearly influenced McCalmont’s process and understanding of light, seem to live on through this grateful friend’s art.

Reflecting on the things she learned from Hunter, McCalmont says preparation and organization were key skills he shared, “It was very inspirational to see his studio and his set-ups. I feel like I try to emulate the way he would set-up his compositions, and the way he would have the cast of light coming from either one side or the other. The experiences you have, when people touch your life in subtle but impactful ways can really have an influence on you.” Her still life compositions, due to the thoughtful assemblage of the lush florals, classic porcelains and seaside ephemera, all against dark backdrops, give the feel of old-world classic design.

McCalmont, whose work is prolific, says she paints nearly every day and finds the process of creating plein air to be inspirationally energizing. “It is so important to get outside and really see what the true colors are, and to see what is happening in the landscape, so I paint a lot from life because I love being outside, it’s just so invigorating.” The late David P. Curtis heavily influenced her landscape technique. 

McCalmont shares that she would like to do more landscapes and plans to spend more time this summer capturing the landscapes across the Cape. “I’m trying to be open to exploring things and that includes doing more landscape scenes than I have in the past. I am definitely influenced by the environment I see around me, like beach scenes or dune grasses. I’ll go out and do plein air studies, and then with references and drawings, I’ll take it back into the studio and usually work it up into a larger painting,” she explains. “So, it all starts from what I see as I go to beautiful places and become inspired.” 

Jennifer McCalmont’s work is offered exclusively on the Cape through Gallery 31 at gallery31capecod.com and through her own studio, Evergreen Studio of Hollis, NH, online at egreenstudio.com.