Landscapes exhibition bursts with colour

The paintings of James Vella Clark's latest exhibition are bursting with colour, depicting the artist's inspiration from quaint Maltese villages and the temperamental seasons.

Entitled Open Sky, the exhibition is a collection of 25 landscapes which will be displayed at Vee Gee Bee Art Gallery in Republic Street, Valletta, between March 13-26.

This is the third personal exhibition of the 29-year-old artist who is rapidly gaining ground among art lovers - his most recent exhibition at St James Cavalier was sold out within a few days.

The typical Church dome which dominates the skyline of Maltese villages has now become the artist's trademark, standing out through an array of abstract colour.

"I consider myself very religious and, probably, the recurrent appearance of a dome in my paintings represents my beliefs. Even in our society, religion is still very dominant," he said.

At weekends, Vella Clark roams the villages and countryside capturing the landscape in his memory and transferring it onto canvas in the evening.

"The typical village skyline is the most inspiring factor which consequently finds its way onto my canvas. Then it's the choice of colours, the technique and the effects that determine the mood of a painting," he said.

"Preparing for this exhibition was a short but inspiring journey. A gradual exploration of new perspectives into my work with particular attention to the sky and the choice of new colours to complement and help create the desired mood," he added. The artist allows the magic of every season to set the mood so his paintings can portray the open black skies before a rainstorm or the sun setting on a village.

Vella Clark, who is married with a three-year-old son, juggles his passion for painting between a full-time job in marketing and family life.

"I am always on the go. However, I have to admit recent experiences have taught me the importance of living life day by day and prioritising. Life is full of choices and I may soon have to give up something so as to dedicate more time to my family and, of course to my art," he mused.

"I have been lucky. My wife supports me a lot and I consider her my harshest critic, while my son keeps me company when I'm painting. That's the best an artist could get!"

Charts Investment Management Service Limited is supporting Vella Clark's exhibition.