Andover painter's work to be shown in Cape Cod exhibit
Jul. 26—ANDOVER — Painter Bill Gotha will be showing off his work at the Gallery Antonia on Cape Cod next month.
The gallery is located at 1291 Main St., Chatham. A reception is planned Aug. 4 from 5 to 7 p.m.
Gotha, 74 of Andover, specializes in painting New England landscapes and seascapes. The exhibit is called "Waterways of Cape Cod and New England," and will feature 20 of Gotha's paintings.
According to Gotha, seascapes provide the perfect opportunity for creating what he calls a "pathway" into the painting.
"The whole idea is to bring the viewer into the painting in an interesting way," he said.
He explained that pathways allow an artist to bring the viewer on an "enjoyable journey."
"One thing that you are looking for in a painting is to create a pathway in. Sometimes people use a road or a dirt road to do that. But water is a wonderful pathway in, because it is different, natural, it has a different color so it tends to stand out," Gotha said.
In order to capture the movement of water, the artist says you have to study it under different circumstances. He gave an example of knowing what impacts water in different areas. For example, Gotha said the open ocean is more about wind, while shallower water is about the terrain beneath the waves.
Gotha also stresses the importance of understanding palette and light.
He refers to water as a "transparent mirror" for reflecting light that shines down and reveals what is underneath.
"If you paint a glass of water you are basically painting light," said Gotha. "It's just going to have some grays and some blues and some slight suggestions of shape."
Gotha has experienced quite a lot of water both in his paintings and having served in the U.S. Navy.
Gotha made his first painting when he was 12 years old as part of a "paint out," which Gotha describes as an event where people go to one place to paint the scene.
Gotha recalls a visit to West Springfield's town commons. His painting ended up on the front of the towns annual report.
"I was really excited," he said.
After that, Gotha continued to paint, although he was forced to slow down while he worked both in the Navy and for a marketing company.
Now though, after retiring from the marketing work, Gotha has returned to painting.
"I have painted all my life but not with the intensity that I am painting with now," he said.
Anyone interested in seeing Gotha's work closer to home can visit Memorial Hall Library located at 2 North Main St. in Andover.
