03 Apr Sorrel Sky Gallery One-Man Show with Colorado Artist Edward Aldrich | May 4, 2018

This one-man show, An Affinity With Wildlife, beginning on May 4, 2018, features the paintings of Edward Aldrich. Up to 12 new works will be on exhibit, spotlighting Aldrich’s personal affinity with wildlife. His ability to reach beyond realistic renderings of wildlife in wild places, conveying the inherent being of an animal, awakens a similar, yet personal affinity within the viewer. Artist reception is during Spring Gallery Walk, on May 11, from 5 to 7 p.m. at Sorrel Sky Gallery’s downtown location at 828 Main Ave. in Durango, CO. The show continues throughout the month of May.

Ned Aldrich was born in Manhattan but grew up with an affinity for open spaces and the outdoors. In his own words, “I have always loved wildlife.” While exploring the concept of putting life into his paintings, he evokes the thrill of witnessing a cougar, wolf or bison in the wild. Aldrich looks for a visual element that strikes him, perhaps lighting that enhances color and contrast, or the intensity of expression he observes when an animal is in its natural setting. At times he places his subject against a contemporary wash of color instead of a traditional landscape, focusing on the animal alone. This minimalistic approach allows us the freedom to create a personal encounter, superimposing our own experience, or wished for experience, on the imagery. The elements that make painting more interesting to him, the sense of emotion and atmosphere, make the final result more interesting and engaging for us as well.

Aldrich earned a B.F.A. from Rhode Island School of Design and is a member of Society of Animal Artists and Oil Painters of America. His work is held in permanent collections including Morgan Stanley Inc., Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, and Wisconsin’s Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum. In 2016 he won the People’s Choice Award at the National Museum of Wildlife Art. Aldrich participates in annual shows such at the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum, the National Museum of Wildlife Art, the Oil Painters of America Annual National Show, and Cheyenne ‘Frontier Days’ Show. The artist has had over two dozen solo exhibitions nationally. He resides and creates in Colorado.

Sorrel Sky Gallery owner, Shanan Campbell Wells, has been representing Aldrich’s work for 15 years. “I’m continually amazed by how Ned’s paintings trigger our deep-rooted connection with the animal world,” she says. “People identify with the intensity of the animal’s expressions, with the energy and emotion they perceive, and it elicits a very personal response.”