Local Artist and Former Professor at the William Ris Gallery, May 27

STONE HARBOR – David Ahlsted, Local Artist and Former Stockton College Professor, at the William Ris Gallery, Memorial Day Weekend, Saturday, May 27th.
The William Ris Gallery will be hosting a one-man show for David Ahlsted, an accomplished and recognized artist and educator in the fine arts. A reception celebrating the official beginning of the summer season will be open to the public on Saturday, May 27th from 5 -9 PM.
Mr. Ahlsted oversaw the Visual Arts department at Richard Stockton College for 30 years. Since his retirement, Mr. Ahlsted has concentrated on commissions for installations at the new Student Center under construction at RSC. David Ahlsted’s enthusiasm and love for the Southern New Jersey coast is mirrored in his detailed paintings. His pallet is bold with a mastery of shadows and light. The body of work includes figurative work with a beach backdrop. Mr. Ahlsted’s images are thought provoking and ethereal. His still life work is vivid and dramatic.
David Ahlsted’s artist statement:
“I am a realist painter, in that I paint the recognizable world. Like the work of the painters who have influenced me, the aesthetic balance of my work tilts slightly toward the abstract aspects of painting, rather than description.
Content plus geometry, color, light, and shadow.
My method of working is serial, as over a period of months I work on many related paintings that share an inter-relationship of theme, structure and syntax. Each series of paintings are an expansion of the previous series, with the addition of new concepts and inspirations.
My three principal series of paintings have been inspired by the environment in which I live and work, the rivers and seasons of the New Jersey Pinelands, the beaches of Southern New Jersey, and the industrial waterfronts of Camden and Philadelphia. I work on each series simultaneously, taking insights learned from one, and applying to another. The artistic process is one of evolution.”