September 14, 2015 | Posted in:Vellum News

 

 

Grant Haffner’s skyline paintings remind me of summers spent on Martha’s Vineyard. The lonely roads surrounded by water are the type you find creeping through beach side towns. Due to the water’s highly reflective qualities, these seaside skies offers many different color schemes throughout the day.  These eventually turn into narratives about mood and possess a meditative quality. The artist got his ideas from traveling around his native South Hampton on New York’s Long Island. A beautiful community east of the city. Perhaps not quite as exclusive as the Vineyard, still an idyllic spot rich with landscape. Another interesting fact about Haffner’s paintings is that he uses a combination of paint and magic marker. This lends a coloring book feel.  The hues are bright, but subtle at the same time and finds the perfect balance of shade. There’s a 70’s vibe going on and the artist mentions in his statement that he likes painting with the idea of the open road in mind where anything is possible. His paintings certainly do possess a certain kind of freedom. One that uses the road as a common metaphor for change.