Two distinct approaches to landscape painting

Two groups of paintings currently hanging at the River Arts galleries in Morrisville are a study in contrast.

Both “Realism” by Bob Titterton and “Waterways” by John Sargent showcase Mother Nature’s landscape but that’s where the similarities end. The subjects of the paintings not only differ but the artists’ approaches are also miles apart.

Titterton’s work occupies the second-floor gallery and is the more expansive of the shows. A graphic showing several pictures of a painting in progress, with accompanying descriptions, greets people as they enter the gallery. It’s a frame-by-frame look at how the artist layers his canvas. The graphic serves as a window into Titterton’s process and for someone who isn’t a painter, a fascinating look into how a painting can come together.

The paintings are varied in subject but favor lake and pond scenes, but the show also includes various renderings of Titterton’s travels to places like Machu Pichu, Sedona, the Azores and a few city scenes.

What all his work shares is a distinct style. Lush and vibrant, colors pop off the canvas. The scenes are vivid but not exaggerated or cartoonish. Even the ancient stone walls of Machu Pichu have a vivid pop.

Most of the time, Titterton doesn’t try to hide his rich and detailed brush work, and it works perfectly for his subject matter. A pond scene, for example, is lush with vegetation, shimmering water and a great blue heron. Stand back and you can see foliage. But getting up close reveals seemingly millions of tiny brush strokes comprising each leaf and flower.

Titterton’s sense of composition is strong, but his eye for detail is even stronger. His use of light and water, impressive brushstrokes and attention to detail work perfectly together.

Each painting includes a description by the artist, a pleasant bit of context that is rarely present at most galleries.

Sargent’s work hangs on the main level in a smaller, but impactful showing. His work, by contrast, has a simple, sparse look. Where Titterton’s landscapes are lush with detail, Sargent’s are clean and stripped down. His focus is more on composition and overall effect. He picks a few main elements and puts great effort into their arrangement.

Soft, smooth and airy, these canvases often contrast the angular shapes of rocks and ice with the more abstract shapes of water or clouds. His brushwork is more controlled, less obvious and only plays a prominent role, when necessary, like the froth of a waterfall. The result is as if Sargent is showing us a realistic landscape through the fog of a dream.

What’s most engaging about this show is seeing two very different takes on landscape in proximity. Two painters working with similar subject matter, but with distinctly different styles. It’s well worth wandering through the galleries if you are in downtown Morrisville.

“Realism” and “Waterways” are on display at River Arts in Morrisville through May 17.