Denis Orloff : A Journey through Painted Landscapes
SMI Academy Square Gallery
33 Plymouth Street
Montclair, NJ 07042
HOURS: Mon – Fri, 7am – 7pm
or by appointment
Denis Orloff’s favorite subjects to paint are landscapes or scenes that capture an emotion or a moment in time. These are universally appealing subjects.
“The strongest reaction I get to my work happens when the viewer is reminded of a place or time that was meaningful to them; the play of light in the shadows on the ground or a rustic old building that reminds them of childhood memory.
These images are like shared memories and I love to share them with others.”
The exhibit is comprised of Denis’ wonderous landscape paintings, each evoking a strong emotion through the deft depiction of light, shadows, and the beauty of nature.
Academy Square Gallery is open to the public Monday through Friday from 7am to 7pm.
Artist’s Statement
The world around us is bathed in natural light and I believe we must open our eyes to see the beauty that light brings to our world.
I have always been drawn to it. Light is everything. We cannot live without it: from the early morning light to the fading golden hour, and finally the light of twilight which affects our emotions and how we feel about our environment. I believe that the depiction of light is one of the most difficult and most gratifying things I can accomplish in a painting. Truly it is the different colors of light that brings with it the profound feelings of deep emotions. I love to create images bathed in afternoon light, as well as depicting the subtle details in the shadows, just waiting to be found by the viewer that change a location from ordinary to ethereal.
My mission is to relate these transcendently illuminated moments in every one of my paintings.
About The Artist
Denis Orloff remembers drawing as early as kindergarten when his crayon drawing of the Mayflower garnered attention form his teachers. They asked him if he wanted to be an artist when he grew up. From that moment on Denis knew he wanted to be an artist.
Orloff moved to NYC at age 17. At Parsons, Orloff learned illustration theory. After seeing a watercolor work by a friend at school, Denis felt an instant connection to watercolor as a medium. He taught himself how to paint with it and has used it ever since.
Orloff says: “I have always been drawn to the light. The light is everything. We cannot live without it. Golden Hour, sunrises and sunsets, early morning light and the fading light of twilight. I believe that the depiction of light is one of the hardest and most gratifying things I can do in a painting.”
Denis began to paint in acrylics and after painting a series of landscapes, he had his first solo show at the Dan Epstein Gallery in Montclair. The response was terrific.