HOLMES BEACH – Island Gallery West’s January Featured Artist, Darryl Goldman, paints what he loves and draws inspiration from his life experiences and his strong faith. A display of Goldman’s art titled “Simple Memories” takes center stage in the front window of the gallery in Holmes Beach. Oil paintings of animals range from exotic birds to farm animals including sheep.
“I like to paint sheep because of my faith,” Goldman said. “The Bible is full of sheep, and I really enjoy painting them. The mules come from growing up around farms. My relatives had farms in Mississippi and growing up, there were always mules.”
Goldman is a retired Army Chaplain who served for 25 years in the U.S. and Europe. Spending a great deal of time in Germany, he often found time to paint the beautiful sights of Bavaria, but since there was never enough time for oil to dry, his Army days were spent painting with watercolors, which dry much faster. After retiring, Goldman and his wife, Linda, spent more than two years traveling the country, which allowed him to work many plein air scenes (paintings done outside, on location). There are multiple examples of Goldman’s plein air works on display, ranging from farm life in the upper Midwest to nautical scenes in Cortez.
“I really like to paint from old black and white photos,” said Goldman, who pointed out examples on display at the gallery which he painted from old photographs that caught his eye. “I painted that trailer court down there. I imagine you don’t see too many trailer park paintings, but being new to Florida, I just found it fascinating.”
“Simple Memories” will be on display until the end of January, and all works on display are available for purchase. You can meet Goldman on Friday, Jan. 14 from 5:30-7:30 p.m. at the monthly Holmes Beach Art Walk reception. There will be drinks and bites, live music by Chip Ragsdale and plenty of art.
Island Gallery West is at 5368 Gulf Drive, Holmes Beach. Gallery hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday. For more information call 941-778-6648 or visit www.islandgallerywest.com.
