Boston painter falls for Bermuda's 'captivating' light

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 8: The “intensity and liveliness” of Bermuda’s natural light has captivated the new artist in residence at Masterworks.

Jana Matusz, whose exhibition opens this month, puts Bermuda’s light on a par with the world’s top “artists’ colonies” including Cape Cod, Massachusetts and St. Ives in Cornwall, England.

Matusz studied art at Harvard University, Oxford, the Academy of Fine Art in Krakow, Poland and the Massachusetts College of Art. She is a plein air painter who works primarily with acrylic, and draws using water-soluble media. Her work has focused on landscape but includes still life, figure, and animals.

She said: “The intensity and the liveliness of the light is captured by the beautiful intense turquoise waters, the palm trees and interesting vegetation, and the unique and distinctive Bermudian architecture.

“I am so in love with the architecture. I’m captivated by the white roofs, the solid grace, the delightful details and the simple, strong forms that give that gorgeous light something wonderful to fall on.

“For an artist who loves composition, colour and light, painting in Bermuda is a real treat.”

In the last two months, Matusz has painted scenes from locations in St George’s including Tobacco Bay, Coot Pond and Fort St Catherine as well as elsewhere on the island including the Botanical Gardens.

Outside of St. George’s she’s painted often at the Botanical Gardens and will be on hand on June 9 for afternoon tea at Homer’s Café. Her exhibition takes place at the Masterworks at the Botanical Gardens on June 17. It runs until June 29.