Give the gift of art. Our giclee prints are spectacular. "The Hayloft, Martha's Vineyard MA", by Artist Van Crews JR. From the original oil painting, sized at 12x16. From the Stonebreaker Fine Art Gallery. Bill Stonebreaker, Gallery Director.
Artist: Van Crews, Jr.
Little is
known of this very talented Cape Cod artist who painted between 1950 and 1990.
He and his wife lived on the Bass River in West Dennis, MA. We know that he
painted in Martha’s Vineyard, Nantucket, and on Cape Cod. Five of his intricate
and sometimes haunting paintings will be exhibited in our gallery website in
April, 2012. They are previewed below.
These
paintings are from the private collections of two individuals who knew and
socialized with Van Crews Jr. and his wife in their scenic house on the banks
of the Bass River in West Dennis on Cape Cod in the period from 1950-1990. Of
the five paintings, Van Crews chose different mediums with one watercolor, one
oil on stretched canvas, and three oils on masonite. The actual titles and
locations were noted by the artist on a couple of his paintings.
In 1989, the
University of Maryland established the Department of Art Van Crews, Jr. Scholarship.
His purpose was to “Support an annual scholarship for an outstanding student
enrolled in the Department of Art in the College of Arts and Humanities
concentrating in the subject area of design.” Similar scholarships in his name
for aspiring artists were also founded at the University of Pennsylvania and
the University of South Dakota.
Speaking
with the owners of the five paintings by Van Crews, Jr., they have vivid
memories of this intriguing, shy and talented artist. Van Crews, Jr. lived a
tormented inner life and this angst overwhelmed him at one point resulting in
an attempt to take his life. His life was saved by the Bass River Harbor Master
who was a friend and fellow artist. After this suicide attempt, Mr. Crews recalled
all of his works from area art galleries. He made a personal decision to do no
more art works and to retire from painting. He quickly notified all of his closest friends
and sold many of his works to the people most dear to him, those to whom he
entrusted with his most prized possessions, his art works. One of the owners of
the paintings in our gallery recalls having a friend at her home that recognized
Van Crews’ artwork hanging on her wall. She said that this same painting was
displayed in a high end Nantucket Island art gallery two years prior, selling
for $10,000, and further that she was very surprised to see such a valuable
painting displayed in a private home rather than a museum.
It is both
exciting and emotionally revealing to discover an artist of this caliber,
insight. and excellence. His works are sensitively unique and extremely in
depth, displaying beautiful detail and miniscule strokes, and demonstrating an awe
inspiring use of light and shadow. Some of the artwork displayed here leaves
you wondering what the artist was thinking and attempting to bring forth, yet one
is continuously and always amazed by his artistic execution. While Van Crews
Jr. may have many of his paintings in private collections, there are few
sightings of his artwork and life history on the web or in any museums, adding
to this contemporary artist’s allure and mystery.