In a book that spans coasts and decades, a Brandywine Valley impressionist plein-air painter is giving readers a look at the places that have defined her career. The self-titled \u201cJacalyn Beam,\u201d released in May and set for a more formal launch and signing this fall, gathers a curated selection of Beam\u2019s work from this area and the California coast.<\/p>\n
This is Beam\u2019s first book devoted solely to her paintings. \u201cI\u2019ve been in four other books and multiple magazines,\u201d Beam explains. \u201cBut it\u2019s always been as a chapter and not as a monograph.\u201d<\/p>\n
Rather than attempting a complete retrospective, the artist sent approximately 200 images to a designer known as \u201ca leader in the field of publishing art books,\u201d Beam says. From there, Beam stepped back and let the expert decide. \u201cThat\u2019s not my area of expertise,\u201d she says. \u201cSometimes in our lives, we have to let others who have the expertise help.\u201d The designer selected and arranged roughly 85 images, about a third of which have already earned national awards in juried shows.<\/p>\n
The book ranges from Brandywine Valley\u2019s scenery to the dramatic light of Carmel, California, where Beam maintains a gallery on the Monterey Peninsula. The Brandywine Valley, however, remains at the heart of her vision. \u201cMy favorite places to paint are everywhere in the Brandywine Valley,\u201d she says, ticking off \u201crolling landscapes, the streams, the historic homes, the broad open fields\u201d as constant sources of inspiration.<\/p>\n
Along with the paintings, the book has a forward written by Amanda Burdan, senior curator of the Brandywine Museum of Art. Commentaries include those by Lorelei Gabel, owner of Carmel Fine Art Gallery; Molly Giordano, executive director of Delaware Art Museum; and Chris Strand, executive director of Winterthur Museum, Garden & Library.<\/p>\n
Published by Brilliant Graphics, the volume is meant to serve as both a keepsake for Beam\u2019s family and friends and a record for clients and collectors. \u201cI think it was time that I put together a compilation of my paintings,\u201d she says, noting that the work also \u201cdocuments our region\u201d as it changes over time.<\/p>\n
The book is available at Brandywine Museum of Art<\/a> and Delaware Art Museum<\/a> and at Jacalyn Beam\u2019s website<\/a>. A book launch will be held at Delaware Art Museum on October 22, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.<\/p>\n