Seven Days in the Valley

The shape and symbol of a circle (Tondo meaning round in Italian) has fascinated painters for centuries. Most marvel at its unity and historic journey echoing our relationship with those matters of the spirit. And yet, a circle within a square conveys the spirit within the physical world - the four points of the square inferring the points of the compass. As an early Renaisance principle, western painters continue today to use the Tondo whether they're conscious of its origins or not; origins that go back thousands of years in the visual language of man.

The circle also conveys the concept of a cycle. The life cycle for instance, or something as evident as the cycle of a day, a week, or a year. Seven Days in the Valley is just that simple. The implications of selecting a single observation from a single day in the cycle of a week inspired these works. The inherent suggestion of the spirit in each work is yours to determine or reject. Things have all changed now as we become (hopefully not for long) more interiorized and less likely to venture out as we once freely did not so long ago. Hope you enjoy these works at least virtually. They will soon be at Secord Gallery in Halifax. https://www.secordgallery.com/art/


Steven Rhude, Wolfville, NS

Valley Drizzle (Tondo), oil on masonite attached to square masonite, 14" x 14"




Boy and Gold Fish Pond (Tondo), oil on masonite attached to square masonite, 14" x 14"




Woman and Church (Tondo), oil on masonite attached to square masonite, 14" x 14"



Boy with Truffala Tree (Tondo), oil on masonite attached to square masonite, 14" x 14"



Five Bales (Tondo), oil on masonite attached to square masonite, 14" x 14"



Black Shawl and Shed (Tondo), oil on masonite attached to square masonite, 14" x 14"



Boat with Black Tarp, (Tondo), oil on masonite attached to square masonite, 14" x 14"

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