Island artists Sean and Leslie Hartnett will be showing their work at their home and studio on Saturday, July 21 from 4 to 7 p.m. (rain date is Sunday, July 22). Sean Hartnett’s sensuous stone sculpture will be on view in their living room gallery as well as in his barn studio. Larger sculptures are on the spacious lawn and on the deck. Leslie Hartnett’s many terra-cotta majolica reliefs of flowers, and fruits are hung on panels on the walls outside.
The Hartnetts live and work in Pietrasanta, Italy, during the winter months. They find Italy a rich source of materials and inspiration, which blends happily with the spirit of Block Island. Pietrasanta and nearby Carrara are important centers for the import/export of marble, granite and onyx from all over the world as well as the location of quarries of pure white Carrara marble. Many famous artists, from Michelangelo to Henry Moore, have worked there. The beautiful red clay that Leslie uses for her reliefs comes from the Tuscan hills nearby.
This year Sean has some spectacular new work in translucent white and honey onyx. Leslie has created a series of still lifes: “Birds and figs,” “Lemons and Pomegranates,” “Corn and Yellow Roses” are a few.
There will be red arrows off Cooneymus Road to mark the way to the Hartnetts at the end of Southwest Point Road.