Bob Gordon, a beloved valley artist, passed away on September 8th, leaving the local art world greatly saddened. The Mt Washington Valley Arts Association will be devoting a section of its gallery to display his oil paintings for their January/February show at their Main Street Art Gallery in Norcross Place. All are welcome to view and buy Gordon’s paintings.
Gordon was a well known artist in the valley and had his own gallery on the Kancamagus Highway where his stepson now resides . Bob grew up in Lynn Mass, then spent his time in the Army in the 1960s before enrolling in Monserrat School of art in Beverly Mass. After working as a welder for 10 years, he began his painting career in Salem Mass. Then, in the 1980s, he moved to Conway, purchasing his house and studio on the Kancamagus Highway. He made his mark as a painter during these times, traveling to art shows around the northeast as well as meeting and learning from local artists like Ernie Brown and David Baker.
Besides painting and his love for his wife Dawn, hiking throughout the White Mountains was a passion of his. In recent years, he was always accompanied by his good canine companion Champney. He gained inspiration from the beauty of the vistas and often painted plein air with fellow artist and good friend Bill Fein.
But who was Bob as a person? His good friend Charles Monahan of North Conway said “ Bob was always upbeat and never said a bad thing about anybody.” Valentina Kobilansky of Bartlett took art lessons from Gordon and said “In today’s crazy world, Bob’s studio was like a sanctuary. He was a wonderful human being and a good friend.”
His oil paintings truly express the beauty of this region, capturing the colors, textures and feelings of each locale.
Gordon’s retrospective show will be on display from January 6th through February 28th, Thursdays through Sundays, from 11am until 3pm each day. An opening reception will be held on Saturday, January 8th, 11am to 3pm, with light refreshments.
Along with the retrospective, member artists at the gallery will have a new show “Winter’s Chill” on display. Most member shows include artworks of all types including paintings, sculptures and photographs and a wide variety of styles from realism to total abstraction from 20-25 members, both local and regional. All artworks are originals. The gallery also offers cards, prints, tiles and bookmarks with the artwork printed on them.
See Bob’s artwork here or by clicking his picture below.
