‘Milking Light’ images present coming to Petaluma’s Usher Gallery

As artist Barbara Kelly’s present artwork exhibit “Reflections and Time” prepares to wrap up on Aug. 31, Usher Gallery, in doswntown Petaluma, is on the point of open a brand new present, “Milking Light,” that includes images by Petaluma’s Robert Watson.

“This opening reflects my current beliefs and artistic focus, shaped by today’s social and political climate and by two decades of living and working in Petaluma,” explains Watson. “Through my deep exploration of Petaluma and wider Sonoma County, I’ve witnessed and documented a wealth of natural, cultural and human beauty.”

Watson provides that what he’s discovered right here – one thing he describes as, “the kindness, the stillness, the sense of belonging” – stands out even in opposition to the backdrop of his appreciable world travels.

“There is a particular quality to the light in this region,” he continues, “Soft, quiet, almost sacred. It’s fleeting and elusive, yet the more you seek it out, the more you begin to feel it before it even arrives – you can sense it in the air, see it on the horizon, almost taste it.”

That similar gentle, he factors out, even appears to exist inside most of the individuals he’s encountered right here.

“They carry a kind of reverence for where they live, and they radiate that awareness in how they treat one another,” he mentioned. “It’s a kindness rooted in a deep appreciation of time and place – and in the understanding that this beauty is both rare and fragile.”

Watson has come to name this phenomenon “Milking Light.”

“It’s a soft sheen that coats life here – an atmosphere rich with quiet joy and nourishment,” he mentioned. “At times, it seems to soak through the skin, feeding the spirit with a calm satisfaction that fosters peace, harmony and creative energy.”

That type of softness issues, Watson believes, particularly throughout instances of division and discord.

“Milking Light is not only something to notice and celebrate,” he mentioned. “It is something to protect and defend.”

Watson’s present opens on Tuesday, Sept. 2 and can run by way of Oct. 12. A reception for the artist, with complementary refreshments and stay music by The Hot Clams, will happen on Saturday, Sept. 15.

Usher Gallery is at 1 Petaluma Blvd. N., Petaluma. For extra data, go to Milkinglight.com.