Mountains to Coast exhibit at the Customs House Museum starting November 8th

Clarksville, TN – “Mountains to Coast represents a collection of my favorite subjects to paint. I have found the mountains of Tennessee, the coastal areas of Maine and the Carolinas and American historical sites inspirational. My work reflects the cultural, spiritual and natural environments of these areas. These paintings span more than ten years of reflecting on what I have seen and want to communicate to the viewer,” states Tennessee watercolorist Denton Ridge in reference to his exhibit at the Customs House Museum.

Denton Ridge attended the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga and is an associate member of the Tennessee Watercolor Society, the American Watercolor Society, and the Association of Visual Arts of Chattanooga.

He has worked with water media for more than twenty years, experimenting with both dry and wet brush techniques. His method of drybrush is to splay out the hairs of the brush with little water and apply more color to control the details in the painting. The method is done over watercolor washes that closely resemble the color values desired.

Ridge’s work is heavily influence by that of Andrew Wyeth and Winslow Homer. Like Wyeth, Ridge’s suite of landscapes does not have any figures shown, but a presence of life can often be perceived. Denton loves traditional and natural subjects; consequently he applies a great deal of earth tones in order to recreate the rugged shores, rocks, and vast terrains of Maine and the southern costal life.

There are elements in the subjects that have both light and shadow and areas of precise visual detail. After hours of sketching and painting, the final image often reflects a solitude, stillness, and sometimes mystery, along with an element of comfort and familiarity.

Mountains to Coast will be on exhibit from November 8th through January 7th.

For more information on above event contact Terri Jordan, Exhibits Curator, at 931.648.5780 or terri@customshousemuseum.org.

About the Customs House Museum

Located in the heart of historic downtown Clarksville, Tennessee, the Customs House Museum and Cultural Center is the State’s second largest general museum. With over 35,000 square feet of the region’s best hands-on activities and special events…people of all ages agree – the Customs House Museum is well worth the stop!

The Explorer’s Gallery is packed with fun, learning and fantasy in Aunt Alice’s Attic, McGregor’s Market and kitchen, and of course – the Bubble Cave! Finally, get “all aboard” to see our fantastic model trains. Our volunteer engineers “ride the rails” every Sunday afternoon from 1:00pm to 4:00pm.

Regular museum hours are 10:00am to 5:00pm Tuesday through Saturday, and 1:00pm to 5:00pm on Sundays. Adult admission is $7.00, Sr. Citizens and College ID $5.00, Ages 6 to 18 $3.00, and under six is free.

The Customs House Museum is located at 200 South Second Street. For more information, call 931.648.5780 or visit their website at www.customshousemuseum.org