Chroma Gallery

The Chroma Gallery is a cooperative founded by 32 artists united in their commitment to capturing radiant light and color in their work. The artists have been widely recognized in local, regional and national shows, and bring to the gallery a wealth of artistic talent and a range of styles. The group includes art graduates from various colleges and universities, in addition to those who've studied with nationally renowned artists.

This approach to art is influenced by historical perspectives on color and painting used by the Impressionists, especially Claude Monet. Monet was the first artist to emphasize light and its effect on color. His unique way of seeing light and translating what he saw into his paintings was a mystery until one of his contemporaries, Charles Hawthorne, began teaching his interpretation at the Cape School of Art in Massachusetts.

One of Hawthorne's many students, master colorist Henry Hensche, carried on this tradition at the Cape School, building upon Hawthorne's concepts for over 50 years. Susan Sarback, a founding member of the Chroma Gallery, studied under Hensche and is continuing the evolution of these teachings through her School of Light and Color, the first of its kind on the West Coast.

Because our eyes aren't trained to perceive it, most of us don't see the richer realm of color that exists in every kind of light. Through careful observation, the Chroma Gallery artists interpret the "language of light," thus revealing this new world of color. With light as the subject, they explore the full spectrum of color, which permeates every object or scene. The result of following this approach is the radiance of light and color in the paintings you see on this site.