By John Chambless
Staff Writer

The solo show of paintings by Annapolis-based artist David Diaz at the Longwood Gallery has a pleasant, sunny glow and reflects a fine, mature style.

The Kennett Square gallery has a wall full of small- to medium-size works that have nicely unexpected subject matter – such as the un-lovely tanks in the shadowed foreground of “The Back Fields Winery,” but the scene has a splendid depth and a nearly palpable sense of cool shadow and midday warmth.

“Hidden Out of the Way” is a view of wooded lakeside path, with a small boat on a trailer sitting in the shade. The only winter scene, “Winter Comes to Chadds Ford,” has an unconventional viewpoint, and it has a just-right, soft gray tone.

“The Old Bridge” is another little gem – an overgrown bridge abutment, shaded passageway underneath, and overgrown weeds on a sloping bank. “Koi Pond: Winterthur” gets the vivid orange color of the fish, and the open-mouthed koi looking at the viewer is an attention-grabber.

Other notable works include the largest landscape, “A Small Herd,” and the colorful city awnings in “Italian Market,” but there are really no weak paintings in the show. The exhibition works well as a whole, and the paintings skillfully avoid the dreaded Chester County barns-and-bridges cliché. It's well worth seeing.

Longwood Art Gallery (200 E. State St., Kennett Square) is hosting works by David Diaz through Nov. 28. For more information, call 610-444-0146 or visit www.longwoodartgallery.com.

To contact Staff Writer John Chambless, email [email protected].