By John Chambless
Staff Writer

There’s a lovely, soft green-brown tone to Tim Wadsworth’s watercolors that gives them a unifying sense of place, whether it’s the Brandywine Valley or the coast of Maine. His solo show at Barbara Moore Fine Art in Chadds Ford opens on May 1 with an artist’s reception from 5 to 8 p.m. The show continues through May 15.

Wadsworth gets a wonderful depth in his view of a winter stream and pale, slanting light on tree trunks in “Thin Ice on the West Branch,” and a deep swirl of reflective stream surface in “Muskrat Alley.”

Even his smaller watercolors – the russet and green woods and road in “Murphy Road” and the portrait of an inquisitive goat in “Billy” – have an assured air and fine details that reward repeat inspection.

“High Water Mark” implies past drama with a drape of marsh grass wrapped around tree trunks on the bank of the Brandywine. “Lobsta” is a quintessential Maine view of a discarded lobster claw on a rocky shore.

One of Wadsworth’s best is “Mother,” an expressively gnarled old sycamore that seems to be gesturing with its twisted branches. His small autumn farm view, “Harvest,” is a tidy scene bathed in a just-right autumn light.

Over the fireplace in the gallery is “Lowell’s Boat Shop,” with stacked rowboats and a sweeping water view beyond the windows. The 1793 location is the oldest operating boat shop in America, according to Wadsworth’s notes, and his painting of it has a strength and serenity befitting the subject.

Barbara Moore Fine Art (1609 Baltimore Pike, Chadds Ford) is open Wednesday to Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday from noon to 5 p.m. Call 484-776-5174 or visit www.barbaramoorefineart.com.

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