The shot at an early start on the Christmas art market by the Lighthouse Tearoom Gallery seems to have been remarkably successful despite the daunting handicap of having a gigantic crane filling most of its parking lot for the opening party (and an unspecified time hereafter). This is to effect the long overdue repairs on the lighthouse railing. Not only does the crane inhibit visitors, it periodically makes the expectable industrial din. When this competes with the insistent bass of the tearoom?s background music it isn?t conducive to the peaceful contemplation of art.

Eight artists make up the collection and their styles are wide ranging.

The show opens with two works by Fayelle Wharton. She puts together old postcards, stamps and other bits and pieces to create the appearance of somewhat contrived antiques. It may be fun, but as art it is questionable. The same criticism applies to Christopher Grimes. He paints in oils from old postcards and photographs and has a precise, exacting style that quite accurately reflects the slightly faded, flat effect of the old postcards. He is, however, in essence a copyist.

Otto Trott is, and for long has been, one of Bermuda?s foremost artists. He has a distinctive style, a rich painting technique, a unique approach to both foliage and water, and a fine sense of Bermuda?s unique light. It is always mildly unsettling, therefor, to find his output so uneven. In this show ?Palmettos? is in his best landscape tradition and ?Old Liz? would be amongst his better boat takes if only the water were comfortably finding its own level according to the laws of physics. ?Gate, Harrington Sound? is disappointingly composed in flat sequences and the execution verges on the fussy for so confident an artist.

Angela Gentleman has stayed with her geometric abstracts, here smaller than usual. Neither the colour schemes nor the balance of the compositions in this group of six are as pleasing as usual and I found myself in unusual agreement with whoever purchased ?Contradiction?. It was certainly the best of the group.

Emma Ingham Dubouk according to my flyer had ?promised some new street scenes done with pen, ink and watercolour.? I was hoping for more of the brilliant architectural pen and inks seen in the last show and was disappointed with work I had seen before and not the artist?s best ? and for that reason, unsold.

Jackie Stevenson?s ?On the Beach? has no relationship to the famous Neville Shute novel of the same title, but her monoprint is nevertheless a compelling work of drama and conviction. Its strength, unfortunately, makes her adjacent two watercolours look limp and tentative.

Karen Dyer?s style is one that requires a great deal of experience behind it before it can convey everything the artist is seeking,particularly since she is obsessed with the sea and its movement, a demanding study, to say the least. There are touches of excellence in all five of the artist?s oils and time should allow the coherence of a unique and powerful style. I?m sure the effect wasn?t intended, but to me the look of ?Elbow Beach? was that of an incoming tsunami that would have wiped everything on the South Shore off the map.

As always Christopher Marson is at his best when he is at his least. Two of his watercolours here, ?Franks Bay? and ?Palms, John Smith?s Bay?, are amongst his best. Their deft, minimal brushstrokes define far more than might be thought possible. Two others, however, ?Cottage, Hog Bay Level? and ?End of Day? verge on the fussy ? at least in the Marson league they do. An acrylic, ?Overlook, Warwick Long Bay? was an understated work almost in the Marson watercolour tradition and extremely attractive.

This is an interesting and very varied show of small works well priced for the Christmas season. Brave the crane and its attendant collection of empty and idle trucks and have a look!