Gerald Peters Gallery will host its first solo exhibition of paintings by American contemporary realist George Sorrels. “George Sorrels: Recent Paintings” will be on view at the Upper East Side gallery March 3-April 2. An opening reception with the artist will take place on Thursday, March 3, 6 to 8 pm.

The exhibition will include 16 miniature oil on panel landscape paintings and four “imaginary” garden paintings, all dating from 2002 to 2005.

Mr Sorrels demonstrates superb draftsmanship and an eye for detail in his countryside scenes of Pennsylvania and his birth state of Texas. His use of subtle gradations in color and light lends a sense of atmosphere and depth to the paintings, while providing an exacting realism. The landscapes utilize simple compositions and an intimate scale to create a view of nature both modest and grand, from rolling green hills to dramatic red rocks.

Providing an alternative perspective on Mr Sorrels’ talents, his four “imaginary” garden scenes are drawn from the artist’s imagination. Starting with drawings of found leaves and flowers, Mr Sorrels fashions these complex montages over a period of four to six months, resulting in dynamic, multilayered paintings that exhibit a depth of meaning and variety of materials.

Mr Sorrels was born in 1944 in Ennis, Texas. He studied at the University of Texas, Austin, and at the Cranbrook Academy of Art, Bloomfield Hills, Mich. He is a recently retired professor of fine arts at Kutztown University in Kutztown, Penn.

The gallery is at 24 East 78th Street, just off Madison Avenue. For information, 212-628-9760.