ORLEANS, MASS. – The Addison Art Gallery, 43 South Orleans Road, will hold an artist’s reception for the opening of new oils by Arnold Desmarais Saturday, August 18 from 5 to 7 pm.

Desmarais’s paintings portray coastal environments with understanding that comes from a lifetime spent by the sea. A native of Massachusetts, Desmarais grew up surrounded by a family of artists and artisans. He began sketching as a very young boy and then paid for his studies at the Rhode Island School of Design by selling his watercolors.

Desmarais then continued his involvement in art in the fashion industry, working with Pierre Cardin, Anne Klein, Bill Blass and Erté as a designer. His travels offered him the opportunity to study and learn from the masters in museums and galleries throughout Europe, Russia and the Orient.

In recent years, Desmarais has devoted himself to oil painting stating that “Oil has the strength to create the intensity of hue and, more importantly, the shadows that tell my story.”

A preview will take place Friday, August 17, or at www.addisonart.com. The show will hang through Thursday, August 23.

For information, 508-255-6200.