05/28/2026
"Emerging From the Shadow" is a brand new painting by local Pittsburgh artist Dan Marsula. From first glance, the painting almost seems photographic -- but upon closer inspection, you can see the artists' handiwork in color placement and brushwork to achieve an impressionistic style.
Marsula doesn't want his paintings to look like a photo -- yes, there's talent in photo-realism paintings, but then where is the fun in manipulating color? Why be a painter? Hints of violets and reds lie in the shadows and rippling waters, bringing life and movement into the scene. You can almost see the barge slowly pushing forward, the water swaying and reflecting light from the sky and ships' bright white face. While the body of water takes up about half the painting, it doesn't feel like a vast negative space. Each minute brushstroke is perfectly placed, balancing the busier areas of bridge beams and fall foliage.
Painting the steel bridge was quite the challenge, he says. It is so easy to get lost in the fine details of creating each line, each beam in light or shadow. But striving for a "looser" feel means not getting list in the details. Instead, Marsula blocks out the light and shadow first, then goes back in to build (literally) the essential steel beams of the Rankin Bridge.
Across the Monongahela lies Braddock, Rankin, and Swissvale, Pittsburgh neighborhoods that hold special memories for Dan Marsula (and Mark Rengers). Maintaining loose brushstrokes and less-saturated colors pushes the houses and tree-line to the background; atmospheric perspective in action.
I always stress that seeing a painting in person is the only proper way to do so -- photos cannot simply do them justice! Photos naturally flatten the scene and distort colors. This two inch image on your phone is no match for the true details, saturation, and mastery in this painting (and any work, for that matter). Come see the work in person soon before it finds its forever home!
Interested in adding this painting to your collection? Contact Melanie or Mark at the gallery, or visit our website.
