It’s an image of Ocean City that has stood the test of time -- the clear blue sky, sunlit boardwalk and in the distance, the Ferris wheel at the Inlet. Ocean Gallery World Center and artist Paul DeRemigis Jr. now proudly proclaim that DeRemigis’s intentionally very affordable pen and ink color boardwalk scene is the best-selling open edition Ocean City print of all time.
Ocean Gallery “Boardwalk Legend” Joe Kro-Art and DeRemigis, “Artist of the Year for 2009,” say the print is so recognizable that it doesn’t need a title. The iconic boardwalk scene, Kro-Art says, is the most popular because it makes people “feel good”– it’s so identifiable -- if you’ve ever visited the Ocean City boardwalk, you’ll know DeRemigis has captured its essence with the print. “It’s more than a souvenir,” Kro-Art says. “It’s really taking Ocean City home with you.” DeRemigis, who routinely works on his latest pieces while sitting in front of the Ocean Gallery, says simply “it makes people happy.”
DeRemigis, who has been featured at Ocean Gallery World Center for over 27 years, says he gets plenty of feedback from passersby on the boardwalk and that he takes their suggestions to heart. A self-taught artist, DeRemigis is infinitely approachable and enthusiastic about his art. A Baltimore native, DeRemigis creates images of Eastern Shore scenes ranging from the tall ship Pride of Baltimore in full sail to the Fenwick Island Lighthouse – all have been sold all over the world. Each scene is captured with attention to the most minute detail, bringing a distinctive sense of light and shadow.
DeRemigis spends 200 to 250 hours on each original, creating crisp, lifelike images with impossibly tiny dots and dashes, and then brings them to life with watercolors. He sketches from photographs, he says, focusing on one area of the image at a time “as if putting a large puzzle together.” Although he continues to explore other media, DeRemigis says he’s content with his current style. “I like the character of pen work,” he says.
At Ocean Gallery World Center, DeRemigis has found the perfect home. No one has done more to make art approachable than Kro-Art, who has been honored globally on the Discovery Channel, HDTV and Travel Channel for presenting fine art as entertainment. Every inch of the gallery is covered with art or with a handwritten sign, celebrity photographs, and clippings of Kro-Art’s many famous events publicizing Ocean City.
“Life is Art and Art is Life,” Kro-Art’s mantra, fits him to a tee. Whether it’s the “Batmobile” (“The Most Photographed car in MD!”) – an “art car” festooned with all manner of recycled electronics and kitchen tools -- or a real “Feel Good” experience, it all fits into his vision of bringing art – and a smile – to everyone he meets.
Ocean Gallery is located at Boardwalk and 2nd Street in Ocean City. For more information, call 410-289-5300. |
