The Plympton Collection - Featured Artist

Bernard Corey

1914 - 2000

Bernard Corey, known and loved for his delicate New England landscapes, is considered one of the best New England plein aire artists of the 20^th Century.

Corey was born on September 3, 1914 in Grafton, Massachusetts, living his entire life in the house that his Grandfather built in South Grafton. From an early age he grew to have a deep love of nature and spent much of his time in the woods surrounding his home. His love of art also began at an early age, and he was encouraged by his parents to develop his drawing skills. Although he had no formal art training during this early period he taught himself to render nature in oils and watercolors.

After his Mother’s passing, in the early sixties, he made the decision to dedicate his life to being an artist. He moved to Rockport for a short time to hone his skills and quickly establish himself as a professional artist. He returned to South Grafton to continue painting and taught in the Douglas, Massachusetts’ Public Schools. Teaching the value of art to young children was very important to him, because he felt that it would stay with them throughout their lives. He opened the world of art to hundreds of young people and both inspired and challenged hundreds of other accomplished artists with his devotion to open-air drawing and painting.

Corey always drew his inspiration from nature. He felt that it was necessary to paint directly from the source as opposed to working in the studio or from photographs. He had certain feelings about this and never wavered. He did not care for a photographic kind of art and questioned why so many contemporary artists would not step out their front door and go directly to the source. “I’ve never worked from a slide and never will. My photos are a record of a good time – they’re souvenirs.” He painted a variety of subject matter, in oils and watercolors, on location throughout New England.

Although he lived in Grafton, Massachusetts all his life, New England was his home. From Rhode Island to Maine he painted the landscape, recording nature as he saw it and how he would like us to see it. He loved to paint and bad weather was almost never a reason not to. When it was too cold to stand outdoors, or if it rained, he would drive to a favorite spot and paint from his car. One would have to look hard and far to find this kind of dedication and love for honesty in ones work. He had the talent, artistic maturity and the ability to confront and capture nature at its finest hour.

Bernard Corey did indeed live to paint. During his long and productive lifetime he achieved national recognition winning numerous medals and hundreds of awards. He was an active member of The American Watercolor Society, Allied Artists of America, Guild of Boston Artists, Academic Artists Society, Providence Watercolor Club, Rockport Art Association, North Shore Art Association, Salmagundi Club, Hudson Valley Art Association, American Artists Professional League, and a founding member of the Blackstone Valley Art Association.

Corey’s friends and painting companions included Emile Gruppe, Aldro Hibbard, Paul Strisik, Tom Nicholas, T.M. Nicholas, Marty Ahearn, W. Lester Stevens, Stow Wengenroth, Don Stone, Bob Duffy, Bill Heffernan, T.A. Charron and Bob Aleila.

Bernard Corey died on March 23, 2000. He taught many people through his paintings and through his strength of character. The artwork he created during his life insures that his vision of beauty will live on.