For the month of December, SALT Gallery (830 Fleming St., www.saltislandprovisions.com) will feature a new collection of colorful oil paintings by eccentric local artist Scott Gruppé. To celebrate Scott’s new works, SALT will be hosting an opening reception at the gallery from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 6th.

Scott Gruppé has oil paint in his blood. The fourth-generation artist was born in Boston, lived in Europe for ten years and has called Key West home since 1990. In his almost twenty years in Key West, Scott has had over 11 solo shows and is also represented by several galleries in the Northeast. He has worked on glass, plexiglass, wood, foam core, tile, matte board and canvas. He is not just prolific, he is successful: the growing momentum of Gruppé’s popularity has allowed him to commit full-time to his art. His customers span the globe from Chicago to Finland, China and the Ukraine. And many may recognize him as the face behind the canvas outside the popular Hemingway House.

Scott’s figurative expressionism is often referred to as “poetry in motion.” When clients ask him to explain his edgy work, we’ve heard him quote Fellini: “Don’t tell me what I’m doing, I don’t want to know.” There is simply no other art that compares with a Scott Gruppé painting.

“We are so excited to get Scott’s epic bursts of color up on the walls at SALT,” says gallery owner Laura Richardson. “His paintings are so alive with frenetic energy and somehow familiar yet provocative at the same time. What better way to end the year than with an artistic bang?”

SALT Gallery features an eclectic collection of local art, local sea salts, jewelry, pottery, wine, and Florida Keys honey. Gallery owners Maria Sharpe and Laura Richardson feature a new artist each month at SALT. Scott’s work will remain on display until Jan. 3rd. For more information, call 305.517.6088 or visit www.saltislandprovisions.com.