John Clayton at Egeli Gallery

John Clayton has a show of warm impressionist paintings at Egeli Gallery, 382 Commercial St. in Provincetown, opening Friday, July 30 and running through Aug. 5. Inspired by the traditions of Charles Hawthorne and Henry Hensche, Clayton works mostly with brush and palette knife, corralling the abundant Cape light as it pools across the water and diffuses along sharp lines. “My approach to painting is simple,” says Clayton. “I start with large masses of color spots and begin relating them one to the other until they begin to express what I visually have been studying.” There will be a reception on Friday, July 30 from 7 to 9 p.m.