Our
May exhibit, Expressive Collective, features the work of
painters Sarah Hirsch, Carol Shelton, and April Roderick, as
well as wood sculptor Chuck January. The show’s title,
Expressive Collective, describes the interplay between
collective action and pure expression that brings these artists
and their work together.
Sarah Hirsch's paintings focus on everyday moments of the
sublime and beautiful. Her current focus is on blooming flowers
and lush growing things. She says that she is drawn to movement
and light.
For wood sculptor Chuck January, creativity is one of the
cornerstones of life. The curves and the grain patterns in his
sculpted bowls represent the organic shapes of nature and the
layers of the earth. He says that he creates to please his own
sense of design in the hope that his work resonates with others.
With a passion for creating vibrant art, April Roderick is a
vibrant, self-taught acrylic artist. She evokes joy through her
bold, loose-stroke paintings. Whether she’s painting
commissioned portraits, animals, or still life, her passion for
creating art has become her form of daily meditation.
Plein Air impressionist oil painter Carol Shelton was drawn to
making images at a very young age. With a primary focus on
architecture, nature, color, and light, she says that painting
is a vehicle for communicating her feelings and sharing her
experiences with viewers.
I am a painter, writer, and teacher. I live near the sea in Wickford, surrounded by water and light. My paintings focus on everyday moments of the sublime and beautiful. My recent work is all about blooming flowers and lush growing things. Other favorites are the ocean and her many moods, children and their joy, and dancers moving together.
To try to improve upon nature is a fruitless endeavor, but to be inspired by it to create art is a gift. I not only relish using the materials that are nature given, but am continually looking to it for the source of my ideas and expressions. Although my visions are always ever evolving, i know that if i am sculpting out of wood or painting a landscape i will always look to it for guidance.
I am an acrylic artist with a passion for creating vibrant art that sparks joy. My inspiration comes from my current emotions, memories and ultimately things that bring happiness to not only myself, but others. By keeping my brush strokes loose, the viewers use of optical blending becomes an intricate part of how they interpret the final result.
I
have been drawn to making images from a very young age and
became even more inclined to do so after discovering a set of
oil paints in our family beach house and a small beautiful hand
painted image on a pot, which was attributed to my grandmother.
Architecture, nature, color and light, are my is the primary
focus in my work, which a vehicle for self expression and
communicating my experiences, that hopefully resonates with the
viewer.
Looking back on my early artistic history, I have been drawn to
making images since discovering a small painting in our family
beach house, which was attributed to my grandmother. From that
point on, I was smitten and have been painting ever since.
Painting is a vehicle for communicating my experiences without
which my quality of life would be greatly diminished. I am
primarily a plein air painter, and seek to paint light and color
which I hope you, the viewer, can see and feel in my recent
work!
A tall jardiniere for porch, patio, or centerpiece--and sea creatures to swim across the wall.
Collaging
Nothing like a landscape to remind us of our place in the world.
My daily ritual is to walk several miles, watching and listening, trying to capture in light, color, and form in what I see. I have a special affection for wild creatures, especially birds, whose colors, shapes, and poses captivate me, and I have worked hard to identify the birds around me even through their songs. Through my work, I want to share the many faces of nature, the wildness of spirit, and the interplay of light and shadow woven into the tapestry of the natural world.
Recurrent flashes of memory, a word, a feeling from nowhere...Are these memories from our past lives or the transition into our new life? All her life my mother had flashes of a fire in front of a rustic tent. A dirt floor and the smell of dirt. I have a flash memory of 2 cold people, bundled in rags, holding our hands up to a raised fire. Snow is everywhere. No words, just a five second video. Are these flashes of the past? Maybe reincarnation does exist.
New ceramic sculpture by Allie Elia
Spring is unique in the feeling of the energy rising up from the ground in rebirth from the deep nap of winter. The seeds and bulbs break open in the Earth and reach toward the sun, extending their stems, leaves, petals, and faces in a glorious display. Being encouraged by these beautiful flowers and trees, our moods are lifted and our spirits renewed.
I make images using photography. For me, photography is capturing the moment, which through the lens is a totally different perspective than just being there. It is a look, an angle or just a special mix of shapes and shades. When I shoot, I like to spend time where I am to absorb the spirit of it all and then it just happens.
Inspired by the gorgeous flowers and colors of the May group, I went big floral!
This mask is in the style of masks in Senegal's cultural museum IFAN in Dakar.
I
am interested in both abstract and representational art. I
once read a statement by the late abstract expressionist
painter Robert Motherwell bemoaning the absence of linear
elements in abstract painting. Since my natural drawing
style leans towards draftsmanship, I decided to use it in
exploring non representation and line work in particular.
A few years ago, on the internet, I stumbled upon
anthropologist Genevieve von Petzinger who investigates
and lectures on abstract Paleolithic art. We all know
about the murals of animals in the caves of Spain and
France but it seems little attention was paid to abstract
art deep in the same caves. Ms. von Petzinger gave me an
extra boost: I feel a link to the ancient world and I an
invigorated by her research.
These
small three-dimensional works represent a new direction
for me, in terms of sharing them outside of my studio. I
made a handful several years ago but have been ambivalent
about showing them. Not all experiments are meant to be
exhibited! But: I am happy with these pieces in their
current form. Each one is a head, highly decorated and
tending towards weirdness. With a touch of humour.
They are made of polymer clay modelled onto a base of
papier mâché and a (dead) lightbulb. Decorated with
acrylic, dimensional fabric paint plus beads, sequins etc.
This series of prints "Muses" are based on family reflections and memories. They have been created with stencils that have been printed in many layers, just like the many layers of the past that guide and enrich my life from family no longer present.
This one reminds me of countless early mornings on the rocks casting for false albacore in the fall.
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