June Issue 2002
ElderArt Gallery in Charlotte, NC, Offers Exhibit of Landscapes
ElderArt Gallery, located in Charlotte, NC's
SouthEnd, will present an exhibition entitled, Landscapes East
to West: As the Crow Flies, which will be on view from June
7 through July 20, 2002.
If a crow were to fly through ElderArt Gallery it would recognize
many of the beautiful regions of the United States that have been
painted on canvas by well-know artists. Landscapes East to
West: As the Crow Flies will showcase paintings by nine American
artists from the east coast to the west coast. The crow would
also recognize a number of family members who are beautifully
illustrated engaging in their daily activities.
"Our exhibition has been assembled to show the diverse nature
and beauty of the American landscape as interpreted by a variety
of artists", said Larry Elder, owner of ElderArt Gallery.
"The artists have used a variety of media, painting styles
and locations across the nation to capture the beauty of our great
country."
Featured in the show will be works by Doug Atwill of Santa Fe,
NM; Jocelyn Audette from Calistoga, CA; Patrick Glover, New York
City; Jill Jones, Spartanburg, SC; Paul Ladnier, Jacksonville,
FL; Eula La Croix, Hendersonville, NC; Jon Nelson, Bluffton, SC;
Diane Voyentzie, Brookfield, CT; and Dennis Ziemienski of Glen
Ellen, CA.
"The concept for this show came as a result of a conversation
with artist Diane Voyentzie in which she mentioned a series of
paintings of crows she had created. Her vast knowledge of the
bird, along with my life-long fascination with crows, inspired
us to create an exhibition that would include her landscapes of
Connecticut and Florida along with the crows," said Elder.
"My paintings of crows are an outgrowth of my interest in
the beauty of the bird. The sleek, shiny black feathers, the proud
strutting, the cautious watching, and the ubiquitous 'caw caw'
that we all hear led me to begin feeding the birds and drawing
them in various poses while they were near. I also came upon a
beautiful poem, Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Blackbird
that further inspired the paintings. The crow to me is a symbol
of character, strength and beauty. My hope is that after looking
at my paintings the viewer will view crows in a different way,"
said Voyentzie.
The show will include watercolors by Paul Ladnier. Ladnier has
a passion for the Florida Keys and has spent many summers on his
boat painting fleeting watercolors and studying the ever-changing
weather conditions typical for the keys.
Jocelyn Audette will be one of two California-based artists featured
in the exhibition. Of her work Audette says "I often paint
en plein air, or outside on location, tapping into an energy
that does not exist in the studio. The sights, the sounds, the
smells, the wind and weather, and the changing light all combine
to invoke excitement, emotion and passion. An intimate connection
with the place develops and is forever imprinted upon my memory.
Years later, a painting evokes the same sights, sounds, smells
and emotions I felt on the day it was painted, much like an old
song takes one back to a period or moment in time."
Patrick Glover has provided a different view of the New York landscape
than one normally imagines. His oils on canvas depict the beauty
that can be found in the highway system that cuts through the
New York countryside to bring different sections of the state
into the excitement of New York City. He mixes the natural elements
of weather and terrain to surround the man-made highways and automobiles
that are subjects in his work.
The southeast section of the country will be represented by Jon
Nelson and Eula La Croix. "Jon has become one of ElderArt's
most popular artists with his Lowcountry Carolina landscapes.
He puts so much of himself into his work and has an amazing ability
to capture the unique beauty of the costal Carolina area,"
said Elder.
La Croix will present landscapes from the western area of North
Carolina. Her pastel paintings emphasize the natural drama that
nature creates with light and shadows.
Doug Atwill is well known for his "gardenscape" paintings
done in his unique style. His lush, colorful paintings reflect
the garden areas around his studio in Santa Fe.
Even though Jill Jones lives in South Carolina the work she provides
for the show comes from her series, Leaving Taos. Her pastel
and charcoal landscapes represent the stark nature of the New
Mexico terrain. "To me, the work is both spiritual and figurative,
the austere shapes of the juniper bushes serving as surrogates
for the human form", says Jones. "In this context, the
pieces become studies in relationship: what it means to be part
of a group; what it means to stand alone; how each of us fits
into our individual 'landscapes'."
Dennis Ziemienski, a native of San Francisco, is an internationally
known painter, illustrator and designer. His strong and richly
colored images borrow inspiration from early 20th century paintings
and posters. His paintings at ElderArt Gallery were completed
during a recent painting trip to the desert in California and
around his studio in Glen Ellen.
For further information check our NC Commercial Gallery listings,
call the gallery at 704/370-6337, or at (www.elderart.com).
Mailing Address: Carolina Arts, P.O. Drawer
427, Bonneau, SC 29431
Telephone, Answering Machine and FAX: 843/825-3408
E-Mail: carolinart@aol.com
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