| For more information about this article or gallery, please call the gallery phone number listed in the last line of the article, "For more info..." |
Janaury Issue 2008
Fountainside Gallery in Wilmington, NC, Features Works by Sandy Nelson
A collection
of new works by artist Sandy Nelson titled, Bluegrass to Sawgrass,
opens on Jan. 19 and continues through Feb. 7, 2008.
Nelson, a Kentucky native who has lived in North Carolina for eight years, uses her landscape abilities to depict both states and journeys outside the country. Her portraits and landscapes have been accepted nationwide in juried competitions, many winning awards.
Nelson's works are found in over 60 corporate and museum collections, including those of George Steinbrenner, owner of the New York Yankees and Sam Walton, founder of Walmart. She was named one of the top 200 artists in 1993 by The Artist magazine and has been profiled in The Rotarian, an international publication. Nelson graduated from the University of Kentucky, majoring in Fine Art and has done independent study with masters such as Clyde Aspevig, Harley Brown, Kevin MacPherson, Wolf Kahn and others.
The collection of new works at Fountainside Gallery shows a mature artist still exploring her passion. The subjects run the gamut of inspiration, both in nature and the nature of man. As the artist explains, "The subject of my painting may be a cloud, a leaf, a face - one is as monumental as another. The paintings are memories of a moment in time, a representation of my emotions and ideas, which are transferred to the viewer. In my studio I live with these words, which remind me that it is truly a gift to be an artist."
Nelson offers this quote by George Bernard Shaw: "I believe in Michelangelo, Velasquez and Rembrandt; in the might of design, the mystery of color, the redemption of all things by Beauty everlasting and the message of art that has made these hands blessed: Amen. Amen."
With a sincere appreciation of art that has come before, Nelson describes her influences as, "My influences are as diverse as the great Spanish, Russian and American impressionists to the dark hills of eastern Kentucky. In the latter I found a love for the beauty of the world around me, in the former, inspiration to express it. That is what I hope the viewer takes away with them. My work isn't edgy or avant-garde; it doesn't follow fads or trends - it is simply truth, as I perceive it. While in North Carolina, I have been awed by the unspoiled marshes, the vast panoramas of sky and water in all their light and mood and the magnificent wildlife that inhabits its seclusion. My goal is to perhaps show the viewer the beauty and mystery they may have overlooked."
Nelson maintains a studio in Wilmington but travels extensively to paint. She is a member of several national professional artist organizations and teaches workshops.
For further info check our NC Commercial
Gallery listings, call the gallery at 910/256-9956 or visit (www.fountainsidegallery.com).
Carolina Arts is published monthly by Shoestring Publishing Company, a subsidiary of PSMG, Inc. Copyright© 2008 by PSMG, Inc., which published Charleston Arts from July 1987 - Dec. 1994 and South Carolina Arts from Jan. 1995 - Dec. 1996. It also publishes Carolina Arts Online, Copyright© 2008 by PSMG, Inc. All rights reserved by PSMG, Inc. or by the authors of articles. Reproduction or use without written permission is strictly prohibited. Carolina Arts is available throughout North & South Carolina.