March 2011

Providence Gallery in Charlotte, NC, Offers Works by Ann Watcher, Lita Gatlin, & Isabel Forbes

Providence Gallery in Charlotte, NC, will present, The Everyday Extraordinary, an exhibit featuring landscape compositions by three women: Ann Watcher, Lita Gatlin, and Isabel Forbes. The exhibition kicks off with an Artist’s Reception, which will be held at the gallery on Friday, Mar. 11 from 6-9pm. The show will be on display through Mar. 31, 2011.

The gallery’s newest artist, Ann Watcher, presents a series of paintings depicting rural Carolina landscapes harkening back to our agricultural roots, bringing attention to the fact that our past is rapidly being encroached upon by urban development.
Watcher says her choice of subject matter can be traced back to childhood, for even then she was fascinated by abandoned buildings, a prominent element found in many of her paintings, and the sense of isolation, nostalgia and personal connection she felt when discovering these forgotten places. The artist’s attraction to “age of place” makes Tuscany, with its deep agrarian roots and rich history, a natural destination for exploration on canvas.

Lita Gatlin expresses her love of nature by using her canvas to capture the splendor of nature’s colors and how those colors are always in flux due to changes in the atmosphere. Her paintings depict areas in the southeastern US and Europe.

Gatlin has earned her status as a leading regional artist and her work is included in a number of distinguished corporate art collections in Charlotte, NC, including, Duke Energy, the North Carolina Dance Theater, Marriott Hotels, and Senior Living Communities. Gatlin is also an Associate Member of the Oil Painters of America.

Isabel Forbes began her art education at Ringling College of Art & Design in Sarasota, FL, where she earned a Bachelor of Fine Art Degree. Upon graduation, Forbes worked as a graphic designer and illustrator until 2007 when she devoted herself to fine oil painting full time.

Forbes’ urban landscape paintings focus on the beauty that is often overlooked in everyday day. Her paintings include streetlights, signage, railroad crossings and other things we pass by on a daily notice without truly taking notice.
Forbes is a founding member of the Charleston Outdoor Painters Association (COPA), an Associate Member of Oil Painters of America (OPA), and a board member of the Artists’ Guild of Spartanburg.

While these three diverse artists differ in their choice of subject matter and painterly technique, they have one important theme in common: each seeks to engage the observer and persuade them to look at the world surrounding them daily with fresh eyes, hopefully enabling the viewer to see the things in a new, more appreciative light.

For further information check our NC Commercial Gallery listings, call 704/333-4535 or visit (providencegallery.net).

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