May Issue 2002
Wickwire Gallery in Hendersonville, NC, Offers Works by Kimberly Levi & Kelly Welch
Wickwire fine art/folk art Gallery in historic downtown Hendersonville, NC, combines the charm and appeal of plein-air artists, Kimberly A. Levi and Kelly Welch. Achieved is a magnificent show of captivating countryside scenes in spectacular oils and pastels. The allure is in Levi and Welch's serene portrayal of Western North Carolina's pastures and mountain landscapes. Levi's passion for life and art are vividly seen in her colorful images, and Welch's enthusiasm for nature is seen in her sensitive and insightful outdoor representations. The show continues through June 21, 2002.
Kimberly A.
Levi
Levi's studio is located in the breathtakingly beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina. She is a contemporary plein-air artist. Painting on location and in all types of weather heightens the emotional charge and sense of place in her work. With either alkyd oil paints or pastel, she paints directly from life enabling her to capture the true effects of color in sunlight and shadow. These mediums enable her to paint quickly and spontaneously capturing the fleeting moods of a landscape. By experimenting with her palette, she intensifies those moods thus challenging viewers to look closer at colors seen versus those perceived. "I believe the reality of my experience on location comes through in my work. A sense of holistic representation can only be accomplished by being immersed in the setting," says Levi.
By working on location there is an opportunity to experience the transitory splendor and mighty power of nature. "I believe the sounds, smells and atmosphere surrounding me are almost as important to the creative process as the visual subject. There is enjoyment in pushing the limits of raw color, painterly strokes, and yet still produce solidity of form," says Levi.
Levi's paintings are in private and corporate
collections throughout the US, including the BMW Performing Arts
Center in South Carolina as well as private collections in Germany
and Poland. She is a graduate of the Camden County Technical School
in New Jersey majoring in graphic arts and of a subsequent apprenticeship
program.
Kelly Welch
Kelly Welch's journey as an artist began in childhood when her drawing aptitude was recognized by her parents and teachers. With no formal training, she "quietly" developed her drawing skills while pouring through books about great artists of the past and their timeless works. Her efforts paid off, as she was eventually competing and placing in local and regional exhibits and contests, winning many "Best of Show" awards. When she was only 16, she was already receiving professional illustration jobs.
Welch's body of work is in itself a portrait
of life in rural Western North Carolina. Her works range from
intimate oil sketches of barnyard animals and small farms to magnificent
pastels portraying the seasons and dramatic weather changes of
the Blue Ridge Mountains. These paintings are completed with the
sensitivity and insight of someone who has inhabited this area
since birth. Welch also studies and paints the coastal areas of
the Carolinas. She wishes to express through her work the unique
beauty and lifestyle of this southeastern region.
Welch is represented by galleries in North and South Carolina.
Recently she participated in a week long workshop with Albert
Handell. In Feb. 2002, she taught an Introduction to Pastels
class through Wickwire fine art/folk art Gallery in Hendersonville
and in this same year joined the 2002 National Women in the Arts
Exhibition show. Welch lives and keeps a studio in Henderson County,
NC.
For further information check our NC Commercial Gallery listings,
call the gallery 828/692-6222 or e-mail at (wickwire@bellsouth.net).
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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Carolina Arts
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Copyright© 2002 by PSMG, Inc., which published Charleston
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