|
Elder Art Gallery
Gallery
Landscapes East to West: As the Crow Flies
If a crow were to fly through Elder Art Gallery 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. 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 that opens on Friday, June 7th, will be Doug
Atwill of Santa Fe, NM; Jocelyn Audette from Calistoga,
CA; Patrick Glover, New York City; Jill Jones,
Spartanburg, SC; Paul Ladnier, Jacksonville, Florida;
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.
“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 ofJacksonville,
Florida. 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.
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 mix es
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 hasbecome one
of Elder Art Gallery’s most popular artists with his low  country
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.
 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 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’.”
 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 Elder Art Gallery Gallery were completed during a
recent painting trip to the desert in California and around
his studio in Glen Ellen.
Elder Art Gallery
Gallery is located in Charlotte’s historic South End
district on South Boulevard and is one-half block from the
Trolley’s Bland Street Station that ties the district
to the center city area.
Landscapes
East to West: As the Crow Flies will open during Gallery Crawl
on Friday, June 7th, and continue through July 20th. Operating
hours are Tuesday through Friday from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m.
and Saturdays from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. Private appointments
are encouraged.
Elder Art Gallery
Gallery
1427 South Boulevard • Suite 101 • Charlotte, NC
28203
704-370-6337
contact
us • map
     
|
