Close to Home | May 7 - June 27, 2015

The artists in this show find inspiration close to home and can be identified by their own unique style. These plein air artists concentrated their work for this exhibition on the beauty of a landscape painting. In the body of work, each artist captures an element in nature and emphasizes that element as the subject and focus.
 
Dan Michael | Pastel Painter
Dan’s work always includes a ribbon of light. The artist explains, “These arrangements of pastel marks go beyond a mechanical process, they are orchestrated to try and capture the elusive qualities of light and atmosphere that display the extraordinary characteristics of common subject matter”.

Kathleen Walsh | Oil Plein Air Painter
Kathleen is inspired by nature. She seems ‘at home’ when venturing out to capture a landscape. “Landscape is my guide. Nature the muse.  Just being outdoors awakens the senses; melds surprise, consideration and wonder.”

Amy H R Donahue | Oil Plein Air Painter
Amy is praised for the attention to detail in her work. She makes a small painting feel large! “Everywhere I travel scenes beg to be painted. Light and vivid color captivate me.”
 
Fonda Cody | Ceramic Artist 
Fonda’s work has a natural appearance on the surface, including layering of rustic earth tones. “This process of discovery fuels my creativity in working with each media as I develop an awareness of their possibilities and limitations.”

The exhibition will open Thursday, May 7 from 5:30pm until 8pm. At the Opening Reception, the artists will speak about their work and talk about what being close to home means to them. The show will run from May 7 until June 27, 2015, including two Opening Receptions. The second opening reception will be held on June 4 from 5:30pm to 8pm. We will be pairing wines from James River Cellars Winery with select piece for the Opening on June 4, 2015.

About the Artist | David Camden

David Camden, of Hanover, is exhibiting work in our show, Marks. Forms. Layers. Camden is joined by artists, Carol Anna Meese and Patte Ormsby. Visit our website for more information on the show and exhibiting artists.

David Camden is represented by “Forms” in the show title, “Marks. Forms. Layers.”. Although many may recognize David Camden’s signature raku bowls, Camden’s work comes in all forms, shapes, and sizes. The signature raku bowls have a fluid design, which is made up of folds in the clay creating an elegant form. In addition to the raku pieces, David is exhibiting soda fired clay pieces, copper sculptures, and wood sculptures.

At the first Opening Reception, the artists spoke about their work and process. Similarly, at the second Opening, the artists set up tables with materials and visuals. Visitors were able to watch David as he worked on clay pieces on his wheel. During the opening he created four pieces, which can be purchased through Gallery Flux. Visit our website's "videos" tab to see David working at the opening!
 

Artist Statement

After receiving his degree in ceramics from Goddard College in Plainfield, Vermont in 1978, David Camden opened Camden Clayworks in Ashland, Virginia. In addition to apprenticing many students in his studio over the years, he has also taught pottery in the Richmond area, primarily at the Visual Arts Center of Richmond and has been involved in the many Artists in Residence programs at the local schools. He has been included in as many as fifty shows in the Virginia area and his works is in numerous private collections.

 

David has been teaching and sharing his knowledge of ceramics for over thirty years. He was a staff member of Earthworks, Inc. in Richmond while still in high school. Also, he has been a staff potter (Falling Creek Pottery, Ashland, Virginia), a Teaching Assistant (Goddard College, Plainfield, Vermont), a part-time faculty member (J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College, Richmond, Virginia), a prototype design artist (Larivey, Inc., Richmond, Virginia), an instructor (Hand Workshop/Visual Arts Center, Richmond, Virginia), and an Artist in Residence (Hanover County, Virginia). He continues today as an instructor at the Visual Arts Center in Richmond and as an Artist in Residence in Hanover County.   
 
 
 

About Raku

 

Raku developed with the increased popularity of the Japanese tea ceremony. The drinking of tea, which was closely associated with Zen Buddhism, developed into a formalized ritual where the Raku vessels which held the tea symbolized the beauty, the simplicity and unassuming qualities that were felt to be in harmony with everyday life.
Raku is a low-temperature (1700-1900 degrees F) firing technique, which results in porous pottery with a unique "crackle" (called craze) pattern in the surface glaze. The pot is removed from the kiln while glowing hot and then placed in a container filled with a combustible substance, such as wood-chips, sawdust, leaves or paper. The thermal shock produces the craze pattern as well as a smoked, accidental quality to the glaze.

Raku pottery is appreciated primarily for its aesthetic qualities. It has a porous clay body and is not intended to hold liquids or to be used in the oven. 

About the Artist | Carol Anna Meese

Carol Anna Meese, of Chesterfield, is exhibiting work in our show, Marks. Forms. Layers. 
Carol is joined by artists, David Camden and Patte Ormsby.

At the first Opening Reception, the artists spoke about their work and process. Similarly, at the second Opening, the artists set up tables with materials and visuals. Carol did a demonstration of oil stick drawings. She also had many of her tools and sketchbooks on the table for visitors to observe. Her sketchbooks capture her many travels around the world! Carol carries a sketchbook with her on all of her trips. While walking around, Carol quickly sketches her surroundings with ink. She then fills in the black and white pages with watercolor. These sketchbooks document each trip in a fun and creative way!

Videos of the art talks and demonstrations from each opening can be found on our website.

Carol Meese is represented by "Marks" in the show title, Marks. Forms. Layers.. Meese uses "marks" to create her loose depictions of landscapes. When viewing her work up close you can local each individual line, which come together to create an engaging composition.

Carol's sketchbooks from the Opening Reception!

Carol is an oil landscape painter, who works from memory.  She often finds inspiration while walking on the beach in Hatteras Island, where her family visits often for vacation. She has recently found inspiration in Kusadasi, a town on the Aegean coast of Turkey. Many of her pieces in the show translate into mountainous scene, which reflects her time spent in Turkey visiting the Taurus Mountains.

The artist’s “marks” form a striking landscape, creating a poetic composition.  She uses gestural brushstrokes, which engage the viewer with the landscape. In addition to her style, the artist's palette is very rich in color, creating a pleasing aesthetic for the viewer. When painting, Carol is moved by her emotions. She is able to paint freely, rather than being constrained by a photo or scene painting en plein air. Her work is free to transform with time. Carol explains, "Paintings develop according to my sensing and moods. I'm never sure what will result...My work is not planned, it evolves...I try to recreate a feeling in paint". When observing her work, you too may develop a certain emotion placed on you by her fluid marks and strong palette. 

 Artist Statement



Carol Anna Meese has traveled, lived, studied and worked in Mexico, Italy, The West Indies, Nepal and Bangladesh. Her paintings have progressed through many exhibitions and competitions throughout the United States and abroad. She has exhibited at The Studio Arts Center International, Florence, Italy, and had duo exhibitions at L’Alliance Francaise de Dhaka, Bangladesh and at The Third Eye, Katmandu, Nepal. Numerous accolades include the seasonal program cover for The Richmond Symphony. Meese was awarded "Best in Show" at The Montpelier Center for the Arts, Virginia, and featured in a book on Madonna. She has won numerous awards for her mixed media paintings of photography and oil paint on canvas. Her current body of work is progressing toward the abstract and is inspired by the coast and mountains of the Mid Atlantic. She is represented by Galleries in Virginia, Washington DC, and North Carolina.

Meese’s art is included in the collections of L’Alliance Francaise de Dhaka, The University of Dhaka, Bangladesh, Dartmouth College, a Norwegian film producer, and Michael Ondaatje, Author of The English Patient.
 

Carol lives in the Richmond, Virginia area, and The Outer Banks, North Carolina. She holds a Master of Science in Clinical Psychology and has postgraduate training in fine art, creative writing, and art therapy at Virginia Commonwealth University, The George Washington University, and The Studio Arts Center International, Florence, Italy. She continues to travel extensively and plans to paint and exhibit her way around the world.





Blue Ridge, Oil on Canvas, 24 x 48 in, $1200.00



Remains, Oil on Canvas, 30 x 30 in, $1200.00

Indigo, Oil on Canvas, 84 x 42 in, $2800.00

 

About the Artist | Patte Ormsby

That's Just Grate
Acrylic, Metal Leaf, Patina, Iron Oxide, Oil Glaze, & Prismacolor on Panel  
24 x 24 in
$2,200.00

Patte Ormsby, of Fredericksburg, is exhibiting work in our show, Marks. Forms. Layers. Patte is joined by artists, David Camden and Carol Anna Meese.

At the first Opening Reception, the artists spoke about their work and process. Similarly, at the second Opening, the artists had their own table set up with materials and visuals. Patte had a slideshow playing, which displayed the layering process of her work. Videos of the art talks and demonstrations from each opening can be found on our website.

Patte Ormsby is represented by "Layers" in the show title, Marks. Forms. Layers.. This word can be used to describe Ormsby's unique style, which is centered around building on each layer. Ormsby explains, "I build the paintings, layer upon layer, starting with brightly colored pattern, sprayed through screens, then varnished and glazed with old paint. I top this with imitation gold lead, a copper and zinc alloy, to  create the composition". She also uses a craquelure to create cracking in the paint, which provides a textured aesthetic. In most of Patte's work, sections of each layer can be seen through the top layer. Some of her pieces have up to 30 layers! This creates a mysterious composition, forcing the viewer to examine the piece with more detail and thought. When focusing on her new work for Marks. Forms. Layers., Ormsby concentrated on the theme of "old verse new". Her work is very reflective of this idea because of the layering process she uses. Each layer represents a passage of time.  

 

The 4th Day
Mixed media
Spray Enamel, Metal Leaf, Patina, Craquelure, Oil on Panel
40 x 40 inches
$5,350

Many of her pieces for the show reflect the theme of land and sea. For example, The 4th Day, is inspired by the story of the creation of earth and on the fourth day land and sea were created. This piece has a sense of enchantment, which is created by the luminosity of the light greens flowing into rich blues. Visit Gallery Flux to see this piece and experience the mystery her work reflects on the viewer. When viewing her work, take a few moments to see what connections you can make with the artwork. In her work, Patte emphasizes letting the viewers find their own story in her paintings, rather than telling them what to think or feel from the work. Patte Ormsby's new work in Marks. Forms. Layers. is sure to make an impact on you, causing you to think critically while also enjoying the beauty of the composition.

 

 

"Few times in the history of art are as symbolically and visually compelling as that of the Italian Renaissance. This inspires my painting as I use elements of deep color, texture, gold leaf and pattern to present that sacred historical richness in a contemporary context. Using these elements in my landscapes is my way of expressing the quiet solemnity and simmering energy of places that are sacred to me." Patte Ormsby

 

 



Worlds Apart, Diptych
Mixed media
Spray Enamel, Metal Leaf, Patina, Craquelure, Oil on Panel
36 x 48 inches
$5,350



 

Layering is very important both symbolically and visually.
Surface shapes, created as negative space, top randomly placed geometric grids of underpaint acting as portals through which to peer.
Manipulating the layers, allowing them to show through or melt away,
 is an invitation for a closer look at what lies beneath,
what came before and a convergence of past and present. -Patte Ormsby

Filter; Genesis
Mixed media
Spray Enamel, Metal Leaf, Patina, Iron Oxide (Rust), Acrylic
54 x 48 inches
$5,970