Coming Exhibition: Linda Sue Price, Joan Ransohoff, Joan Vaupen

May 20 - June 14 2014

Opening Reception: 

Saturday, May 24, 5-8 p.m.

Artist Talk: 

Saturday, June 10, 3-4 p.m.

Garden of Virtue, Linda Sue Price

Linda Sue Price, Jesse, Neon Mixed Media, 23x23"

Neon mixed media artist Linda Sue Price’s current exhibition experiments with cast neon light and textures while exploring themes of virtue, mentorship, and the nurturing qualities of gardens. Working with washers, acrylic spheres, rods, and paint, Price manipulates different textures in contrast to the light medium. Using flower boxes as a structural base, Price strives to make her neon works more accessible to viewers. “Most of the neon tubing in my art is bent free form, which means there is no pattern. Shapes may be similar but each is unique,” says Price. “When starting a new series or project, I bend different shapes until I find one I want to explore or one that expresses something I have been thinking about.” While abstract in design, Price’s works make reference to individuals and current events that have made an impact in her life. Three “mentor” pieces - titled “Jesse,” “Cynthia,” and “Rose” - are dedicated to these individuals as a form of gratitude for their specific guidance. Other works make literal references to cultivation, as abstract soy beans and dragon tongue beans grow from flower boxes. Meanwhile “Consistency is Not a Virtue” playfully references political attitudes. Price’s work exhibits a technical mastery of vibrant neon tubing injected with thematic wit.

From the Garden, Joan Ransohoff

Joan Ransohoff, Meyer Lemons In a Garden Pot, Oil on Canvas, 30x24"

In Joan Ransohoff’s latest exhibition she transitions from plein air landscapes to reflect upon her artistic roots - natural studies. Beginning often from her own garden, Ransohoff’s oil on canvas paintings portray a spectrum of colors and textures. Elegant floral compositions feature magnolias, apple blossoms, and roses, juxtaposed against a delicate brandy glass or arranged in a Chinese vase. In another, luscious Meyer lemons still hang from leafy branches. “After years of plein air painting, still lives present a different and complex challenge - slowing down and taking the time to really see in a controlled setting,” says Ransohoff. “Sometimes something interesting happens when I’m painting that has nothing to do with the original set-up, and I always follow it, intuition is essential to me.” Ransohoff’s luminous work celebrates beauty in simplicity while paying homage to the impressionist masters.

New Work, Joan Vaupen

Joan Vaupen, Underworld, Mixed Media Monoprint, 19.5x20"

In her latest exhibition, Joan Vaupen continues to experiment with varied mixed media to create abstract monoprints. Mixing acrylic inks and water on slick yupo paper, Vaupen’s high-contrast, liquified compositions portray an ethereal quality. After completion, each painting is then photographed and printed as a single edition. While these optical images begin with a sketch, Vaupen notes that there are equally challenging and spontaneous elements to her process. “They look otherworldly, yet things of the earth pop up,” says Vaupen. “Even though my work is abstract, there is a sense of the familiar.” Cool-colored, amorphous shapes emerge as pigments bubble and colors separate to create organic landscapes that recall the night sky or the depths of the sea, all beckoning viewers to step closer.