compositions

Painting

Vignette: Margaret Archambault


“The power of what we see and how it alters our ability to find what we consider ‘happiness’ is something I find challenging and worth exploration.” – Margaret Archambault


Archambault's studio

Archambault's studio

In her 6th solo exhibit, In Ten's; A Single Century to Live, which opens on October 6th at Tim Faulkner Gallery, Margaret Archambault examines perception and mortality: “In essence, we measure our lives in 10 decades of experience. Some of us don't reach that 10th decade, but we all see our ‘life-time’ as potentially 100 years. Our personal perspective evolves through these years and our expectations related to happiness and fulfillment either becomes satisfied or we are left perpetually wanting. It is my goal with this new series to demonstrate the fallacy of the world being sold to us and focus on the world we can create within ourselves.”

Illusion versus reality is a frequent theme in art, but does it challenge our sanity to question the perception of our own existence. Archambault posits the opposite, that we are already inured from reality by the insulating cocoon of mass media. Her busy, kinetic compositions emulate in analog fashion the unyielding assault of visual information that we weather on an almost constant basis in our daily lives.

"We Are What We Were" by Margaret Archambault, 60x84in, oil and spray paint on canvas (2017)

"We Are What We Were" by Margaret Archambault, 60x84in, oil and spray paint on canvas (2017)

In “We Are What We Are,” Archambault breaks the pattern of dense collage slightly with the placement of one dominant figure, a 1920’s style woman representative of a pre-digital culture, but in a posture bent under the weight of 10 years of technological development.

“Regardless of our desires and often in direct defiance of our ‘plans’ the revolutions of time and the changes that come with it lead us to the revelations that alter our paths. My newest collection, the Silk Screen Series has a universal message about how our lives are affected by the world around us. More often than not, we make decisions based on what we think is expected of us, or what someone else wants us to do. These decisions often lead to destinations we never expected and only after we have arrived do we recognize the folly.”

Hometown: South Bend, Indiana
Education: BA, Interdisciplinary Humanities with Art Focus, Summa cum Laude, Spalding University, 2007
Gallery Representation: Tim Faulkner Gallery (Louisville)
Website: http://www.archambault-art.com
Instagram: http://instagram.com/margaretarchambault

"A Book of Life" by Margaret Archambault, 60x84in, oil and spray paint on canvas (2017)

"A Book of Life" by Margaret Archambault, 60x84in, oil and spray paint on canvas (2017)

"It's What You See, Not What You're Shown" by Margaret Archambault, 32x23in, oil and spray paint on canvas (2016), $850 | BUY NOW

"It's What You See, Not What You're Shown" by Margaret Archambault, 32x23in, oil and spray paint on canvas (2016), $850 | BUY NOW

"Celebration" by Margaret Archambault, 60x84in, oil and spray paint on canvas (2017)

"Celebration" by Margaret Archambault, 60x84in, oil and spray paint on canvas (2017)

Written by Keith Waits. Entire contents copyright © 2017 Louisville Visual Art. All rights reserved.

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Painting

Vignette: Geoff Crowe

Artist, Geoff Crowe and his wife, Shannon.

Artist, Geoff Crowe and his wife, Shannon.

A Different View of Horse Racing

Some artists paint horses - in Kentucky it’s almost a requirement, but in the paintings by Geoff Crowe we see here, he is not painting horses as individual animals as much as capturing the field in a horse race as one, thundering, entity barreling through the dirt and mud directly at us.

Win, Place, & Show, hold little meaning in these compositions, in which Crowe discovers the collective form and violent motion of the Sport of Kings. At times the results are ominous and foreboding, as in “Full Field”, or “Muddy Day”, wherein the point-of-view suggests precipitous danger, the mass of horse and rider abstracted as if we were witnessing the scene through a rain-smeared windshield.

"Muddy Day" by Geoff Crowe, 38x72in, acrylic on canvas (2016). Available at Mellwood Arts Pigment Gallery during May.

"Muddy Day" by Geoff Crowe, 38x72in, acrylic on canvas (2016). Available at Mellwood Arts Pigment Gallery during May.

In “Race 22” the darkness is replaced by sunlight, and the loose, drip application of some of the paint illustrates the color and kinetic energy we associate with thoroughbred racing, and in “Race 17”, Crowe comes closest to a more standard representational image, in which details of the jockey’s silks are discernable and we can glimpse the individual personality of the horse.

"Race 17" by Geoff Crowe, 36x38in, acrylic on paper (2016). Available at Mellwood Arts Pigment Gallery during May.

"Race 17" by Geoff Crowe, 36x38in, acrylic on paper (2016). Available at Mellwood Arts Pigment Gallery during May.

The artist began his journey in 2004 in Puerto Rico with a show of children playing soccer and today many of his works focus around ballet and horse racing, with the color and texture of the Caribbean remaining an important influence on his work. These elements also carry across to his sculptures and their organic look and feel. Space and movement play a key role in all of his art.

Crowe studied painting and sculpture in Puerto Rico at La Liga deArte and La Escuela de Artes Plásticos. His work can be found in private and corporate collections in Puerto Rico, Ireland, England, California, Florida, Indiana, Kentucky, Texas, and New York. His work can be found at Gifthorse and Regalo in Louisville, and Copper Moon in New Albany.

Crowe will be opening Hoof and Earth at the Mellwood Arts Center’s Pigment Gallery Opening on May 2; there will be a closing reception on May 26th.

Hometown: Walnut Grove, California
Age: 56
Education: BS, Business Administration, Minor Finance 4 years Independent study in Art at La Liga de Arte and La Escuela de Arte Plasticas in Puerto Rico
Website: http://www.studiocrowe.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/StudioCrowe/

"Night Race" by Geoff Crowe, 30x60in, acrylic on canvas (2015). Available at Mellwood Arts Pigment Gallery during May.

"Night Race" by Geoff Crowe, 30x60in, acrylic on canvas (2015). Available at Mellwood Arts Pigment Gallery during May.

"Race 22" by Geoff Crowe, 36x60in, acrylic on paper (2017). Available at Mellwood Arts Pigment Gallery during May.

"Race 22" by Geoff Crowe, 36x60in, acrylic on paper (2017). Available at Mellwood Arts Pigment Gallery during May.

"Full Field" by Geoff Crowe, 36x30in, acrylic on canvas (2017). Available at Mellwood Arts Pigment Gallery during May.

"Full Field" by Geoff Crowe, 36x30in, acrylic on canvas (2017). Available at Mellwood Arts Pigment Gallery during May.

Written by Keith Waits. Entire contents copyright © 2017 Louisville Visual Art. All rights reserved.

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Painting

Vignette: Catherine Bryant


“Art is not what you see, but what you make others see.” — Edgar Degas


"Yellow Villa" by Catherine Bryant, 12x9in, oil on canvas, plein air (2010), $395 | BUY NOW

"Yellow Villa" by Catherine Bryant, 12x9in, oil on canvas, plein air (2010), $395 | BUY NOW

Catherine Bryant’s outlook on life may best be expressed in a phrase she likes, “Art is the breath of life.” After experiencing a troubled childhood, Bryant used art to change her life, or at least get moving in a better direction. Armed with a sketchbook and charcoal, she set out to find beauty and record the wonders around her. This journey took her into a world of constant growth.

Bryant is a landscape painter, but she doesn’t restrict herself to panoramic scenes of nature. In fact, her compositions tend to be more intimate glimpses of the way the trees and vegetation frames our point-of-view on the bucolic environment. “Yellow Villa” shows the expansive view that reaches off to the horizon, the diminishing fields becoming more abstract as the distance increases, but in “The Trees Speak Softly”, the viewer feels hidden in the shade, poised to eavesdrop on whatever privileged moment might be about to transpire just beyond the trees.

Another aspect of landscape compositions is the still, unmoving aspect that is so common, but in “Warm H20” Bryant captures a spontaneous moment in time, the immediacy of the interaction between horse and human palpably communicated with certainty and skill. Perhaps it is the introduction of animals, always a favorite with this artist, that represents an opportunity to inject some modicum of unpredictability into her compositions.

"Warm H2O" by Catherine Bryant, 36x48in, oil on canvas (2015)

"Warm H2O" by Catherine Bryant, 36x48in, oil on canvas (2015)

After a career in advertising as a Graphic Designer and airbrush illustrator, teaching classes at Ivy Tech, Bryant created her own business, working as a muralist for 25 years.  Realizing she wouldn’t always want to climb scaffolding, she started honing her skills as a fine art painter.

"The Trees Speak Softly" by Catherine Bryant, 8x10in, oil on canvas (plein air), $395 | BUY NOW

"The Trees Speak Softly" by Catherine Bryant, 8x10in, oil on canvas (plein air), $395 | BUY NOW

Now, during the summer months, one can find the artist outdoors throughout the state of Kentucky and southern Indiana, painting  “plein air” (painting outdoors). She finds “plein air” painting to be the best method for sharpening her quick decision making skills; an invaluable exercise for simplifying composition, value assessment and color acuity, all the while completing a painting in a matter of a couple of hours. These lessons carry over back in the studio during the winter months.

Ms. Bryant teaches her passion for painting at Preston Arts Center on Bardstown Road, and in her private studio.

Hometown: Louisville, Kentucky
Education: BA, University of Louisville
Gallery Representative: Jane Morgan Gallery; Edenside Gallery; Kentucky Museum of Art & Craft, and Hoosier Salon (Louisville) Broad Ripple Gallery (Indianapolis)
Website: http://www.catherinebryantart.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/catherinebryantstudio/

"1st Notes of Spring" by Catherine Bryant, 30x24in, oil on canvas, $2950 | BUY NOW

"1st Notes of Spring" by Catherine Bryant, 30x24in, oil on canvas, $2950 | BUY NOW

"Sweet Dreams Dear Light," by Catherine Bryant, 11x14in, oil on canvas, plein air (2016), $495 | BUY NOW

"Sweet Dreams Dear Light," by Catherine Bryant, 11x14in, oil on canvas, plein air (2016), $495 | BUY NOW

"Dance of the Texasbonnets and Indian Paintbrush" by Catherine Bryant, 48x36in, encaustic & oil on canvas (2016), $3500 | BUY NOW

"Dance of the Texasbonnets and Indian Paintbrush" by Catherine Bryant, 48x36in, encaustic & oil on canvas (2016), $3500 | BUY NOW

Written by Keith Waits. Entire contents copyright © 2016 Louisville Visual Art. All rights reserved.

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Painting

Vignette: Gibbs Rounsavall


“Color…can transport us through time.” – Gibbs Rounsavall


Gibbs Rounsavall at work in his studio

Gibbs Rounsavall at work in his studio

Science and art may appear to inhabit opposite corners of human experience; but they have much in common. Aside from the dubious distinction of being targets in the current culture wars, each absolutely depend upon acute observation and stringent process. Perhaps nowhere is this synchronicity more apparent than in the study and application of color theory. In the work of Gibbs Rounsavall, the compositions may strike us wholly academic in their construction; a juxtaposition of color rigidly enforced by the strictest geometry, yet there is more than theory at work here.

“I compare my studio practice to that of a scientific exploration embracing the thrill of discovery.” Explains Rounsavall. “The focus of my study has primarily been on relationships between shape and color. Color has such strong associative powers that it can transport us through time eliciting memories while simultaneously suspending the perception of reality.” 

"Transitions #5" by Gibbs Rounsavall, 27.25 x 34.75 in, enamel on paper (framed), $1150 | BUY NOW

"Transitions #5" by Gibbs Rounsavall, 27.25 x 34.75 in, enamel on paper (framed), $1150 | BUY NOW

The artist uses one-shot sign paint to create the exacting geometric images, which, although reminiscent of computer-generated graphics, are painted entirely hand. The blend of symmetrical precision and the inherent imperfection of the artist’s hand is the key to their appeal – the reason we as viewers cannot turn away. The discipline and craft are compelling, but Rounsavall puts into the service of a simple ideal.

“Most importantly, I want my work to provide a positive experience for my audience and a sense of beauty that can enrich their lives by raising an awareness and appreciation for the present moment.”

"Transitions #4" by Gibbs Rounsavall, 27.25 x 34.75 in, enamel on paper (framed), $1150 | BUY NOW

"Transitions #4" by Gibbs Rounsavall, 27.25 x 34.75 in, enamel on paper (framed), $1150 | BUY NOW

In 2015 Rounsavall completed the Sunshine and Shadow mural in Louisville’s Shelby Park.

Rounsavall has three drawings on exhibit at Scout on Market in Louisville, and was accepted into the 12th Annual Mazin Art Exhibit at the Jewish Community Center’s Patio Gallery, which runs through January 3, 2017.

Hometown: Louisville, Kentucky
Education: BFA, Washington University in St. Louis, Concentration: MAT, University of Louisville, Concentration: Art Education
Website: http://www.gibbsrounsavall.com

"Transitions #6" by Gibbs Rounsavall, 17 x 21 in, enamel on paper (framed), $450 | BUY NOW

"Transitions #6" by Gibbs Rounsavall, 17 x 21 in, enamel on paper (framed), $450 | BUY NOW

"Transitions #3" by Gibbs Rounsavall, 27.25 x 34.75 in, enamel on paper (framed), $1150 | BUY NOW

"Transitions #3" by Gibbs Rounsavall, 27.25 x 34.75 in, enamel on paper (framed), $1150 | BUY NOW

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Written by Keith Waits. Entire contents copyright © 2016 Louisville Visual Art. All rights reserved.

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Mixed Media, Sculpture

Vignette: Jonny Gilroy

“Embody” by Jonny Gilroy, steel, twine, root, acrylic, $420  | BUY NOW

“Embody” by Jonny Gilroy, steel, twine, root, acrylic, $420  | BUY NOW

Jonny Gilroy is an artist working in a variety of disciplines. He spent a few years in Raleigh, NC as a graphic designer for trade show displays. In his last year he was working in design/production of marketing materials for breweries throughout the southeast. He creates graphics using Wide-Format Inkjet Printing, ICC Color Profiling, Dye-Sublimation Fabric Graphics, Graphic Design, and Photography.

In abstract paintings of vivid colors, Gilroy creates compositions of fluid energy suggestive of human biology. The lines and striations mimic electrocardiograms as well as the organic structure within our bodies, connecting a visual pulse with our own biorhythms. Although grounded in Abstract Expressionism, a movement known for intellectual rigor, Gilroy’s work has a an accessible, almost kitschy quality that makes them paintings with a palpable sense of fun.  

Gilroy also works in three-dimensions, and his sculptures often render line and kinetic energy in a similar fashion, but there is also a representational side to Gilroy’s work involving birds and the forest, and that also finds it way into sculptural work that draws parallels with the abstract pieces.

“Reinvent” by Jonny Gilroy, steel, twine, acrylic, shipping tube, stick, tape, $550 | BUY NOW

“Reinvent” by Jonny Gilroy, steel, twine, acrylic, shipping tube, stick, tape, $550 | BUY NOW

 "Inspiration comes from recognizing the sense of feeling and acting upon the energy it creates. I like to describe that energy in the form of art that emits from a feeling. I feel colors, lines and shapes. These forms arise from different life experiences. I put them together into art to make sense of that experience."

Gilroy has exhibited extensively in the northeast, and has recently relocated to Lexington, Kentucky

Age: 30
Hometown: Olean, New York
Education: BA, State University of New York at Genseo
Website: 

“Unravel” by Jonny Gilroy, black walnut, steel, acrylic, $350 | BUY NOW

“Unravel” by Jonny Gilroy, black walnut, steel, acrylic, $350 | BUY NOW

“Refraction” by Jonny Gilroy, black walnut, acrylic, dowels, $520 | BUY NOW

“Refraction” by Jonny Gilroy, black walnut, acrylic, dowels, $520 | BUY NOW

“Resonate” by Jonny Gilroy, black walnut, tape, wire, steel, acrylic, $280 | BUY NOW

“Resonate” by Jonny Gilroy, black walnut, tape, wire, steel, acrylic, $280 | BUY NOW

 “Attach” by Jonny Gilroy, birch board, driftwood, twine, acrylic, burlap, $380 | BUY NOW

 “Attach” by Jonny Gilroy, birch board, driftwood, twine, acrylic, burlap, $380 | BUY NOW

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Written by Keith Waits. Entire contents copyright © 2016 Louisville Visual Art. All rights reserved.

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