Hernandez, Talley and Upton | Hidell Brooks

We had another fun art crawl this past weekend and the first gallery on our list was the Hidell Brooks Gallery. Their latest show features three artists whose varying styles really work well as you walk through spacious gallery. I’ve mentioned before how much we prefer to go gallery hopping on the Saturdays as we enjoy having more space just to stand (or sit), look at the art and ‘drink it all in.’

After looking through the gallery we always enjoy chatting with Katherine Hidell Thomas and Rebecca Brooks who co-own the Hidell Brooks Gallery to find out more about the artist and which pieces happen to be their favorites from the current exhibition.

Tony Hernandez (Requiem of the Mind and Wonder)

One of the things I noted while looking at the pieces by Tony Hernandez was that they were all painted on wood and in talking with Rebecca she mentioned that Tony always paints his pieces on Russian Baltic Birch. He also torches the encaustic (wax) layer again just before the piece is sent off to the gallery to give the final work the smooth look that you’ll see when you view his paintings. Other things to note are the fact that there are crowns featured in most of his pieces (to symbolize self-worth and the children often hold onto a string attached to the birds in the paintings to show that they are ‘holding onto hope’. Hope is the underlying message in all of Tony’s work.

Amanda Talley (Halo)

In viewing Amanda Talley’s work, you are amazing at the variety of the color palettes that she uses  and according to Rebecca, Talley’s palette is ever-changing. The current exhibition (Halo) features a variety of color palettes from bold vibrant tones of her piece Aurora 2016 to the calm yellows, pinks and taupes of her piece Magnolia Figo 2017.

Scott Upton (Let’s Dance)

I’ve always maintained that my work is about color and light and their effect on our emotions. My inspiration comes from nature, whose sublime forms and colors and chaotic power shape the ever-changing landscape. For me, light is the unifying force, transforming everything it touches by banishing darkness and encouraging renewal. In my work I’ve always sought to suggest, in addition to the beauty, the feelings of hope and peace that light imparts.

As he mentions in his artist statement, Upton’s work is all about light, contrast and how the artist himself sees light. All of his paintings are based off of landscapes and the titles of his pieces reflect it.

The current exhibition will be on display through December 20th.