The ‘Wandering Landscape’ exhibition opened at the Lark & Key Gallery on June 1st, and runs through this Saturday (7/28). It features all new paintings from artist Mary Alayne Thomas and features pottery pieces from guest ceramic artist Kelly Lynn Daniels.
Mary Alayne Thomas
Mary Alayne Thomas is fascinated with fairy tales. She creates her own modern day versions, capturing magical moments that we all experience, both real and imagined. Initially taken with the luminosity and versatility of watercolor, Mary eventually began exploring and incorporating other media such as encaustic, gold leaf, india ink, pencil, and silkscreen. She coats her watercolor images in encaustic with other media layered in between, a technique she has been refining for the past ten years. Encaustic adds a sense of atmosphere and mystery to her already ephemeral paintings. Mary’s imagination is fueled by her beautiful surroundings – from Sante Fe, NM to her current home in Portland, OR.
It wasn’t until this show that I realized that Mary Alayne Thomas paintings were watercolor underneath the layer of encaustic (wax.) Knowing that simple fact, explained how the artists paintings are so soft and ethereal in nature. Her style of painting really does look like what you’d expect the cover of a beautiful fairytale book to look like, and we loved seeing the new pieces by such a talented artist.
Kelly Lynn Daniels
Kelly Lynn Daniels explores the nature of intimacy by layering memories of the past with the present. Inspired by architectural elements, flora and fauna. Her work investigates relationships and the passage of time through the layered use of imagery, pattern and texture with the intent to create a desire for one to pause and linger on each piece, taking time to discover the subtle nuances that play upon the surface and interact with the form.
Using both hand building and wheel throwing techniques, Kelly uses personal imagery to adorn her surfaces, including patterns, flowers, birds, and insects. Depth in the surface is achieved by layering masks and stencils, as well as the application of liquid clay slips. Additional texture is created through fine line work that is carved into the surface then inlaid and stained with contrasting color.
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