November and December Gallery Exhibitions November 08 2017, 0 Comments
Experiential shopping is a big deal to us. When you visit our galleries, it ought to be an experience far more fun and informative than your visit to any other gallery or store. One of the best ways to experience the art world is to meet the artists that have excelled in their careers to the point that they are shown in prestigious gallery collections. Watching them work and hearing the stories behind their creations can be mind-blowing. Thus, we have packed our winter season with an exhibition and artist demonstration schedule that is sure to satisfy!
Our exhibitions begin with visits to Breckenridge Thanksgiving weekend from painters David V. Gonzales and Deb Komitor, along with sculptor Judith Snyder. Rolinda Stotts will be spending the weekend painting in Vail.
David V. Gonzales will be featured in our newest location, known as Breckenridge South. Gonzales’ work depicting athletics, mountain towns, and wildlife is always a highlight in our collection. He paints with power and purpose, creating scenes that seem to move before our eyes. The amount of energy and vibrancy that Gonzales paints with perfectly captures the power and grace of his subject’s motions. Watching Gonzales paint is riveting. He combines brushwork with palette knives. He moves his tools throughout his hand-built panels with a remarkable rhythm. Seemingly within the same second, Gonzales will be painting the top left corner of his piece and the bottom right corner. He occasionally bounces while he works and he often likens his creative process to that of performing in an athletic event. We tend to be super careful when he is painting in the galleries, as he has been known to fling paint across the room. Gonzales paintings are often upside down while he works on them. This forces him to think less analytically about his subject and focus more on his compositions and color theory. The end results are fascinating, even more so when you have the opportunity to watch the work come to life!
In our flagship location, now referred to as Breckenridge North, Judith Snyder will be working with ceramics on Friday and Saturday. Deb Komitor will be painting on Saturday and Sunday. Snyder and Komitor are both new additions to our collection and this will be the first show with us for each lady!
Snyder’s ceramic sculptures will make for an interactive exhibition. She stacks sculpted ceramic together to create pieces that resemble the cairns that we come across on beautiful trails. Snyder has mastered many unique forms of the clay firing process, from wood to salt to raku firing. The organic and natural qualities of her work are immediately striking. Snyder will be bringing some unfinished works which our clients will be encouraged to assemble themselves. By stacking the ceramic pieces, clients can build their own sculptures! Snyder refers to the series of work we have shown thus far as her “Spirit Guide Series.” She says, “The Spirit Guide Series explores an inner spiritual journey, guided by spirits of angels. These mentors counsel us on our journey through life.” The metaphor present in Snyder’s work is even more prescient for those lucky enough to participate in her forthcoming demonstration. Art should speak to us. Snyder’s serves as a reminder of the trails we have taken in life and a beautiful guide for those we have yet to embark on.
Deb Komitor’s oil paintings take us deep into the forest. A full-fledged exhibition of her work feels like a journey into your favorite neck of the woods. She paints her landscapes in an almost pixelated manner. Up close, one appreciates the rich colors and heavy brushstrokes. It is easy to appreciate the abstract nature of her painting style. Upon stepping further from the painting, Komitor’s work becomes crisp and accurate. This transition that occurs as you move to and from her paintings feels much like the transition one experiences while on a hike. The scenery changes from every angle. Komitor’s paintings all begin by applying the darkest colors. Black forms the background. From there, Komitor begins the process of growth. Every stroke of the brush brings forth more color, more depth, and more movement. Light begins to emerge as she moves through the painting process. Eventually, the contrast between the dark background and emerging foreground serves as a beckoning further into the trees. The light colors provide the warmth necessary to want to continue the journey. To Komitor, the paintings represent hope and wonder. They capture those magnificent moments when the quiet of the forest allows us to dream big, to feel at one with the world and to let our imaginations wander.
Visitors to our Vail gallery will get to spend part of the weekend with an incredible lady and artist. We have shown Rolinda Stotts’ Bella Rotta paintings for just under a year and a half now. To say that her addition to our collection changed the game for us would probably be an understatement. Rolinda’s work is truly unique. We have not seen other artists create with anything resembling the same technique. This is one of many reasons that so many of our clients have gravitated to her work. One of the others is her infectious personality. Her natural ability to connect with people on so many levels is incredible. She believes that imperfection is the source of all great things. As a result, she tears her paintings apart while she is working on them. Every part of her work, right down to the pine frames that she rests her sculpted birch wood and oil-coated canvases on, is built by her own hands. She takes great pride in her calloused fingers. She encourages you to touch her work. That’s right; this isn’t your typical art gallery exhibition. You are more than welcome to touch your favorite painting. As a matter of fact, you are told to do so. After all, if you live far enough away that we cannot come hang it for you, you will do so eventually, right? Thus, Rolinda created her own varnish to protect her beautiful works from our fingers. You might want to bring some clothes that you don’t mind getting some paint on too. At Rolinda’s summer exhibition in Breckenridge, we sold a beautiful floral scene to a wonderful grandma because her grandson was granted the opportunity to pick up the brush and make a few marks of his own. We could spend a lot more time telling you about Rolinda and her work. We recommend coming to meet her instead! Rolinda will be in Vail November 24th and 25th and December 8th and 9th. And if you miss the Vail exhibition, there is no reason to fret. She will be coming to Breckenridge January 5th and 6th too!