Steel sculptures by Julia Burr and paintings by Phil DeAngelo will be in an exhibit titled “Two Ways About It” at BlackBird Frame & Art April 15 through May 14. There will be an opening reception from 6:30–8:30 P.M. on Friday, April 15.

Julia says her sculptural steel work is principally about “the movement usually associated with the process of growth.” She explores our need to fit into the world around us and how we perceive ourselves in that endeavor. She uses steel because it can “eliminate extraneous elements from the human form until it is only a suggestion, a simple 3-D drawing.” The simplicity of her human forms and the universality of their movements and gestures make them fully accessible to everyone.

Phil is known for his rich palette, depth of color, and the textural element of his paintings. Using a variety of substrates, his subject is often an uncluttered landscape, where it is the form of the trees, combined with the mood set by the sky and the movement created by wind, that convey his message.

Phil’s paintings usually concern themselves with one aspect or another of the human instinct to connect with the Divine and with one another. He says he “believes in a God who is in love with beauty,” a view that usually lends his work an uplifting spirit.

Despite the differences in their motivation and chosen media, the works of both artists share some common traits. Most obvious is their mutual taste for the whimsical, an aspect which shapes most viewers’ initial impressions of their creations.

BlackBird Frame & Art, 365 Merrimon Avenue in Asheville, is an independent art gallery and custom frame studio owned by Pat and John Horrocks. For more information, visit blackbirdframe.com.