Galleries Visual Arts

AGA Presents A Visual Contemplation in April

The Sky’s Reflection. Karen Keil Brown, artist

For the month of April, Asheville Gallery of Art (AGA) will present A Visual Contemplation: Land, Sea and Sky. The exhibition spotlights works from landscape painters Gayle Havens and Karen Keil Brown, who will be present at the public gallery reception on Friday, April 5, from 5–8 p.m.

Havens, a signature member of the Baltimore Watercolor Society and the Virginia Watercolor Society, says the goal of her impressionistic paintings is to capture a feeling or mood, rather than an objective reality. “I choose to paint with watercolors because of their unique characteristics, such as fluidity, transparency and spontaneity,” she says. The artist also prefers to paint alla prima, which means she completes her paintings in one sitting. “Watercolor pigments best allow me to express my impression of the subject in one sitting, while the emotional connection is breathing life into the paintings,” she says.

Havens says that Brown’s ethereal oil paintings are a natural complement to her watercolors. “I feel that our paintings, each of us working in different mediums yet both striving to capture light and atmosphere, are naturally complementary and mutually enriching,” Havens says. Brown uses both acrylic and oil paints in the series of paintings that will be featured in A Visual Contemplation. “I seek to discover a delicate balance between earth and sky, realism and abstraction,” she says. The artist feels that water-soluble oil paints help her achieve this smooth, dramatic effect in her work.

“Gayle and I are both drawn to quiet places where nature meets human artifacts and creates an enduring sense of place,” she says. “I hope our audience gains a peaceful inspiration and appreciation of the earthly beauty expressed through two different artist perspectives.”

Asheville Gallery of Art is located at 82 Patton Avenue in Asheville, across from Pritchard Park. Hours are 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Saturday, and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday. To learn more, call 828.251.5796, visit AshevilleGallery-ofArt.com or follow the gallery’s Facebook page.

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