Woodland Playground, artist Liz Sullivan
It’s a small world with big appeal when American Folk Art and Framing presents the 13th Annual Miniatures Show, featuring 14 of the gallery’s artists. The show opens online Tuesday, February 7, and at an opening reception at the gallery on Friday, February 10, from 5–7 p.m.
“When creating pieces for this show, these artists, known for vast stores of creativity rather than training, often experiment with new ideas,” says gallery owner Betsey- Rose Weis. “The size restrictions of 7 by 9 inches or less require small caches of material, often discovered and saved for use in this show.”
Artists displayed include Ellie Ali, Kent Ambler, Mike Ball, Cornbread, Wayne Hewell, Lucy Hunnicutt, Ellen Langford, Karl Mullen, James A. Snipe and Liz Sullivan.
Greenville, SC printmaker Kent Ambler, a full-time artist for 20 years, works mainly in woodcut prints. “My subject matter is my life, my dogs, cats, wife, the woods, the night and daily observations,” he says, describing his prints as “unpretentious and easily accessible.”
Besides offering more affordability for art lovers, Ambler says he welcomes the challenge of creating smaller pieces than those he is accustomed to doing. “Working small helps me to loosen up more. A goal of mine is to be as bold and simple on a larger scale as I seem to achieve on the miniature scale.”
Painter Liz Sullivan says she loves this show and creating for it: “I feel in my comfort zone when doing smaller paintings.” She paints in acrylics on simple wood frames, hand-built by her husband Pete. “I paint whatever subject matter speaks to me at the moment,” she says, “but am drawn to nature, the mountains, flowers and animals.”
Sullivan has been painting as long as she can remember, but began painting in her current folk art style in the 1990s. “My studio is in my living room, in front of the fireplace with my dog at my feet.”
American Folk Art and Framing is located at 64 Biltmore Avenue in Asheville. Hours are Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday, noon to 5 p.m. For more information, visit amerifolk.com or call 828.281.2134.
