Indoor Gallery Exhibiting Artists

CHUCK FRYE

DAVID GEORGE

TAMMY EVANS GOSSETT

Artist Statement:

My inspiration comes from my love of nature and the environmental beauty around me. My palette can range from very simple color combinations to more varied choices. Since I am self-taught, I am still trying to find my style and learn as much as I possibly can to improve my work.

Specific info about any pieces?

Hazy Hydrangea - You can find beauty eve on dark days.

LYNNA GRON

Artist Statement:

I am a self-taught artist that enjoys combining different mediums to create unique and unusual pieces of art. Since retiring I have the freedom of spending time trying different techniques that lead to unexpected satisfying results. I don’t look at my work in terms of how long it took to create but how much I  enjoyed the journey . It’s an amazing feeling when something totally comes together and you know it’s just as you envisioned.

Any specific info about your pieces?

I have always enjoyed outdoor activities and creating pieces that reflect my experiences give me great satisfaction. I would like people  to look at  my pieces and wonder how it was created, that’s why I enjoy incorporating different mediums. I’ve always enjoyed “ coloring outside the lines” to see what happens next. Sometimes it works and others not so much, but I’m ok with that too! At least I tried. 

Where have you been drawing inspiration from during COVID-19/stay at home order?

I have spent many hours watching YouTube in an attempt to learn new techniques. Spending time reflecting on the current events I came to the realization that no matter how crazy this world seems, life still moves forward. God is ultimately still in control and there is joy to be found. My flowers still bloomed and the hummingbirds came back, and it’s up to me to take this opportunity to enjoy this time in my studio.

ROBERT GARREN HALL

Artist Statement:

Robert Garren Hall is known in the Tennessee Valley for his evocative images of Southern Americana. His subjects range from depictions of charming small town scenes, Southern landscapes and memorabilia, to his renditions of vintage, often rusted, cars and trucks.Garren has always loved to draw. As a child his favorites were his drawings of comic-book-style-art. As a young man he also spent many weekend afternoons watching “The Joy of Painting” with Bob Ross on PBS, finding Ross’s style and techniques “accessible.” In 2002, after his mother saw an ad for a new art studio and gallery located in St. Elmo offering paint classes, Garren enrolled and studied for a year with Certified Bob Ross Instructor, Joyce Meffert. He then continued his studies with artist Brenda Wright in East Ridge, TN, and has been developing his own unique style ever since. He paints with both oils and acrylics.Garren enjoys traveling around the Chattanooga/North Georgia region photographing potential subjects for his paintings. He calls his method “reference painting,” often combining elements from several photographs to create one work.Asked what drives his art, Garren says, “I paint things I know. And I have to feel a passion for whatever I’m painting.” Garren is a member of the Civic Arts League, Inc. and the Regional Art Alliance. His other interests include music, cars and his church family.

LUPINA HANEY

Artist Statement:

In my Chinese-American parentage, my growing up years in New York City and now in my Tennessee environment I find views and ideas seen or hidden in memory just waiting to be expressed in abstract industrial or earthy themes. Embracing the varieties of life and cultures I've experienced allows me the surprise and satisfaction of creating my work in different mediums: acrylic, mixed media, collage or assemblage. As I work I'm always asking the "what if' questions ... what if I use this color, what if I change this shape or what if change the orientation. As an artist I find that the "what if' questions not only pertain to my art but are also life's biggest questions. I hope the viewer can find answers in my work to the "what if' questions.

PASSLE HELMINSKI

Artist Statement:

My art work goes from the seemingly slick to the organic. I like to work in varied mediums from free standing mixed media forms to tubular knit 3D forms.  Much of my work tends towards an energetic abstraction or a meditative study that I hope will bring the viewer in to touch it.  My suspended tubular knit pieces cannot be contained; they must be free to dance in the air currents casting shadows, thus making their own art form.

MELISSA HERZ

Artist Statement:

There has never been a time in life where Melissa was not creating. She sees art in everything around her. Drawing inspiration by organic movements and water Melissa creates as if the world is broken into many pieces rather than a whole. The way light reflects and plays tricks creating many forms to create one body is how each piece is created. Alcohol inks are her desired medium. Inks have a mind of their own and each piece is a separate challenge. Abstracts are a favorite because Melissa never backs down from a challenge and inks are definitely that as they create a unique challenge with every ebb and flow.

Any specific info about your pieces?

I love a challenge and working with Alcohol Inks I have a very unique one as the inks seem to have a mind of their own. Just as I am inspired by water and motion the inks have a movement to them like no other. You must really adapt with each movement in order to create the result that you wish to achieve.

Where have you been drawing inspiration from during COVID-19/stay at home order?

I am always inspired by organic movements. Being at home has allowed for extra time outdoors. I draw inspiration from swimming, walking in the beautiful mountainous area, and kayaking in our lake.

SHERRY HULLENDER

Artist Statement:

I am working part-time in accounting. I enjoy painting in my off time. I am inspired by being outdoors and my daily walks.

FAYE IVES

Artist Statement:

The use of patterns, textures, color, and glazing to suggest shapes and venues and sometimes figures and faces are in my acrylic/mixed media paintings. My hope is that the artwork will have the viewer stop, look, and determine what they feel; hope that it gives a feeling of enjoyment. .If you have artwork, it should bring contentment. Being an assemblage artist, the criteria remains the same. 

Any specific info about your pieces?

The pieces that were chosen give an overall feel for what I do as an artist. They convey what I love: texture, color, patterns, etc. The 3D assemblage uses the same criteria as my paintings.

Where have you been drawing inspiratino from during COVID-19/stay at home order?

The stay at home order was like (I feel) a prison sentence. No interaction (except text & phone) with fellow artists. So being in the studio was my therapy; it brought me happiness and a feeling of daily accomplishment.

JOYCE JONES

JANICE KENNEDY

Artist Statement:

Before I began studying art, I looked at my surroundings but never really saw them. The details and colors, I fear, had never been fully appreciated.   The nuances of color in the sky, the delicious details of a flower are examples of the joy that I now find in my surroundings.  In composition, I’m especially drawn to bolder colors and texturing.  I derive much satisfaction by creating challenges for myself in subject matter as well as composition.  If I can create an interesting piece that speaks to each viewer in a personal way then I have accomplished my goal. 

Any specific info about your pieces?

For one piece, I wanted to create a painting with a backdrop of texture.  I sealed a textured fabric to a canvas.  As paints were applied, they began to perform their own dance in, over, under and around the texture.  It became mesmerizing to see how the colors and applications began to find their own way.  It had to become a painting with rhythm.  Thus, ‘Come Dance With Me’ was born. 

Where have you been drawing inspiration from during Covid 19 stay at home order? 

At first, inspiration was hard to find.  The first paintings were quite dark.  I discovered that my emotions were revealing themselves in my art.  With time and as I have acclimated myself to staying at home,  I have found inspirations in old photos and my own backyard.  “Sunday Best” was inspired by butterfly activity around our koi pond.  An artist friend asked me if I’d like to be art accountability buddies.  I did and it has been a great help in my regaining my focus.  Through texts, emails and Zoom, we share ideas and progress. 

LINDA KERLIN

Artist Statement:

Music is a large part of my artistic inspiration. I like to say "work hard" and paint for yourself. I am always saying to people that I get music and art therapy every day. I am hoping to show movement and energy in my work, along with a freedom of play and uniqueness and enjoyment. My intention is to give the viewer freedom for their own interpretation.

Any specific info about your pieces?

A diverse range of mediums using collage, batik, acrylic, ink. I normally start most paintings in an intuitive play of marks. My style is abstract impressionism and I'm not concerned with replicating my subject. When I plein aire I like to conentrate on one subject and expand on it, using color and design. The approach is one of freedom of expression by giving the viewer excitement and mystery.

Where have you been drawing inspiration from during COVID-19/stay at home?

I always draw inspiration from music and my surroundings on my small farm of 21 years in the Sequatchie Valley. I usually paint daily and am represented in 3 galleries, so they give me purpose to paint.

ALEXA LETT

SARAH MALONE

ROYAL MIREE

Artist Statement:

I create hand powered pendulum machines with single and dual rotation points.  A single touch can move the piece for a half hour.  Materials are iron, brass, copper, aluminum and baked enamel. Engraving panels are pure copper sheet, starting with an acidic cleaning bath and then sketching with ink.  Knives, stone wheels, steel brushes and sand papers are used to engrave the image by overlapping textures and heating isolated areas with a blow torch to develop oxidation colors in the copper.

Anything specific about your pieces?

My art is created with the intention to be touched and played with.  The pendulum machines let you alter the balance points and create secondary motion.  The copper engravings are composed of multiple texture layers so that watching it from different angles reveals different images and patterns.  Occasional large scale (8' to 20') commissions for corporate, hospital, private, city and university clients.

Where have you been drawing inspiration from during COVID-19/stay at home?

What a very interesting thing to think about inspiration right now.  It has really been quite direct; going from thought to production quickly.   Making the decision to create a kind of hurried thing; to hold a simple idea into the art. Too few words may be a good way to feel it.  A light tilt of the head can express so much when it can have that moment.

CANDICE MURRAY

NATHAN NEWTON

ANN NICHOLS

Artist Statement:

Ann Nichols is a contemporary realist painter who works with oil on panel. An artist since 1980, she has explored vartous subject matter in series - finally settling on realistic still lifes in 1994. Her current series, "Split Focus," represents a departure from the traditional still-life format. Dividing the picture plane into two unequal sections, the small detailed paintings possess a bold presence. Exotic birds balance delicate eggs, nests, flowers or fruit in each piece. "After working on a rather large scale for about 20 years, I wanted to do a series of miniature paintings that resembled 'little jewels," said Ms. Nichols. "I feel the brilliant colors and iridescent jewel tones of hummingbirds convey my intention." 
Ms. Nichols' has a BS, MS and a BFA in painting. The winner of 4 gold medals, she was juried into the Tennessee State Museum's "The Best of Tennessee" exhibition and her painting was purchased by the museum for its permanent collection. Her solo exhibitions include Hunter Museum of Art; Customs House Museum, Marietta-Cobb Museum, Brooklyn Botanic Garden, Tennessee Arts Commission and Dalton Creative Arts Guild. Her paintings are in the public collections of Tennessee State Museum, Humer Musetum, TVA, Opryland Hotel, Baylor School, Memorial Hospital, Benwood Foundation, and First Tennessee Bank among others.

RENEL PLOUFFE

Arstist statement:

I paint with acrylic, oil, pastel, spray paint and charcoal. I create abstract expressionism and my paintings are built in layers. This allows me to scrape and reveal previous colors or marks. I deconstruct the subject and lay out the essentials of light, color, tone, movement and texture. This process starts intuitively and I then adjust my compositions by adding bold contrasts of pastel or color stroke. I enjoy playing between force and movement, aiming for a sense of balance. Palettes knifes are my favorite tool and textures are very important in my work. 
My influence or inspiration comes from what I see around me, virtually or in reality. I like to observe shadow and line and allow it to become my meditation practice. I like to take a mindful walk, observe and breathe. I paint because it makes me a better person. Painting gives me a sense of tranquility where I have no anxiety, no depression, and feel completely free. My work reflects that energy and, as a result, my abstract paintings show a balance between beauty and chaos. 

Any specific info you'd like to share about your pieces in the exhibit? 

The piece lntime is a portrait of my dad who passed away several years ago. I couldn't remember every details of his face and I just went with the palette knife everywhere. This piece was a shift for me, and really represent my work of this years. It's really about the balance of lost line and define edge. I like playing with the abstraction and this piece show it well.

Where have you been drawing inspiration from during COVID-19/stay at home order?

I normally plan my year of production a head and I really try to stick with it because I invest a lot of work in the planning. However, I might put a little more smiley piece in there. But, in general the stay at home order didn't affect me because my studio is at home. 

CHRISTOPHER RHOADS

Artist Statement:

I fell in love with art as a child, spending most of my time sketching and drawing comic strips. I went through several art mediums from web comics to building puppets before finding a love for painting a few years ago. I love the process of watching things build on a canvas until I get it just the way I want it. I prefer working with acrylics, sometimes with a charcoal base underneath.

Any specific info about your pieces?

I really enjoy capturing movement and did a series of dancers. Swingin' came from that series and was a really fun challenge. Calming Tides came from experimenting with a dabbed brush, and I love how it turned out.

Where have you been drawing inspiration from during COVID-19/stay at home order?

I normally work day-to-day in my home studio, so COVID-19 has not changed a lot for me. My 5 year old daughter and wife have been home since March, so our pace has slowed down a lot. My daughter loves to paint, so I've gotten a lot of inspiration from teaching her and experiencing things she enjoyes painting. I've also drawn inspiration from nature and current events.

KATHRYN SOMERS

VICKI STYONS

Artist Statement:

My home is very eclectic because I’m drawn to things that do not necessary “go together” but somehow they combine in a way that is pleasing to me. The same is true of my art. I paint pieces that are somehow pleasant even if they are not entirely defined. I enjoy using bright colors and frequently paint faces or  impressionistic florals. I also like a gritty distressed look which I often create sometimes incorporating papers and objects into the paintings to give them a texture. When I like what I paint, I am happy. When other also like what I paint, I am ecstatic.  

Any specific info about your pieces?

I posted these pieces on Facebook and it has been interesting to hear the various comments about these pieces and to see which ones have had the most reactions.

Where have you been drawing inspiration from during COVID-19/stay at home order?

It has been difficult to paint while isolated. I generally draw on the energy of being around others and often paint with friends but that has not been possible for almost 6 months. I’m excited about this exhibit and hope that it will inspire me to get busy in the studio.

MELODY SWINDLE

Artist Statement:

I consider myself a folk artist who loves to create artwork that reflects my passion to conserve the planet in a quirky, fun-loving and childlike way. I enjoy challenging my imagination by using as many recycled materials as possible in my artwork. It is so much fun to view an object and imagine using it in a totally unexpected way to give the artwork its own unique personality.

My goal is to create artwork that brings a smile to the viewer and awakens their childlike imagination as they try to figure out what everyday objects are used in its making. Perhaps seeing objects that are viewed as “trash” in a new, positive light might bring about a change in our rampant consumerism.

Any specific info you’d like to share about the pieces in the exhibit:

Most of the pieces are created from rusty, vintage items, saving a little bit of nostalgic history for the future. 

Where have you been drawing inspiration from during COVID -19/stay at home order:

As I have been unable to visit flea markets and junk shops it has caused me to become more creative with the limited items I currently have on hand. It forced me to think creatively of new ways to use them. 

JULIE TURNER

RICK URBAN

Artist Statement

I have always been drawn to wood and turned my first bowl in 1959, but I only began to think of it as an artistic medium after the turn of the century. I grew up in the Arizona desert where dramatic textures abound, and sunsets are more often thannot, stunning. I was fortunate, at the same time, to be able to explore the wonderful world of the ocean, its moods, tidal pools, the magic it revealed as the water disappeared twice daily. The wideopen spaces of Texas and the forests of the north Georgia mountains taught me to expect a delightful surprise in the most unexpected places. Today I work almost exclusively with rescued hardwoods native to the southeastern states because I feel there is so much variety and beauty in wood that would otherwise be wasted. I prefer not to encourage unnecessary harvesting of these wonderful resources. While there are certainly spectacular wood species in distant lands, there is plenty of exotic to go around among our domestic varieties. I like nothing better than to start with a piece of wood seemingly destinedfor the fireplace or the soil of the forest floor and transform it into a wonderful delight for sight and touch. I strive to make each piece a wonderful visual and tactile experience with that indefinable “Ahhh!” quality.

Any specific info you'd like to share about your piece(s) in the exhibit?

These works are a collaboration of 17 years of exploring woodturning techniques and a lifetime of collecting inspirational impressions and memories.

Where have you been drawing inspiration from during COVID-19/stay at home order?

Shapes, patterns, textures, and colors are the core of my inspiration, and I find them all around me whether I can leave home or not. Nature has taught me to look twice, look closely, and look with more than my eyes. Take a long look at the pattern in bark of the next tree you pass! Pay attention to the texture of the leaves you are walking through! You will understand!The impressions and echoes of those experiences and more have been my artistic mentors and guide the forms I create. I still turn traditional bowls and vessels, but transforming the inspirations of nature into something wonderful to see and touch is what I enjoy most.

JOHN WILSON