Blue Moon Gallery welcomes spring with two new floral exhibitions
Spring has arrived at the Blue Moon Gallery with two new floral exhibitions by guest artists Juli Janovicz of Kenosha, Wisconsin, and Melissa Rasor of Grayslake.
Inspired by 25 years of cottage gardening, Janovicz first draws in pencil or charcoal from vased, live floral bouquets collected from her garden. As flowers open or close, change position in the vase, fade or become more vibrant over time, Janovicz captures the ever-moving floral forms.
Eventually she fills in select portions of the drawing with lush watercolor. By leaving some of the drawing without color, she offers suggestions of the bouquet's earlier architecture. The result is a combination of sophistication, charm, elegance and traditional beauty.
Blue Moon Gallery is showing 11 recent works by Janovicz in an exhibition titled "The Memory of Flowers."
Of her new collection Janovicz said, "I draw and paint the flowers and the colors as they feel. Though the flowers are removed from the garden, the garden remains. It is this tension and movement that I try to portray on a flat piece of watercolor paper. The essence of the individual blooms and the nuances of the vase capture my imagination. As I draw and paint, the colors of the flowers and the memory of the garden vibrate in their container."
Melissa Rasor is showing eight completely new 24-by-24-inch compositions in acrylic, each featuring blossoming organic forms of flowers, animals and insects. Rich in color and layers, each of Rasor's paintings embodies a sensual beauty driven by themes of nature, the cycle of life, and growth. The new collection is titled "Beautiful Existence."
"I believe we have been disconnected from nature, and my intent is to awaken awareness of its beauty in my viewers," Rasor said of her work.
"It is essential that we regain our love for our environment so we can protect its beauty. I channel my own connection with nature into my creations by using my natural form as a medium to interpret shapes from nature, which further invokes a natural cycle of life. I hope to invite the viewer to pause, reflect and forge their own connections with oneself and nature."
The gallery will also be showing the oil and acrylic floral works of Impressionist painter Leisa Corbett of Waukegan, including a bright, bold and beautiful peony triptych, plus paintings of sunflowers and geraniums.
Paintings of people, faces and places by expressionist painter John Kirkpatrick of Libertyville and all new metal sculpture by Beach Park artist Michael Bellefeuille - who joins the gallery's 2021 Collective of artists this month - will all also be exhibited.
Artists Bob Nonnemacher and Michael Litewski are presenting new artwork, too; each continuing their explorations of abstract expressionism in geometric art and assemblage.
The gallery will be open to the public from 1-4 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays through April 11. Masks and social distancing are required and the group size may not exceed 10. Visit the Blue Moon Gallery Facebook page for all the details and updates or visit www.thebluemoongallery.com.
Blue Moon Gallery is at 18620 Belvidere Road, Grayslake. For more information, contact Kendra Kett, director at Blue Moon Gallery, at (224) 388-7948.