Peggy Epner "The Red Thread"
Cheryl D. McClure "The Green Heart of Italy"
Peggy Epner "Forest Falling" and
Cheryl McClure "Influenced by the Land"
Peggy Epner
Throughout human history, there have been cultures that have regarded trees as having spirits.
It is not difficult to imagine why. Trees live, grow, adapt, and die, subject to the same forces
of nature that rule humans. On a cellular level, humans and trees are made up of the same essential
ingredients. We come from the same source, whatever you believe that to be.
My work assumes an interconnectedness of the world's life forms, particularly of man to the forest.
Throughout my life, I have played, explored, and slept in the forest. It always feels like coming
home. It is a spiritual connection that goes to the root of who I am as an artist and a person.
In my evolving visual vocabulary, wood and reference to trees have come to represent the bodies,
spirits, and intentions of people. Sometimes mine. Sometimes yours. Sometimes everyone's.
Does it really matter? It is all the same.
See images of Peggy's work:
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Cheryl D. McClure
I have always been influenced by nature and the land. Living on a ranch in northeastern Texas
for the past two years has moved that influence up a notch. I am surrounded by trees, pasture lands,
sky, pond and a meandering creek. Looking out my windows in the house or the studio is such a
pleasure...even in bad weather; I find something I never noticed before.
With all this said, I don't set out to paint what I actually see in nature. It just comes through
as I work through my process. Whether in acrylic painting or the wonderful encaustic medium, I
strive to let the painting speak to me. I make revisions when I see that is where the painting is
going. I have a conversation with the paint and the process.
Without a social or political message, surface quality, color relationships and design are what
I am most interested in when painting.
See images of Cheryl's work:
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Caryl Gordon
Redefining Nature
Opening Reception February 19th - April 3, 2010
The encaustics evolved from the monoprints I have been creating over the past 14 years.
They are essentially collages using wax as an adherent. I also use the wax to paint areas of
the collage. When I construct my monoprints, I often use found objects of flat metal, plastic
or wood with unusual textures and shapes to emboss my plates. I now use these same textures and
shapes in my encaustics in a variety of ways. Sometimes, I will cut up my monoprints to basically
recycle them, using the chosen portions for collage purposes. In addition, I make my own fabric
designs on raw canvas using the before-mentioned found objects as stencils, spray painting the
canvas with fabric dyes. I use these pieces of cloth in my collages as well. In fact, I use whatever
I can find that interests me, a real recycling endeavor, for collaging, stenciling, stamping, tracing, etc.
I have been a fine art printmaker since 1996, making mostly monoprints in my home studio in Plano,Texas.
I started my art education at the Art Student's League in New York City during high school, studied a year
at The School of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, Massachusetts and received my BFA from The Cooper Union
School of Art and Architecture in New York City in 1975. After four children and a freelance photography
business, I went back to my art full time. Since then, my prints have been in juried shows in museums,
galleries, universities and art centers all over the country. Just last year I discovered The Encaustic
Center in Richardson, Texas and my passion for encaustics came alive! I am tremendously excited by
what is for me a new medium, and I hope y'all enjoy looking at my encaustic collage/paintings as much
as I have enjoyed creating them! To view more of my work, please visit my website at www.carylcgordon.com.
See images of Caryl's work (mouse over "Notes" to see titles and pricing information):
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See images from the opening reception:
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Two Journeys Karen Chaussabel and Susan Sponsler
November 20 - December 20, 2009
Karen Chaussabel Into the Horizon
Born in France, Karen spent her childhood steeped in nature, aware and appreciative of her surroundings;
the connection endured, all the while moving to Canada, and now creating in Texas; her work speaks to those
landscapes and the process of integration and movement.
"This body of work represents a journey of exploration, both personal and artistic. The fluid quality of
monotyping with encaustic paint, is particularly suitable to embodying land and sea masses. The experience
of loosely brushing the paint onto a hot plate, having colors run into one another, blending and melding,
contributes to the feeling of exploration, of stepping a little further into those horizons as expansive
bodies of water and land emerge. Trust and respect of the process are at the heart of my creative journey."
"I enjoy being in the process, engaged in a dialogue with my material. I find that through that dialogue,
my experience in art and life are enhanced. By letting materials be my guide, I get the unique opportunity
to grow and cultivate my creative voice. And exploring those new horizons through art has given me a familiarity
with them I did not have when I stood in their midst. That connection brought me to appreciate where I am"
See Karen's work (mouse over "Notes" to see titles and pricing information):
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Susan Sponsler Yellow Work
Susan Sponsler was born in Seoul, Korea. She was adopted by American parents and arrived in the United States -
Iowa, specifically. Sponsler's father, a Korean War veteran, and her mother went through the Holt agency to
adopt two babies - Susan and the two years later, a brother.
"The Yellow Work series consists of encaustic photo-based images related to my experiences as an Asian American
adoptee. My early dislike of the color yellow was closely entwined with my low self esteem as an Asian American.
From derogatory to powerful; naming ourselves Yellow now comes from the strength of our survival."
"Yellow Work incorporates photos of myself along with items symbolizing Asia including, traditional Korean
language symbols, bamboo, the beautiful yellow leaf and other nature photos with yellow as the main focus."
Sponsler's work has been exhibited internationally - Seoul, South Korea, The US Embassy in Panama City and in
various cities in the US such as New York, Los Angeles, Houston and Dallas, to name a few. She has a bachelor's
degree in advertising and a Master of Fine Arts degree in photography from Texas Woman's University.
See Susan's work (mouse over "Notes" to see more information):
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See images from the reception:
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Brett Dyer
El Triunfo de la Muerte
The Triumph of the Dead
October 24 - November 13, 2009
Images of Brett's work (mouse over "Notes" to see more information):
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"Often death is seen in a dark manner, however just as much life and energy can result from death.
The body of work for El Triunfo de la Muerte explores the various ideals, effects, and affects of death
within humanity and society. It was Vincent van Gogh who said “…we take death to reach a star.”
~ Brett Dyer
Brett Dyer received his BFA in painting and printmaking at UT Tyler and his MFA at TWU.
Brett is teaching art at Tarrant County College and creates in encaustic wax.
See pictures from the reception!
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Waxy 100
August 14 - September 30, 2009
Exhibiting artists:
Hayley Elizabeth Juster, Susan Sponsler-Carstarphen, Liz Rogers, Sam Wood, Caryl C. Gordon,
Allison Gillies, Dan Cunningham, LeAnna Markus, Maya Dubove, Wendi Medling, Tricia Dewey,
Laura Griffin, Diana Chase, Rhonda Daniel, Pamela Rabin, Heather Jean Clinton, Lydia Gowens,
Michelle Pryor, Junanne Peck, Karen Chaussabel, Crystal Gordon, Susan E. Wiedner, Brett Dyer,
Deborah Hobbs, Deanna Wood, Bonny Leibowitz, Rafael Soto, Jenny Hudson
Images from the reception:
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Grand Opening Celebration
April 15 - May 31, 2009
Exhibiting artists:
Junanne Peck, Brett Dyer, Deanna Wood, Bonny Leibowitz, Heidi Sulak, Dan Cunningham, Lydia Gowens,
LeAnna Markus, Allan Wood, Susan Sponsler, Ralph Soto, Jenny Hudson, Bibi Gill, Roseline Bodiford,
Michelle Pryor, Karen Chaussabel, Pamela Rabin
