An invitation to come and SEE. The challenge of an artist is to move the viewer from a casual (seeing) to the deeper and more profound experience of (SEEING). I employ the use of rich color and deep texture to create works of art that draw the viewer into a deeper aesthetic experience brimming with beauty, wonder, and on occasion, mystery. I invite you to come and SEE a collection of art featuring paintings, raku-fired pottery, kintsugi bowls, and live-edge furniture.

My new collection is about artistic styling. I have no point to make. Perhaps I revisited past travels and recreated some earlier pieces…My focus this time was simple. Alone in my studio, I work and pursue and discover the encaustic medium. Its organic nature continues to excite me. The way one color bleeds into the next, or a previous layer rises to the surface and shines through is captivating. This collection is a bit more colorful. I truly enjoyed creating these pieces because the process provided relief to me, a much needed distraction from this chaotic world. I have so many personal opinions and fatigue with our social climate. I chose not to show my feelings here. These works have no agenda and no message…they are just art.

My relationship with abstract art is derived from a creative ability to see a finished product in my head before paint touches canvas. The visions I put to canvas are spontaneous and often don’t fall into a defined theme, although they may have a slight likeness that can be observed in them. Because art can mean or represent so many different things to so many different people, my goal above anything is to create conversational pieces that not only warm a room but inspire positivity and imagination as well.

Searching for order during times of chaos provides solace for the human experience. The unexplainable can be processed through personal routines and rituals that lead us to a higher order of thinking. Something divine can be achieved from the counting of 108 Mala beads while repeating prayers for peace. Prayer beads have been used for centuries by a range of religions, from Hinduism to Catholicism. In the series, “108” I have explored the enlightenment that can be achieved through the counting of 108 Mala beads. I have studied personal photographs and photographs taken by friends of auspicious places. Within each photograph, I identified 8 colors and then represented those colors in 108 circles. Each painting is meant to provide a visual harmony that can be found through repetition and order. Every painting is a prayer for peace and security through the expression of color inspired by our connections to nature and those places of serenity.

I am irresistibly drawn to painting as a means of expressing my deep admiration for and connection to nature. When I am in nature, I become part of it with no separation. Painting, is a visual language that is capable of conveying ideas, emotions and complexity as powerfully as the written or spoken ones. In this showing I have assembled both decorative, landscape and still life pieces. There is a story behind each one.

After a storm, it’s peaceful again. A 2014 spring tornado struck my small town. Many homes and businesses were destroyed. I was more fortunate; I only lost my art studio. Although years of work and a large (probably too large) collection of books, tools, and equipment was blown away in an instant; my most important treasures were spared- family, friends, pets, and my home. As I witness a community recover, I realize what remains is the instinct to begin again. Like nature perseveres. This collection of paintings was inspired by the peace and beauty that still exists after a storm.

Painting based on color and composition captivates my creativity, and painting in this abstract or non-objective way frees my mind. I do enjoy painting realism, but my freedom in the abstract grabs my attention to create new and visually exciting spaces on my surface. It's an escape through creativity; I'm able to let go of my current reality and enter my own abstract reality.

This collection of art aspires to be anything but the literal in a world full of sensibilities. Uniquely crafted to inspire those young at heart that maintain their sense of wonder. These works include mixed media materials combining the old and the new in a whimsical manner.

This exhibition focuses on the individual collections of three local artists: Sarah Jones, Amy Kalimat, and Jennifer Nelson. Each artist has their own style, medium, and connection with their work that we invite you to explore! Sarah Jones In her collection, “Chromalicious”, Sarah uses her paintings to express and preserve emotions linked to personal memories. She employs gestures and colors to capture fleeting moments, and the layered style reflects the passage of time. Her paintings often evoke natural imagery like crashing waves or ethereal landscapes, and she draws inspiration from personal experiences, collections, films, and observing sunsets. Amy Kalimat The "Black, White and Blind" collection combines abstract works from Amy’s "Blind Intuitive" and "Black and White" series. Inspired by personal experiences and emotions, her work explores themes of growth, understanding, and finding peace amidst challenges. The "Blind Intuitive" series involves a unique process where the watercolor foundation for each piece is created blindly, guided by internal thoughts and feelings. The "Black and White" series focuses on linear design and dot-making. Amy hopes that viewers will appreciate the details and layers in her work. Jennifer Nelson In the “Destinations” collection, Jennifer is inspired by her daily travels and the music, podcasts, or books she listens to while driving. She creates graphic shapes representing travel maps and sound, often experimenting with different scales. The "Summer Bites" series consists of smaller works that Jennifer can easily carry and enjoy during her daily life.

Journeying through life, I am seeking a greater understanding of the human condition and experience by responding through the creation of my art. The power to create, express and empathize is what makes us human. In this exhibit, “Balance”, the study of ancient symbols and cultural systems for balance and order has shaped my art while I respond to my presence in this world; within this moment. Maintaining ancient painting materials of beeswax, damar resin and the element of heat, I’m creating a symbiosis of past processes with immediate expression. Producing colors, lines and textures that provoke an innate feeling of harmony within the viewer the moment they stand before my work, is my purpose. Just as the warm analogous colors of the setting sun create a slow moving horizontal line over the cool hues of the ocean waters, I seek perfect balance within as I send perfect “Balance” out.

My goal for Barriers and Brushes is to show the light and dark side of each piece. Separated by a barrier, each half has its own character and flow, but at the same time a likeness to each other that brings it all together.

Art has been my major passion and pursuit throughout my adult life. After graduating with a Master’s of Fine Arts from California College of the Arts in San Francisco, I returned to Springfield in the fall of 2018. I currently teach at OTC, and sometimes at MSU and the Springfield Art Museum. In Bathymetry I took water and its movement as inspiration. I looked at bathymetric maps and aerial views of various bodies of water around the world. The aqueous nature of the paint became my partner in exploring the rhythms and undulations of water and the topographies it sculpts. Although the resulting paintings are fictitious, each one is inspired by a real place and by the behavior and impact of water.

Stephanie’s newest collection, “Bend”, reflects a previous claim by a Boston Globe critic: “Cramer’s work has a dark sensibility occasionally struck by light, like the glory of an electrical storm.” Untethered, while painting, Stephanie loses herself to an imaginary world. She starts with a gesture and leans into the process using only her instinct—looking to the past but moving forward, allowing herself to bend. These latest works reveal new glimpses into her dynamic and entrancing mind.

Ken Richardson has assembled his own “art stew.” He’s used a variety of ingredients to create sculpture, with steel being the common element. From bananas to black birds, it all goes in the pot!

Over 60 local artists have joined together to “black out” Obelisk Home for the month of October. We asked artists to create works that are predominately black and dark hues but left the rest open for interpretation. For many of the participants, trading their bright colors for a tube of black paint has pushed their comfort zones and immersed them into a diverting challenge. From paintings and drawings, to encaustic, mixed media, printmaking, and photography, this group show is a diverse display of talent here in Southwest Missouri.

Start with color, Move with the mark, Complete the gesture. I see painting as a journey, taking expected and unexpected directions along the route. The unanticipated I value most – finding answers to questions not yet formulated, questions formulated not yet answered. Why would we continue the quest if we knew all the answers?

Inspiration drawn from railroad car graffiti is the foundation for my show, “Boxcar”. I’ve never minded being stopped by a train that was loaded down with Graffiti art—seeing the different colors, techniques and styles zooming by. Each car different but similar bounded by the capacity of technique you get with spray paint. I challenged myself to come up with pieces that not only reflected graffiti but pieces that ease the mind with the use of the cool colors and relaxed shapes. You won’t find spray paint in this collection, but hopefully you will catch the essence of that old train car clinking by.