by Elizabeth Monks Hack
The newness of January has a childlike quality. It’s rain-washed fresh and full of possibilities. We want to look at the world as we did when we were very young; full of color, light and impressions, without judgment. A walk through the Cypress Gallery this month will bring you to that place if you let it. I was captivated by the variety of artworks on display, and found myself in that blissful state that allows us to gaze and wonder.
Instead of our usual featured artist, January showcases the work of all members throughout the gallery. The work of art that seems to represent most clearly the concept of renewal is “Jalama Seagull” by our gallery photographer Bill Morson. It is a small print on aluminum. Its straightforward composition, of a seagull with outstretched wings against a piercing blue sky, seems to glow with promise. Another Morson photograph, entitled “Haleakala Caldera,” shows the passage of eons of time. The vast rim of the extinct volcano on Maui holds worlds within it, and truly represents its name, which means “house of the sun.”
“Notes” by Kathy Badrak is an abstract piece that demonstrates the wonder of creativity, once you let go of the demands of realism. The artist has organized strokes of paint and found objects into a grid format, which happily play across the canvas like a song. Diane Atturio experiments in this vein with her intriguing collage “Eucalyptus.” The eucalyptus leaves mounted on bark cloth are comprised of paper and colored pencil, or are they? I never did decided which. The gum-nuts are real.
“Winter Sleep” by Steven Scolari, shows another side of the new year; the persistence of dark, cold weather. A small-scale vertical panel of bare trees against a moody sky, it speaks to those of us who can’t wrap our heads around renewal just yet. “The Old Theatre at Sunset” by yours truly received the People’s Choice ribbon for December. Re-looking at it in January seemed to give it new meaning.
Numerous works of glorious art, cards and gifts by your favorite gallery artists await your presence. Take a few minutes to revive your spirits, now that the holiday rush is over. Allow yourself to gaze and wonder.
The Cypress Gallery is operated by the members of the Lompoc Valley Art Association, a 501c(3) non-profit organization, committed to expanding and supporting access to the arts in the Lompoc and Santa Ynez Valleys. 119 East Cypress Avenue, Lompoc. Thursday – Sunday, 11:00 – 4:00 pm. (805) 737-1129 <lompocart.org>
CREDITS
All photos by Bill Morson
Bill Morson “Jalama Seagull”
Kathy Badrak “Notes”
Diane Atturio “Eucalyptus”
Steven Scolari “Winter Sleep”
Elizabeth Monks Hack “The Old Theatre at Sunset”