“Of Earth and Sky”– an expansive title for the expansive range of work presented by Ann Tidrow Connely and Barbara Lewis, Amapola Gallery’s Featured Artists for July.
Ann Connely brings earth to life with her ceramics, little “friendship ” bowls with tiny human figures, and charmingly detailed, flowering cactuses which can be used as vases or decorative sculptures. For July she will present large (to 2′ tall) cactus sculptures based primarily on cholla. As for “sky,” Ann is rightly admired for the beauty of her acrylic landscapes. Like New Mexico herself these emphasize sky–sunsets, sunrises, storm clouds–every one color-intensive and captivating.
Barbara Lewis does for her earthy material–gourds–what Connely does for skies and cacti. Using an enormous variety of gourd sizes and shapes, Barbara paints using earth tones, white, and deep, luscious colors: blues, purples, greens. She carries in her head, she says, the essence of southwest Native designs, but follows her own path to create masks, female figures, vases and even “pottery. ” Many of her figures seem to dance, so graceful and curving are the gourds themselves. Lewis will also display her delicate, hand-painted gourd earrings and pendants.
It’s a beautiful and wide-ranging exhibit, and you can meet the talented artists on Friday, July 6 from 4 to 7 p.m. at Amapola Gallery, on the Plaza in Old Town at 205 Romero N.W. Open daily from 10 to 5.
This exhibit will run through July, but Connely and Lewis are two of our 40 local artists. At Amapola artists’ co-op Gallery it’s all New Mexican all the time. (505) 242-4311 or amapolagallery.com.
