Three Hillsborough Gallery Artists Head Into Uncharted Territories

HILLSBOROUGH, N.C. - March 15, 2015 - PRLog -- Nell Chandler, Ali Givens and Ellie Reinhold are in “Uncharted” territory with their new work. Each artist has chosen to explore a new facet of their art: size, method or subject.

Ali Givens creates colorful textile collages. “As I pondered what area to explore for this show, I decided to examine spatial relationships. In the first piece I placed my family, part of the Christmas tree and a painting on the wall, into a panel that was about 2’x4’.” In a second piece, Givens sewed a 6’x6’ panel using the same composition and enlarging the small painting from the first piece to 2’x4’. “This is the largest overall image I have attempted to date” she said. “Finally, I made over a dozen very small images that reflect the spirit – but not the size – of the first ones. This has been a very interesting and joyful exercise, following the procedure of shrinking and expanding and learning how different elements become more or less important according to size.”

When jeweler Nell Chandler started contemplating “uncharted” as a theme, she thought of all the different surfaces she wanted to try. Some of her friends’ children are leaving the nest, reminding Chandler that when her children were young and she had very limited studio time, jewelry designs "just flooded out of me. It seemed so overwhelming because I never had time to try more than a fraction of them. I vowed that I would go back to those designs one day, maybe update them a bit, but I would go back." One of the surfaces Chandler wanted to try was colored pencil on sanded copper. With a focus and a deadline she began experimenting, flipping through old sketch books and sketching with Prismacolor pencils on copper. Using her background as a painter and print-maker, Chandler’s jewelry often contains tiny drawings and phrases which tell stories.

Painter Ellie Reinhold has this to say about her work for the show Uncharted: "My figurative work ebbs and flows. When it ebbs I go off the rails, spending time in uncharted territory, exploring and playing with color, surface, pattern, texture. Early last fall I found myself experimenting with brushwork and mark to achieve new textures and surface qualities with acrylic paint. The result was a small series I call ‘egg’ paintings because ovum-like shapes cropped up in each of them. Percolate, which was in the January show Art All Around at HGA, is one of these.”

Reinhold’s work in Uncharted takes some of these seeds and runs with them. “I'm thinking about data mapping and physical mapping. About the imposition of overlays or grids regardless of the landscape involved. About how mapping chops and divides, but perhaps also connects in unexpected ways.”

Uncharted can be seen at the Hillsborough Gallery of Arts March 23rd through April 19th. There will be an Opening Reception on Friday March 27th from 6 - 9pm.

The Hillsborough Gallery of Arts (HGA) is owned and operated by 22 local artists and represents these established artists exhibiting contemporary fine art and fine craft. The HGA's offerings include acrylic and oil paintings, sculpture, ceramics, photography, textiles, jewelry, glass, metals, encaustic, enamel, and wood. 121 N. Churton St. Hillsborough, NC 27278 (919) 732-5001. Winter hours: 10-6 M-Sat, 12-4 Sunday.  On March 28th the Gallery begins its extended summer schedule staying open until 8pm on Friday and Saturday evenings.    http://www.HillsboroughGallery.com