Evocation

When I shivered my way to the car this morning the thermometer read 35 degrees.  My husband in Georgia says its in the 20s and my daughter in Chicago is shivering in the low teens...The dogs refused to go out in the driving rain, I had to boot them (they both had on coats) forcibly onto the walk in front of my little Charleston Condo, lest they die of uremic poisoning. We scurried about, me in a badly mangled umbrella, sleep hair, jams & wet shoes. Checking email as we walked, I learned a dear friend had died. I felt punched bewildered and oh so sad. He had had surgeries but was doing better. It was sudden and felt so cruel. I wept, my tears running into the rain. Later as the dogs & I headed off to the gallery, we still looked crazy albeit more conventionally dressed, and were still teary. The southeast is all abluster and the streets are quiet. When I turned on all the lights in my beloved sanctuary of a gallery I glanced up at John Ball's wonderful painting of the unmade hotel bed and saw myself there: New York Times, room service coffee, snuggly cuddles. Later perhaps a stroll to the hotel bar for soup and a sherry and a discussion of the weather & of all things, the sports scores. No discussions of the economy, politics or local corruption. Only the cocoon of the room, the hotel, and the intimacies there in. A good painting takes you out of yourself, evokes another time & place, gives you perspective, comfort, strength. I love this little painting for its ability to lift the rain, dry my eyes, give me peace, take me out of myself. It and many other delightful gems can be seen at http://www.mgalleryoffineart.com/searchresults.php?artistId=11727

December Madness Respite

December brings with it all sorts of holiday craziness: shopping, decorating, cooking, family gatherings, oh my the list goes on and on. I find the season both exhilarating & taxing...as we all do. There always is a sense of gratitude for those gathered, always tempered by a sense of longing for those not present.

The Tony Pro / Brooke Olivares / Matteo Caloiaro show we have up for December at M Gallery in Charleston offers a needed break in all the acts of doing...it is a gift you can give your self: a delight and respite.

Our headliner Tony Pro is well know to many of you. Long respected among the art community, he has developed a bold style which serves him and his viewers well. In his fresh take on images like his snappers & roses we see a sensitivity and passion uncommon in the world of art. Tony's competently rendered paintings display his virtuosity as a painter, exploring contemporary and traditional venues...paparazzi to geishas & back. His quiet kiss on his wife's figure in Daydreaming shows a mature loving husband admiring the strength & passion he knows is his wife.


Olivares has images of beaches, dolls, home life. She shares her life with Caloario. Many of our good friends avidly collect Matteo's work and will find the couple's blending fascinating. It is hard to tell where one stops and the other starts.

As with many of our painters who are very close, we see a merging of images painted, skills learned. A painting partner is oh so beneficial, and lucky are the few who have one. The famous painting couples of our times have illustrated clearly the bounty to be had by having your mate as your artistic partner. It certainly is the case with these two.

Matteo's quiet rendering of his life, their apartment, Brooke sleeping unveil the tenderness and regard he has for her and their life together. Oh to be so loved! You'll enjoy it, I am sure.

All three painters will be with us in the gallery on Broad street both Thursday & Friday evening. Thursday is a quieter venue for lengthier interactions, Friday a more festive atmosphere. We will have Spanish guitar both nights, & of course, wine & hors d' oeuvres. Or of course on the web at M Gallery of Fine Art